01. AI-Driven Memory Supercycle, Korea Maintains Critical Position in Near Term
On March 3, United Daily News reported that in an era where computing power determines national competitiveness, the memory engines powering computational cores remain firmly in Korean hands for the foreseeable future. With deep expertise in HBM and advanced DRAM and a strong market position, Korea is a core force in the global AI computing ecosystem.
TrendForce estimates the global memory market will reach $551.6 billion in 2026 and climb to $842.7 billion in 2027, representing a staggering 53% year-over-year growth. The HBM market is projected to expand from $7.3 billion in 2025 to nearly $60 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 26%. Korean companies command over 70% of the DRAM market and approximately 80-90% of HBM revenue, with SK Hynix and Samsung forming a solid core of the AI memory supply chain.
02. TrendForce: AI Demand Fuels NAND Flash Revenue Surge
On March 4, SemiMedia reported that TrendForce data showed significant growth in global NAND flash revenue in Q4 2025, with the top five suppliers collectively generating $21.17 billion, up 23.8% quarter over quarter. Samsung led with $6.6 billion in revenue but saw its market share decline to 28%. SK Group (including SK Hynix and Solidigm) grew fastest with $5.21 billion, up 47.8% QoQ, raising its market share to 22.1%. Kioxia ranked third with $3.31 billion, hitting record quarterly highs for both revenue and shipments. Micron and SanDisk tied for fourth and fifth at $3.03 billion each.
Looking ahead to Q1 2026, TrendForce expects supply tightness to drive continued price increases, with average contract price growth revised upward to 85-90% quarter-over-quarter. The firm believes AI infrastructure demand continues expanding while capacity expansion remains constrained, keeping NAND flash prices elevated throughout 2026.
03. KEMET Announces Tantalum Capacitor Price Hike from April, Citing AI Server Demand
On March 3, SemiMedia reported that Yageo subsidiary KEMET plans to raise prices on its T523 series polymer tantalum capacitors (KO-CAP) effective April 1—marking the group's third tantalum capacitor price increase since H2 2025. KEMET stated that polymer tantalum capacitors have seen robust demand growth across multiple key markets over the past three years, while rising labor, raw material, and equipment costs have driven overall cost increases.
Industry sources note that widespread adoption of tantalum capacitors in GPU and ASIC servers is becoming a primary demand driver, with AI infrastructure emerging as a significant consumption engine alongside traditional aerospace and defense applications. Supply chain sources indicate that if AI server shipments continue expanding, the tantalum capacitor market may remain tight through 2026, with sellers maintaining pricing dominance.
04. Samsung Texas Fab Reportedly Delayed to Next Year for Mass Production
On March 5, Commercial Times reported that Samsung Electronics' new foundry fab in Taylor, Texas, has adjusted its mass production timeline. While market expectations previously pointed to a launch by year-end, the latest indications suggest a delay to early next year. The fab has already begun trial production and partial pilot operations, but ramping to full-scale capacity and achieving stable shipment levels requires additional time.
The Taylor fab is viewed as a critical stronghold for Samsung's advanced process roadmap, set to jointly develop 2nm technology with Samsung's Pyeongtaek campus in Korea. Samsung expects 2nm orders to grow over 130% this year, driven primarily by HPC and AI chip demand. Market rumors suggest Samsung is negotiating partnerships with Google, AMD, and ByteDance, and secured a $16.5 billion contract last year to produce next-generation AI chips for Tesla.
05. Surging Metal Prices Trigger Semiconductor Price Hikes
On March 2, Commercial Times reported that rising upstream metal prices for copper, silver, and tin are sparking a new wave of price increases across the global semiconductor industry. CR Micro, AMEC, and others have announced price adjustment plans covering MCUs, NOR Flash, power components, and other products, with increases ranging from 10% to 80%. Chinese copper prices rose 34.34% in 2025 and have gained approximately 2.8% this year, with Shanghai spot copper reaching RMB 102,000 per ton. CITIC Securities expects price hikes to continue spreading, while Donghai Securities indicates a high probability of sustained strong growth trends through H1.
06. Memory Shortages Drive Smartphone Shipments Down Estimated 12%
On March 3, Commercial Times reported that Counterpoint Research estimates global smartphone shipments will decline 12.4% year-over-year in 2026 to slightly below 1.1 billion units—the lowest since 2013. The primary cause is memory supply tightening, with mobile LPDDR4/5 prices in Q2 expected to reach nearly triple the levels seen in Q3 2025. Some memory manufacturers have redirected wafer capacity toward high-margin AI-related DRAM, creating cross-quarter supply gaps for mobile-grade memory. Entry-level and mid-to-low-end models face greater pressure, with some Android product prices already raised approximately 10-20%.