ISSCC 2026: AMD discloses how the Instinct MI355X doubled per-CU throughput despite lower compute unit count — ‘We are actually matching the performance of the more expensive and complex GB200’

Taking to the stage at ISSCC, AMD’s Ramasamy Adaikkalavan talked through how AMD managed to fit nearly double the compute throughput into the same die area as its predecessor,
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Rapidus secures $1.7 billion from Japan’s government and private investors for 2nm chip production — company says it is in active discussions with more than 60 potential customers

Under the arrangement, the government will initially hold roughly 10% of Rapidus’s voting shares and the majority of its stake in non-voting stock.
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Imec’s new post-exposure bake method speeds up EUV chipmaking tools, boosting production for the most advanced chips — 20% gain in photoresist improvement from increased oxygen concentration

Increased oxygen concentration during the EUV lithography post-exposure bake step can increase photoresist performance by 15% – 20%, according to Imec’s findings.
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Intel Foundry boss leaves for Qualcomm — Naga Chandrasekaran takes charge of the unit

Naga Chandrasekaran promoted to Chief Technology and Operations Officer as well as the general manager of Intel Foundry responsible for development of advanced process technologies and day-to-day operations.
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Chipmakers still suffering from rare earth shortages, says report — US-China trade truce apparently still hasn’t eased pressures despite agreement taking place in October last year

Sources told Reuters that some U.S. chipmaking firms are running low on scandium — a crucial rare earth material for making 5G chips — as they suffer delays from acquiring export licenses from Beijing.
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China to increase leading-edge chip output by 5x in two years, report claims — aims to lift 7nm and 5nm production to 100,000 wafers per month, targeting half a million monthly by 2030

Chinese foundries looking to increase 7nm and below capacity to 100,000 wafer starts per month in one or two years, says Nikkei.
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US gov’t warned Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, and Lisa Su that China could invade Taiwan by 2027 — Apple CEO reportedly said he sleeps ‘with one eye open’

A new investigative report from The New York Times reveals that, in July 2023, senior US intelligence officials privately briefed some of the tech industry’s most powerful executives on classified assessments regarding Chi…

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ASML makes breakthrough in EUV chipmaking tech, plans to increase speed by 50% by 2030 — new 1,000-watt light source fires three lasers at 100,000 tin droplets every second

ASML to use a new CO2 laser system and tin droplet generator to increase EUV light source performance to 1000W and lithography tool productivity to 330 wafers per hour in 2030 and beyond.
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The state of China’s decade-long semiconductor push: still a decade behind, despite hundreds of billions spent and significant progress — examining the original ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative

After 10 years and hundreds of billions of investments, China’s semiconductor supply chain is still decades behind chip supply chain in America and Taiwan.
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TSMC considers an additional $100 billion investment into Arizona fabs to bolster American chipmaking efforts — move would help TSMC’s chips avoid tariffs due to local production

TSMC, other companies to invest $250 billion in the U.S. as part of trade deal, TSMC reportedly mulls additional $100 billion investment and four more fab modules.
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