samsung

Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Qualcomm are jointly developing organic bridge technology for 2.1D packaging, with related development and validation ongoing for over a year. The organic bridge is similar to the silicon bridge used in Intel's EMIB but is made with organic materials and produced using substrate processes to connect multiple semiconductor chips within the same package.Samsung Electro-Mechanics embeds the organic bridge in FC-BGA substrates with grooves, connecting Qualcomm chips and evaluating performance and reliability. Qualcomm is considering using it for large multi-chip semiconductors in data centers and applied for related patents in October 2024. Samsung Electro-Mechanics is also developing this technology in parallel with several other customers.The organic bridge aims for 5 to 7 layers of redistribution layers, with line widths and spacings of 1.5 to 2 microns, and vias of 4 to 5 microns, achieving a pattern density of 500 to 1000 per millimeter between chips. Samsung Electro-Mechanics is self-manufacturing and evaluating samples while also assessing external suppliers and collaborating with Samsung Electronics' wafer foundry for packaging evaluations.

The Bank of Korea recently reviewed the reasons for the fluctuations of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) in the "Monetary and Credit Policy Report for September 2026." The report shows that as the KOSPI continues to rise, the contribution rates of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to the index's increase have rapidly increased.Especially during the process in June this year when the KOSPI surged from 8000 points to 9000 points, the contribution rates of these two stocks to the index's rise reached as high as 99%.

According to South Korea's "JoongAng Ilbo," China's semiconductor industry is organized through collaboration among the central government, local governments, state-owned financial institutions, and enterprises, forming a system for fundraising, factory construction, and infrastructure support. The China National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund has a first phase of 138.7 billion RMB, a second phase of 204 billion RMB, and a third phase of 344 billion RMB, totaling 686.7 billion RMB, with investments in companies such as SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor, and Yangtze Memory Technologies.Changxin Memory, established for 10 years, has risen to fourth in global DRAM market share, with a net loss of 21.13 billion RMB over the past three years, while R&D and equipment investments during the same period reached 185.2 billion RMB, with Hefei's state-owned capital providing about 80% of the funding for early projects. South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are responsible for investments, employment, technology development, and support for partners. The South Korean government plans to guide 622 trillion KRW in private investment by 2047 and provide 17 trillion KRW in low-interest loans and 1.1 trillion KRW in semiconductor ecosystem funds, but most of the burden will fall on enterprises.Park Kyung-soo, Executive Vice President of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association: The semiconductor industry will fall behind in the next upturn if investment stops; even during downturns, R&D, equipment investment, and orders for materials and components must be maintained, requiring long-term policy, financial, and tax support. China is catching up with a national-level support system, and South Korea also needs a response system involving the government, political circles, financial institutions, and enterprises to act together.

According to foreign media reports, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rejected a prepayment proposal for electricity bills put forward by the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The proposal originally required the two companies to pay electricity bills in advance to fund the construction of the power grid for a new technology cluster. Utility companies across Asia are struggling to keep up with the growing demand from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries due to tight funding.The Korea Electric Power Corporation's proposal is estimated by local media to total 250 trillion won, equivalent to five years' worth of electricity bills. A spokesperson for the Korea Electric Power Corporation stated via text message, "The two companies ultimately rejected the proposal from the Korea Electric Power Corporation." According to local media reports, the two chip manufacturers are concerned about the uncertainty of whether the current semiconductor boom can be sustained over the next five years.

China's largest DRAM manufacturer Changxin Storage (CXMT) has recently launched a bidding for equipment from partners for its new factory in Shanghai and is advancing capacity expansion in multiple locations. CXMT is currently mass-producing DRAM in Hefei Phase II and Beijing Phase I, with an estimated capacity of about 200,000 wafers per month, which may exceed 300,000 wafers per month by the end of the year.CXMT plans to open the new factory in Shanghai in the fourth quarter of this year, and the related equipment bidding has already started. Semiconductor equipment industry insiders say that the factory is planned to be expanded in two phases, with capacity significantly exceeding 100,000 wafers per month. Subsequently, there are plans to open a new factory in Hefei in the first half of next year and the earliest new factory in Beijing in the second half of next year, with another new factory in Hefei opening in the first half of the year after next.Equipment industry insiders say that CXMT has communicated with multiple parties regarding the timing of building factories in various locations. If all plans are realized, CXMT could add at least 70,000 to 80,000 wafers of capacity per month each year from this year until 2028, with a long-term goal of exceeding 600,000 wafers per month. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's DRAM capacities are estimated at about 700,000 wafers and 600,000 wafers per month, respectively.

According to The Bell, Samsung Electronics' foundry division has delayed its contract for application processor foundry production with Qualcomm due to differences in production unit prices, and both parties have failed to narrow the price gap, prolonging negotiations. There have been no significant technical issues, and the currently discussed 2-nanometer process has received a considerable degree of stabilization evaluation.Industry sources indicate that the Qualcomm AP foundry using Samsung's 2-nanometer process may be postponed until next year, and it is unclear whether production can commence within this year. Qualcomm had previously entrusted advanced AP production to Samsung before 2021, and Samsung has been continuously striving to regain this business in recent years, having secured clients such as Tesla and Broadcom.Informed sources state that the contract delay has made it difficult for Samsung to produce APs for Qualcomm this year, and both parties may turn to discuss the next generation of products. After acquiring strategic clients, Samsung is no longer willing to accept low-price orders as it did in the past.

KB Securities released a report on September 11, indicating that Samsung Electronics' HBM market share is expected to increase from 33% in the second quarter to 40% in the fourth quarter, mainly due to HBM4 sales in the third quarter growing more than three times quarter-on-quarter, and HBM4 is expected to account for over 60% of its total HBM sales in the second half of the year.Samsung Electronics has established comprehensive mass production of HBM4, supplied HBM4E samples to core customers, adopted the HBM5 architecture with 1c core bare chips and 2-nanometer base bare chips, and outlined the roadmap for the next-generation ZHBM. In terms of its foundry business, the 4-nanometer yield has stabilized above 80%, and the 2-nanometer GAA yield has rapidly increased to over 70%. KB Securities analyst Kim Dong-Won stated that the foundry business is expected to turn profitable starting in the third quarter, and the 2-nanometer yield may help it secure orders from major U.S. clients within the year.

On September 10, Kim Sang-hoon, the head of the packaging division at Samsung Electro-Mechanics, delivered a speech at the KPCA Show International Seminar INSIGHT 2026 held at the Incheon Songdo Conference Center, proposing a multilayer core (MLC) technology direction to address the large-scale and high-multilayer challenges of AI semiconductor packaging substrates.Kim Sang-hoon stated that in the past, the single-layer core (SLC) method, which increased the thickness of a single CCL, led to increased difficulty in processing internal vias and circuits as the core thickened, and the size of the vias became limited. The MLC approach shifts to a combination of CCL and PPG multilayers, or even a mixed structure of two CCLs, which can simultaneously enhance rigidity and wiring freedom, while also allowing for ground or signal wiring to be arranged in the PPG layer. A bonding layer added between the two CCLs can provide more stable support for the substrate, but the process is more complex.Currently, the commonly used bump pitch in mass production is above 90μm, with around 85μm being the turning point for printed fine solder ball processes. The difficulty significantly increases around 80μm, and the 55-45μm range may shift towards metal bumps. Glass cores are another option, offering higher rigidity and lower thermal expansion coefficients, which help reduce warping in large packages, but issues related to fragility and micro-hole plating technology need to be addressed. The substrate must meet signal integrity, power integrity, and mechanical integrity requirements simultaneously, with high-performance packaging substrate layers expected to evolve from about 20 layers at the 90mm level to 120mm and even more than 40 layers.

According to the Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, Samsung Electronics has begun developing its first AI glasses equipped with a display. This product not only provides audio functionality but also displays colorful visual information on the lenses, similar to the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.Industry insiders revealed that Samsung Electronics is considering developing an ultra-small screen with a size of only 0.2 inches or smaller for the AI glasses, and last month assigned this R&D task to Samsung Display, outlining requirements regarding product dimensions, information display area, color, and price. Samsung Electronics is currently evaluating candidate panel solutions such as OLEDoS or LEDoS, and the industry expects this product to be released in the second half of 2027 or the first half of 2028.Currently, the specific details of the glasses have not been finalized. In terms of color display, Samsung Electronics is expected to use a limited grayscale with 4-bit color instead of a high-definition screen, and it has not yet decided whether to adopt a binocular or monocular design. Industry insiders indicate that RGB OLEDoS faces challenges in terms of price and yield, and it is likely that a white OLEDoS panel will be launched. Samsung previously released AI glasses without a display, co-developed by Samsung Electronics, Google, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker.

TrendForce's latest research on the wafer foundry industry shows that in the second quarter of 2026, the total revenue of the world's top ten wafer foundries increased by 11.5% quarter-on-quarter, approaching $53.49 billion, setting a new record. The growth mainly comes from the continued demand exceeding supply for advanced processes in AI and HPC processors, as well as the rising demand for peripheral AI chips such as PMICs and power discrete devices; the early stocking of consumer supply chains for TVs, PCs, and laptops has also tightened the capacity of some mature processes.TSMC continues to lead, with revenue nearing $40.2 billion in the second quarter, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 12.1%, and a market share of 72.5%. The demand for AI server GPUs and XPUs has kept its 5/4 nm and 3 nm capacities fully loaded, and the initial stocking of the new iPhone has also contributed, with 2 nm making its first revenue contribution. Samsung Foundry ranks second, with revenue of $3.26 billion, a slight quarter-on-quarter increase of 1.8%, and a market share dropping to 5.9%. SMIC ranks third, with revenue exceeding $3 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 20%, and a market share rising to 5.4%, narrowing the gap with Samsung.UMC maintains fourth place, with revenue of nearly $2.18 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 12.7%, and a market share of 3.9%. GlobalFoundries is fifth, with revenue of approximately $1.79 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 9.3%, and a market share of 3.2%. Hua Hong Group ranks sixth, with revenue exceeding $1.27 billion, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 3.5%. Tower, World Advanced, Jinghe Integrated, and Powerchip rank seventh to tenth, with revenues of $460 million, $451 million, $447 million, and $432 million, respectively.

According to a report by ZDNet Korea on the 9th, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are advancing into the Intel EMIB-T packaging substrate supply chain, with related product development and testing already underway. EMIB connects chips with small silicon bridges, which Intel previously used mainly for its own chips; the improved EMIB-T is expanding external sales. The next-generation AI accelerator TPU that Google plans to launch in the second half of next year will be the first to use EMIB-T. EMIB-T inserts silicon vias for power transmission within the silicon bridge.Insiders say that Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed EMIB substrate samples over the years and is currently advancing EMIB-T supply based on the 2.1D packaging substrate concept. Recently, LG Innotek delivered EMIB-T packaging substrates to SK Hynix for sample testing, and both parties are installing HBM on the substrate to evaluate product characteristics.Currently, EMIB-T packaging substrates are supplied by Japan's Ibiden, Shinkawa Electric, Taiwan's Xinxing Electronics, and Austria's AT&S. Ibiden has decided to utilize idle factories to construct a dedicated production line for Intel's EMIB-T substrates, with an investment scale of about 20 trillion Korean won, and it is reported that they have already received advance payments from Google, Amazon, Intel, and others.

OpenAI's General Manager for South Korea, Harrison Kim, stated at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday: "One of the areas where we have made the most significant progress and received the most recognition in our collaboration with Samsung Electronics is the joint production and research for the next-generation chips we are developing."Kim also mentioned that Samsung Electronics is "one of the largest enterprises globally applying ChatGPT at scale," and pointed out that employees in the company, both in Korea and overseas, are using ChatGPT in research and development, marketing, and sales. Kim stated that as the chip technology required for faster and more complex computations continues to upgrade, the demand for memory chips will also keep growing, making collaboration with Korean semiconductor suppliers a priority for OpenAI's local office.

Market news says that Samsung will integrate Mistral AI into its semiconductor business.

On September 8, South Korean semiconductor concept stocks showed mixed performance, with related asset markets remaining active. According to data from the Gate platform, SK Hynix (000660) is currently priced at $1,332.38, with a 24-hour increase of 0.56%; Samsung Electronics (005930) is currently priced at $200.26, with a 24-hour decrease of 0.18%.According to CoinGlass data, both SK Hynix and Samsung have high trading activity in the contract market. Among them, trading of related stock derivatives on Gate is active: the SKHX contract has a position amount of nearly $158 million, ranking second across the network, with a 24-hour trading volume of nearly $177 million; the Samsung contract has a position amount of $9.51 million, with a 24-hour trading volume of $15.8 million, both ranking second across the network.

According to a report by ZDNet Korea, Samsung Display plans to significantly increase its OLED supply for Apple's foldable smartphones and iPads next year. The target for foldable OLEDs will rise from about 8 million units this year to 15 million units next year, while OLEDs for iPads will increase from about 2 million units this year to 9 million units next year, totaling an increase from about 10 million units this year to approximately 24 million units.Apple is a core customer for Samsung Display's small-sized OLEDs. Market research firm UBI Research estimates that the total demand for OLEDs for iPhones this year is about 264.7 million units, with Samsung Display supplying about 144 million units, and a target of approximately 148 million units next year. Apple will launch its first foldable smartphone in the second half of this year, and Samsung Display plans to supply a 7.8-inch foldable OLED. Starting in 2024, iPads will adopt OLEDs in the Pro models, expanding to the mini this year and further to the Air next year.The report cites industry insiders who say that if the foldable screen is priced at around $2,500, shipments this year and next year may be approximately 6 million and 11 million units, respectively; higher prices or supply chain issues could further reduce shipments. Samsung Display's supply targets may be adjusted according to market conditions.

According to South Korea's "Cultural Daily," Samsung Electronics' wafer fab in Taylor, Texas, is expected to enter trial operation around the end of this month, as orders for 2-nanometer chips from Tesla, Broadcom, Arm, and others continue to pour in, with pre-production capacity nearing full load. The plant has accumulated an investment of $37 billion since 2022, with plans to begin trial operation early next month and mass production next year, with an initial monthly capacity of about 50,000 wafers, close to TSMC's approximately 80,000 wafers.The report states that the Taylor plant will produce Tesla's next-generation artificial intelligence chip AI5, Broadcom's new generation communication chips, and Arm's smart device AI chips, among others. Samsung's 2-nanometer yield has increased from about 60% earlier this year to around 80% recently. The company sent personnel for process, equipment, and yield to the plant in June, and began installing equipment in July. At a recent earnings meeting, Samsung projected that this year's 2-nanometer order volume would more than double compared to last year, and stated that NVIDIA's inference chip Grok3 began mass production last month; Samsung also recently raised the foundry price for 4-nanometer chips by up to 15%.The second Taylor plant is scheduled to start construction by the end of this year and begin mass production in 2030. Samsung has requested major partners to complete the relevant production equipment safety certifications in advance, and some partners are considering sending dozens of personnel to the local area. At the same time, Intel issued about $20 billion in new shares last month and expanded investments in 2-nanometer level 18A and 1.4-nanometer level 14A, while Japan's Rapidus completed its 2-nanometer factory in Hokkaido last month and entered the wafer trial production stage.

French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI announced the completion of a €3 billion Series D funding round, with a post-investment valuation exceeding €21 billion. The company stated that this is the largest equity financing for a technology company in Europe to date. Samsung Electronics led the round, with the Scaleup Europe Fund managed by EQT and existing investor PSG Equity co-leading. New investors include Advent, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.Existing investors such as a16z, ASML, Belfius, BNP Paribas CIB, Bpifrance, Carmignac, DST Global, Eurazeo, General Catalyst, Headline, Hillspire, Index Ventures, Korelya Capital, Lightspeed, NVIDIA, Solar Fund under Phoenix Court (including LocalGlobe, Latitude, and Solar), and Salesforce Ventures continued to participate. The funds will be used for cutting-edge model research, computing power and infrastructure expansion, as well as commercialization and international market development. Mistral AI currently operates in 20 countries, serving over 125 companies, including Airbus, ASML, and HSBC.

According to a report by the Korean News Agency, Kim Kyung-hoon, the General Manager of OpenAI Korea, stated at the Samsung SDS "Real Summit 2026" conference held at COEX in Seoul that the productivity gap between the top 10% of AI application companies and medium-level companies has expanded from 2.6 times to 8.6 times from January to June this year, with the gap in the manufacturing sector reaching 5.3 times.Kim Kyung-hoon pointed out that the core of widening the gap lies in "connection"—21% of employees in leading companies use AI plugins integrated with business systems weekly, while the figure for ordinary companies is only 9%. He proposed a three-stage methodology for corporate AI transformation: "Turn it on, Delegate it, Keep it" (Connection, Delegation, Retention), emphasizing business process redesign rather than merely introducing AI tools.

According to a report by the Korean News Agency, Samsung SDS held the corporate AX conference "Real Summit 2026" at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul on September 8, officially announcing its "Multidimensional AI Full Stack" strategy. The company became the first in the country to join OpenAI's "Daybreak" security cooperation program, while also signing a strategic cooperation agreement with Anthropic to jointly expand AX business.In addition, Samsung SDS announced its entry into the Robotics Transformation (RX) field, planning to launch a "Robot Orchestration Platform" in 2027, and forming the "Team REX" ecological alliance with 10 global physical AI companies including Rainbow Robotics and Walden Robotics.