On May 17, ASML and Tata Electronics signed a cooperation agreement to help India enhance its domestic chip manufacturing capabilities. According to a joint statement released by both parties on Saturday, ASML's technology will support Tata Electronics in constructing a 300mm (12-inch) semiconductor foundry in Gujarat. The signing of this memorandum of understanding coincides with Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to the Netherlands, aiming to deepen bilateral relations.

TD Cowen has raised Nvidia's target price to $275, maintaining a 'Buy' rating.

During the second quarter of 2026, contract prices for mobile DRAM have been experiencing a significant and sustained surge, imposing an increased cost burden on smartphone makers. In the face of this price escalation, the two leading South Korean memory chip producers have embraced distinct strategies. Samsung has a tendency to implement substantial price hikes all at once, whereas SK Hynix prefers a phased approach to price increases, with the final pricing slated to be finalized by the end of May. Based on projections from TrendForce, the average selling price of LPDDR4X is anticipated to climb by a minimum of 70%–75% on a quarter-over-quarter basis in Q2. Meanwhile, LPDDR5X is forecasted to see a price hike of 78%–83%.

Recently, a consortium of collaborating institutions has embarked on a groundbreaking project centered on the "AI-driven controllable synthesis of large-area single-crystal graphite." Through concerted efforts, they have successfully established a comprehensive workflow, encompassing extensive data compilation, the development of machine learning-based potential functions, atomic-scale mechanistic analysis, and culminating in experimental synthesis and validation. This milestone achievement facilitates the controllable production of high-quality single-crystal graphite on a centimeter scale, with thicknesses surpassing 200 microns, thereby offering pioneering insights for AI-powered research and development in the realm of strategic materials.

On May 14, Beijing Gold Orange Technology Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 688291) made an announcement stating its intention to acquire a 55% stake in Changchun Summit Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd. through a cash payment of RMB 178.75 million. The transaction, having received the board of directors' approval, is now pending shareholder ratification. Summit is renowned for its expertise in precision optoelectronic control products, primarily focusing on fast steering mirrors, and has diversified into areas like high-precision galvanometer systems. Its applications span across aviation detection, laser defense systems, and beyond.

Based on the evaluation, with December 31, 2025, set as the reference date, the book value of Summit's shareholders' total equity interests stands at RMB 56.2645 million. However, the assessed value, calculated using the income approach, reaches RMB 325 million, marking a significant appreciation rate of 478.08%. The counterparty has pledged that Summit's net profit, after deducting non-recurring gains and losses, will be no less than RMB 30.6696 million, RMB 33.3844 million, and RMB 36.6309 million for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively.

The acquisition price will be disbursed in initial and subsequent installments, with the remaining 40% contingent upon the fulfillment of performance commitments. This strategic move is poised to enhance Gold Orange's R&D efficiency in cutting-edge technology domains and diversify its product and market portfolio.

Recently, a research paper titled "PtTe₂ Interface Engineering Enhances Near-Infrared Response of Black Silicon" was jointly published in the internationally acclaimed journal InfoMat by Lv Jian’s research team from Jiang Yadong’s group at the School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Wu Jiang’s team from the Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, and Wei Xingzhan’s team from the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Focusing on the performance limitations of silicon-based near-infrared detectors, this study creatively introduces a heterointerface engineering strategy that combines PtTe₂ and black silicon. The goal is to develop detectors that are not only compatible with CMOS processes but also demonstrate high performance and low noise levels.

According to reports, following the collapse of wage negotiations with the labor union, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has extended a public apology for the societal concerns triggered by internal corporate strife. Shortly after returning from an overseas business trip, he addressed the media at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, emphasizing the need for all employees to come together and forge ahead in unity.

Global confidence is growing that Vietnam has the potential to become a chip manufacturing hub outside of China, with the United States being particularly prominent. Vietnam plans to become a middle-income country by 2030 and join the ranks of developed nations by 2045. Vietnam regards innovation and digital transformation as the 'golden key' to a new stage of development. Hanoi's emphasis on becoming a global semiconductor hub has drawn attention from governments and tech leaders worldwide, with the United States actively promoting its development.

Recently, the team at the Intelligent Computer Research Center, operating under the National Key Laboratory of Processor Chips, has achieved notable advancements in wafer-scale chip design and multi-chiplet fully homomorphic encryption accelerators. The trio of papers, namely [Paper Title 1], [Paper Title 2], and [Paper Title 3], delve into distinct yet interconnected topics: performance-convergence frameworks tailored for wafer-scale chips, pipelined parallel acceleration architectures specifically designed for multi-chiplet fully homomorphic encryption, and the automation of hardware framework design.

These research accomplishments have garnered recognition from prestigious international conferences, with acceptance at CGO 2026, NeurIPS 2025, and AAAI 2026. The laboratory, which enjoys the support of the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is steered by three academicians, is dedicated to tackling three pivotal challenges in processor chip development during the post-Moore era: the deceleration of process scaling, the exponential growth of design space, and the fragmentation of application ecosystems. Its research portfolio encompasses cutting-edge technologies such as open cross-layer optimization EDA and open-source intelligent design platforms.

To date, the laboratory has been honored with six national-level science and technology awards. Moreover, it has played a pivotal role in nurturing domestic processor enterprises like Loongson and Cambricon, which collectively boast a market capitalization surpassing 100 billion yuan.

Samsung, the colossus of South Korea's chip industry, is bracing for an 18-day walkout—an event that has not only alarmed the South Korean government but also sent tremors through international investment markets, potentially jeopardizing the global supply chain. At the heart of this labor dispute lies the division of spoils from the burgeoning AI sector. As labor and management remain deadlocked over the bonus allocation scheme, over 45,000 Samsung employees are poised to initiate the largest strike in the company's storied history, commencing on May 21. This industrial action is set to directly curtail the production capacity of memory chips, a vital ingredient for AI data centers, smartphones, and laptops alike.

On May 16, Yonhap News Agency reported that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong called for unity within the company on Saturday. Currently, the Samsung union plans a large-scale strike next week due to a deadlock in wage negotiations. Lee Jae-yong stated, 'Now is the time to come together and move forward. Union members are one with the Samsung family.' He also apologized to customers and the public for the concerns raised by internal company matters. Samsung's largest union said on Friday that despite the company's proposal to resume negotiations unconditionally, the strike would proceed as planned. The strike will begin next Thursday and last for 18 days, potentially disrupting production at the world's largest memory chip maker.

On May 16th, Rijiu Optoelectronics disclosed on the investor interaction platform that Gauzy Technology stands as one of its primary downstream customers for the light-adjusting conductive film. In terms of the perovskite sector, the entire GTK industry is presently in the nascent stages of technological innovation and industrialization, with the industry's maturity and commercial applications still in the process of being nurtured. Rijiu Optoelectronics' related products are currently undergoing small-scale trial production and process validation in collaboration with customers. It is anticipated that a certain timeframe will be required before achieving mass production and commercialization.

On May 16, Bridgewater, the world's preeminent hedge fund, disclosed its Q1 U.S. stock holdings report for the period concluding in late March of this year. The report indicated that during the quarter, Bridgewater initiated new positions in 214 stocks, augmented its stakes in 292 stocks, divested positions in 261 stocks, and curtailed its holdings in 487 stocks.
Remarkably, Bridgewater substantially bolstered its positions in chip stocks, including NVIDIA, Broadcom, and Micron Technology. Conversely, it divested its stakes in enterprise software stocks such as Salesforce and ServiceNow and trimmed its position in Adobe. By the end of Q1, the value of Bridgewater's U.S. stock holdings had declined to $22.4 billion, down from $27.4 billion in the preceding quarter.
Regarding specific holdings adjustments, Bridgewater increased its stake in NVIDIA by 827,800 shares, elevating its portfolio weight to 3.65%. It also augmented its stake in Broadcom by 670,000 shares, bringing its portfolio weight to 2.54%, and boosted its stake in Micron Technology by 586,000 shares, raising its portfolio weight to 2.23%. Furthermore, Bridgewater initiated a new position of 1.077 million shares in TSMC, which constituted 1.62% of its investment portfolio.

On May 16, Japanese chip maker Kioxia Holdings announced on Friday that driven by growing demand for data centers and semiconductors, the company expects its net profit for the April-June quarter to surge more than 47-fold year-on-year to 869 billion yen (approximately $5.7 billion). As a major producer of NAND flash memory chips, Kioxia also reported that its net profit for the previous fiscal year ending in March more than doubled year-on-year to 554.49 billion yen, marking a second consecutive year of record highs. Kioxia President and CEO Hiroo Ota pointed out during an online briefing that as AI gradually becomes part of social infrastructure, strong demand in the flash memory market is expected to persist, with the company projecting NAND demand to outstrip supply through 2027. For the April-June quarter, Kioxia expects net profit to more than double compared to the January-March quarter, with operating profit projected at 1.30 trillion yen and sales at 1.75 trillion yen, based on an assumed USD-JPY exchange rate of 159. Kioxia anticipates that first-quarter performance alone will significantly exceed full-year levels for fiscal 2025. To meet robust demand, the company plans to expand production capacity for core products, launch next-generation offerings, and invest approximately 450 billion yen in capital expenditures to strengthen its manufacturing base during the current fiscal year.

On May 15, 2026, ZJU Chemical announced the '2026 Annual Plan for the Issuance of A-Share Stocks to Specific Objects'. According to the announcement, the company plans to raise funds not exceeding 800 million yuan (inclusive) through this issuance of stocks to specific objects. After deducting issuance expenses, the funds will be used for the 'Newly Added Annual Production of 60,000 Tons of Electronic Grade Sulfuric Acid Project', the 'Construction Project of the North China Production Base for Key Electronic Materials in Integrated Circuits', and to supplement working capital.

On May 16, 2026, it was reported that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is conducting an antitrust investigation into Arm, the chip design company owned by SoftBank, focusing on whether it is illegally monopolizing the semiconductor market by refusing to grant licenses or reducing the quality of CPU design blueprint licenses. This investigation is part of a global ongoing review of Arm's business practices. In addition to the U.S., South Korea's competition authority has also conducted on-site inspections of Arm. One of the factors driving the investigation is a complaint from Qualcomm, which accuses Arm of attempting to restrict access to licenses and withhold key technologies. Meanwhile, Arm is accelerating its plans to develop its own chips, a move that has raised concerns from Qualcomm about restricted access to technology.

Based on the most recent supply chain reports, Apple and Intel have inked a preliminary agreement for chip foundry services. This signifies a resurgence of profound cooperation between the two entities, following Apple's transition to in-house chips for its Mac lineup in 2020. Initially, Apple opted for internal chip development and exclusive production by TSMC, a decision prompted by Intel's delayed chip deliveries. Presently, grappling with the worldwide chip scarcity and TSMC's constrained production capabilities, Apple is looking to broaden its supply chain horizons by enlisting Intel as a foundry collaborator. Intel will undertake the manufacturing of chips designed by Apple, commencing potentially with the entry-level M-series chips and potentially extending to iPhone chips down the line. This strategic maneuver is geared towards diminishing Apple's dependence on TSMC and alleviating supply chain vulnerabilities.

As Samsung Electronics braces for a major worker strike, it is taking proactive measures by incrementally lowering factory utilization rates and temporarily halting certain chip production lines. Reports from South Korean media indicate that the company has adopted a more cautious approach to wafer input, effectively entering an 'emergency management mode.' This strategy entails a reduction in production capacity and a curtailment of new wafer intake. At present, around 43,286 factory workers are taking part in the strike, representing over half of the total workforce within its semiconductor business unit (DS department). The resultant staffing shortage is having a direct and tangible effect on the smooth operation of production lines.

The standard NVIDIA RTX 3070 graphics card comes with 8GB of video memory (VRAM), a capacity that is increasingly proving inadequate for the demanding VRAM requirements of modern games. Recently, a hardware modification aficionado successfully upgraded an RTX 3070 to boast a hefty 16GB of VRAM, utilizing components salvaged from discarded graphics cards. This impressive feat was achieved by carefully extracting eight BGA memory chips from two non-functional graphics cards, undergoing a meticulous reballing process, and then expertly soldering them onto the RTX 3070's PCB. To facilitate this precise operation, a custom GDDR6 reballing stencil bracket was 3D printed.

Moreover, the modifier ingeniously installed a VRAM capacity switch, enabling the graphics card to seamlessly toggle between 8GB and 16GB of memory. Subsequent testing revealed that the modified RTX 3070, now equipped with 16GB of VRAM, delivered a substantial boost in frame rates when running 4K high-quality games, effectively mitigating game stuttering and enhancing the overall gaming experience. However, it's important to note that this modification process demands specialized equipment and advanced soldering techniques, making it a challenging endeavor for the average user to replicate.

Recently, Hua Hai Qing Ke has proudly announced the official delivery of its groundbreaking 8-chamber 12-inch single-wafer cleaning machine, specifically engineered for large-scale wafer production. This state-of-the-art equipment has been successfully dispatched to a premier company operating within the domestic large wafer industry. Seamlessly blending physical and chemical cleaning processes, the machine boasts independent modules that facilitate the integration of wet etching and cleaning operations. This innovative design not only elevates manufacturing yield and efficiency but also significantly curtails chemical usage and waste liquid emissions.