Semiecosystem

By Mark LaPedus TSMC is still the leader in the foundry business in terms of market share by a wide margin, according to the latest rankings from Counterpoint Research. Other foundry vendors have been unable to gain share against Taiwan’s TSMC (See rankings chart below). In the overall foundry business, TSMC’s market share reached 73% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research.

By Mark LaPedus Lam Research, a supplier of equipment for the semiconductor industry, has broken ground on a new R&D center at its existing campus in Tualatin, Oregon. Located in the so-called Silicon Forest in Oregon, Lam’s new 120,000-square-foot facility will expand cleanroom lab space by more than 50% at the Tualatin R&D center when completed in 2028 (See groundbreaking ceremony photo below).

By Mark LaPedus Apple has introduced a new compact desktop computer based on its first 2nm system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor design. Apple didn’t disclose which company manufactured the new 2nm SoC. But it’s widely believed that the chip is manufactured using TSMC’s new 2nm process. Introduced last year, TSMC’s 2nm process incorporates its new gate-all-around (GAA) transistor architecture.

By Mark LaPedus Micron Technology has launched a new R&D lab in the United States with a planned investment of $10 billion over the next decade. Micron, a U.S.-based supplier of memory chips, has unveiled Micron Research Labs, a long-horizon research institution headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The lab will bring together customers, academia, government and the semiconductor ecosystem to pursue breakthroughs beyond today’s technology roadmaps, according to Micron, based in Boise.

By Mark LaPedus Google has entered into an investment and product development deal with Marvell Technology. The deal may include a major AI ASIC design agreement for Google’s upcoming LPU, or language processing unit, for AI inference applications. As part of the agreement, Marvell, based in Santa Clara, Calif., issued to Google a warrant to purchase up to an aggregate of 58,970,907 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $206.58 per share, according to a filing.

By Mark LaPedus Scotland’s Clas-SiC Wafer Fab, a silicon carbide (SiC) foundry vendor, has received funding from the Scottish Enterprise’s new Capital Grant. Clas-SiC Wafer Fab has received a £1.9 million grant (US$2.6 million), part of a £12 million (US$16.3 million) company investment, from the Scottish Enterprise. Based in Glasgow, the Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency. Located in Lochgelly, a town in Fife, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab provides SiC foundry services.

By Mark LaPedus The Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC) has launched the Semiconductor and Packaging Advanced Research Consortium (SPARC), its newest industry-driven collaborative research program. SPARC is designed to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies in the semiconductor and packaging arena. Based in Durham, N.C., SRC is a semiconductor consortium, which involves the collaboration between companies, academia and government agencies.

By Mark LaPedus Raj Talluri, a semiconductor veteran, has been named president and chief executive of Kulicke and Soffa Industries (K&S) effective Sept. 1. Talluri has also been elected to the board of K&S, effective August 17. Based in Singapore, K&S is a supplier of equipment for the packaging industry. Lester Wong, K&S’ interim CEO and current executive vice president and chief financial officer, will continue to serve as the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

By Mark LaPedus Sony and TSMC have signed a definitive agreement for the establishment of a joint CMOS image sensor venture in Japan. The venture, called Advanced Vision Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., will serve as a core hub for the development and manufacturing activities required for the volume production of CMOS image sensors for smartphones. CMOS image sensors are semiconductor devices, which provide the camera functions in smartphones and other products.

By Mark LaPedus Bassel Haddad has been named group chief executive and executive director of ASMPT, a supplier of equipment for the packaging industry. Haddad succeeds Robin Ng, who retires after more than 20 years with ASMPT, including six years as group CEO and executive director. Singapore’s ASMPT, formerly called ASM Pacific Technology, is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.