Semiconductor

In a CNBC interview, AMD CEO Lisa Su discussed topics ranging from export controls and AI’s transformative potential to competing with Nvidia and the Silicon Valley talent war. She playfully addressed the recurring question about her relationship with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, revealing they are cousins through their maternal family lines. Su also emphasized AMD’s strategy of offering diverse solutions beyond direct competition with Intel and Nvidia. Her vision aims to showcase AMD’s unique capabilities to the world.

Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett argues that Intel’s survival is crucial for U.S. chip manufacturing dominance. He believes underinvestment hinders Intel’s ability to compete with TSMC and Samsung. Barrett proposes a $40 billion collective investment from Intel’s major customers like Apple, Google, and NVIDIA to secure domestic chip supply and potential price advantages. He also urges adoption of advanced technologies and tariffs on imported chips to boost demand. Some of his suggestions align with current U.S. policies and Intel’s existing technology investments.

SMIC’s Q2 revenue reached $2.209 billion, a 16.2% YoY increase despite a slight QoQ dip. Net profit fell 19% YoY to $132.5 million, but capacity utilization rose to 92.5%. The average selling price (ASP) increase was attributed to high capacity utilization, not proactive price hikes. SMIC maintains a consistent stance against initiating price wars and will consider following competitors’ price increases if they occur. SMIC’s ASP remains significantly lower than TSMC’s due to its focus on less advanced nodes.

Intel released a statement affirming its commitment to U.S. national and economic security amid reports of calls for CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s resignation. The company highlighted its significant investments in U.S. semiconductor R&D and manufacturing, including a new fab in Arizona. The statement follows alleged pressure from sources close to former President Trump. Tan, Intel’s first CEO of Chinese descent, was appointed in March 2025 and has a strong background in technology and investment. Intel is reportedly engaging with U.S. government officials to address concerns.

Gree Electric faces investor scrutiny over its chip business, despite significant R&D spending. Concerns arose from comparing Gree’s chip subsidiary’s small registered workforce to industry peers. Gree responded, stating its chip team nears 1,000 employees and clarified previous data discrepancies. Gree entered the chip domain in 2015, focusing on MCUs, smart home chips, power devices, and silicon carbide wafer manufacturing. Chairwoman Dong Mingzhu defended the company’s chip venture as a strategic move towards self-reliance and potentially providing semiconductor solutions to others.

NVIDIA quietly added InnoScience, a Chinese GaN manufacturer, to its list of 800V DC power architecture partners, making it the sole Chinese supplier. This triggered a surge in InnoScience’s stock price in Hong Kong. InnoScience confirmed the collaboration, noting its GaN technology’s role, but cautioned that it’s still in the testing phase without concrete orders. InnoScience, the world’s first IDM mass-producing 8-inch GaN wafers, leads in GaN discrete device shipments, serving various sectors, including EVs and data centers.

PDF Solutions (PDFS) will release its Q2 fiscal 2025 financial results on August 7, 2025, after market close. A conference call, hosted by CEO John Kibarian and CFO Adnan Raza, will be held the same day at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Investors can pre-register for the call or access it via webcast on the company’s investor relations website. A replay will be available. PDF Solutions provides data solutions for the semiconductor industry, focusing on improving yield, quality, and efficiency.

Jiangsu Times Core-Tech Semiconductor (AMS), China’s last unfinished 300mm wafer fab, has officially collapsed. The restructuring investor, Huaxinjiejian, defaulted on its obligations, terminating the revival efforts. AMS was declared insolvent, its equity written off. Previous shareholder AMT clarified its exit and continued support for AMS’s remaining procedures. The ambitious project, plagued by debt and operational issues, ultimately failed to restart, marking a significant blow to China’s semiconductor ambitions.

Changxin Technologies (CXMT), a leading Chinese DRAM memory chip manufacturer, has begun its IPO process. Established in 2016, CXMT focuses on DRAM research, development, manufacturing, and sales. The company, valued at 150.8 billion yuan in its latest funding round, has secured significant backing from investors including the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Alibaba, and Tencent. CXMT’s IPO could make it the first “Storage Chip Stock” listed on the A-shares market, boosting domestic chip manufacturing.

At Peking University’s 2025 commencement, YMTC Chief Scientist Huo Zongliang urged graduates to pursue foundational research and independent innovation. Reflecting on YMTC’s success in advancing China’s 3D NAND flash memory technology from its beginnings to a leading position, Huo highlighted the importance of perseverance and overcoming challenges. YMTC has achieved significant milestones, including developing China’s first 3D NAND flash memory and introducing proprietary architectures like Xtacking®, demonstrating a commitment to pushing storage technology boundaries.