Siemens EDA outlined how artificial intelligence (AI) can reduce semiconductor design time by as much as tenfold, highlighting multi-agent AI as a key technology for addressing the growing complexity of chip development.

Ankur Gupta, Senior Vice President of IC Products at Siemens Digital Industries Software's Electronic Design Automation (EDA) business, presented the company's AI-native design strategy during a media briefing held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on Aug. 11.

"Last month, we integrated a broad range of agentic AI capabilities into our EDA platform, including multi-agent workflows, self-verification and long-duration autonomous execution," Gupta said.

Multi-agent AI enables multiple AI agents to divide and coordinate semiconductor design tasks. After engineers specify design parameters such as manufacturing process, voltage and temperature conditions, the agents automatically perform verification, debugging and design modifications. Siemens introduced its AI-powered EDA system, Fuse, in 2025.

According to the company, multi-agent AI can accelerate transistor characterization workloads by up to ten times while reducing token costs by roughly 90%.

"Engineers at large companies are restricting or even suspending the use of large language models because token budgets have become unsustainably high," Gupta said. "The EDA industry recognizes this as a critical challenge and is developing technologies that deliver much higher token efficiency."

Siemens is also collaborating with Nvidia to develop AI-enabled EDA tools. Earlier this year, the two companies announced a strategic AI partnership aimed at integrating AI throughout the semiconductor design flow—from register-transfer level (RTL) design through verification. Under the collaboration, Nvidia's AI infrastructure and Nemotron models will be incorporated into Siemens' EDA software.

Gupta said modern semiconductor designs are reaching unprecedented levels of complexity.

"Today's chips contain more than 200 billion transistors and exceed thermal densities of 100 watts per square centimeter," he said. "Conventional design approaches can no longer keep pace with the speed of the market."

He added that even modest improvements in chip efficiency can have a substantial impact.

"A 5% reduction in power consumption translates into significant energy savings at the system level, making it an important factor in building a more sustainable industry," he said.

Other leading EDA vendors, including Synopsys and Cadence Design Systems, are also incorporating AI capabilities into their design platforms.

Gupta said Siemens differentiates itself through its focus on design verification, emphasizing that the company provides a comprehensive integrity platform.

"In semiconductor design, a single minor error can result in design failure or lower manufacturing yields," he said. "Because such failures can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, building software that customers can trust is the industry's highest priority."

Siemens also said AI can significantly reduce verification time, one of the most time-consuming stages of semiconductor development. According to the company, its EDA tools can accelerate automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) simulation by up to five times for certain workloads. ATPG simulation is used to validate test patterns in virtual environments before they are applied to detect manufacturing defects in semiconductor devices.

Qualcomm is expanding the reach of its Snapdragon platform beyond smartphones, positioning the brand at the center of the emerging personal artificial intelligence (AI) era. By extending Snapdragon across smartphones, PCs, automobiles, wearables and extended reality (XR) devices, the company aims to strengthen its market leadership through a unified AI ecosystem.

According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon platforms have now shipped in more than 3.5 billion devices worldwide. Since debuting in smartphones in 2007, Snapdragon has evolved into a consumer platform spanning wearables, PCs, vehicles and XR devices. Qualcomm's next objective is to expand the Snapdragon ecosystem to enable AI agents to operate seamlessly across multiple devices, replacing today's fragmented, device-specific experiences.

Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm's chief executive officer, underscored that vision during Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event on July 22.

"Personal devices will become the ultimate destination for AI agents," Amon said. "That means high-performance, power-efficient on-device computing and reliable connectivity will become increasingly important, and Qualcomm provides the technologies needed to make that possible."

Samsung unveiled several Snapdragon-powered personal AI devices during the event. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8 are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, while the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 use the Snapdragon Wear Elite platform. Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses also incorporate Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform.

Qualcomm's strategy of expanding the Snapdragon ecosystem reflects a broader shift in the way consumers experience digital services. In the past, smartphones served as the primary gateway to digital experiences, while wearables largely complemented or extended smartphone functionality.

The rise of agentic AI is changing that paradigm by enabling consistent digital experiences regardless of device form factor. Personal AI systems can understand a user's intent and context, allowing them to deliver personalized services across multiple devices. During his keynote address at MWC 2026, Amon said the industry was moving beyond a smartphone-centric ecosystem.

"Until now, everything revolved around the smartphone," he said. "Going forward, every device will exist around the AI agent."

Competition among mobile chipmakers is also shifting toward AI-driven user experiences. Industry participants increasingly emphasize the importance of AI agents delivering continuous, coordinated experiences across multiple devices rather than maximizing performance on a single product.

Kim Won-joon, executive vice president and head of development at Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, echoed that view.

"A premium experience can no longer be defined by a single product," Kim said. "The intelligence that connects all devices together is what defines a premium experience."

To deliver a consistent digital experience across multiple devices, sufficient computing performance and stable connectivity are essential. Qualcomm says it is positioning Snapdragon as a platform capable of providing a unified AI experience regardless of device form factor by optimizing central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), neural processing units (NPUs) and connectivity technologies within a single integrated system.

One example is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which combines Qualcomm's proprietary Oryon CPU architecture, Adreno GPU, Hexagon NPU and FastConnect 7900 connectivity system, all optimized specifically for Galaxy smartphones. The platform is designed to deliver flagship-class performance and responsiveness while maintaining high power efficiency.

The chipset also enables intelligent camera functions, enhanced gaming performance and AI-powered connectivity for more responsive real-time AI experiences. It supports video playback at up to 8K resolution (7,680 × 4,320) at 60 frames per second, while compatibility with AV1 and H.265 codecs helps reduce battery consumption during extended video streaming.

The Snapdragon Wear Elite platform introduces another industry first by integrating an NPU into a wearable processor. It can run AI models with up to 1 billion parameters directly on the device without relying on cloud connectivity. This enables AI agent capabilities such as contextual awareness, natural voice interaction and continuous personal activity logging.

The platform also incorporates Qualcomm's first multimode connectivity architecture integrating six next-generation communication technologies into a single chip. It supports 5G RedCap, designed for lower-power 5G connectivity, micro-power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 6.0 for precise device-to-device communication, allowing continuous collection of contextual signals to enhance personal AI experiences.

Similarly, the Snapdragon AR1 platform for smart glasses combines an ultra-lightweight, low-power design with sufficient processing capability to support AI agents. It integrates an NPU, a visual analysis engine and enhanced memory to provide stable wireless streaming and AI-powered computing within compact wearable devices.

Snapdragon has already established a strong position in the premium mobile market. According to Qualcomm, 61% of South Korean consumers identify Snapdragon as a key factor in improving the experience of premium Android devices.

By expanding the Snapdragon ecosystem across a broader range of connected products, Qualcomm aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the personal AI era while reinforcing its leadership in the intelligent device market.

South Korean semiconductor company Fadu announced on Aug. 10 that it is recruiting junior-level engineers, ranging from new graduates to professionals with up to eight years of experience.

The company will accept applications through Aug. 23 as part of an effort to secure top talent and strengthen its future technology competitiveness.

Applicants will undergo a coding test later this month, followed by interviews in September. Successful candidates are expected to join the company in November and work at Fadu's headquarters in Seoul's Gangnam district.

The recruitment program is expected to hire more than a dozen employees. Eligible candidates include bachelor's degree graduates as well as engineers with up to eight years of experience in hardware or embedded software development.

Open positions include firmware development, firmware verification and test engineering roles.

The selected employees will analyze customer requirements for Fadu's enterprise solid-state drive (eSSD) products and help incorporate those requirements into product development. Responsibilities will also include analyzing eSSD test results, identifying root causes of issues and proposing improvements.

Iron Device said on Aug. 10 that cumulative sales of its SMA1305 smart power amplifier for Samsung Electronics mobile devices and tablets have exceeded 100 million units, reaching the milestone four years after shipments began.

The company began supplying the SMA1305 in January 2022. According to its latest tally, cumulative shipments surpassed 100 million units as of March this year, equivalent to an average of approximately 25 million units supplied annually.

On average, two SMA1305 chips are installed in each mobile device, while tablets typically use four units per device.

"The achievement demonstrates that our technology is being recognized in the global market," said Lee Young-taek, a director at Iron Device. "We also have high expectations for sales of follow-up products."

The SMA1305 is a mixed-signal semiconductor used in smartphones and tablets. The chip amplifies audio signals to drive speakers and incorporates Iron Device's proprietary speaker protection algorithm, which the company says improves performance and reliability compared with competing products. The device also integrates low-noise, low-power design and audio signal processing technologies to maximize system efficiency.

Iron Device develops chips that combine analog, digital and power technologies on a single device. The company has recently expanded into the on-device AI market, targeting applications in smart glasses and humanoid robots.

"Audio products are evolving beyond simple sound input and output devices into AI sensors capable of understanding their surroundings," the company said. "We define audio as a core interface for interacting with the real world and are developing technologies accordingly."

LX Semicon has begun supplying automotive semiconductors to Hyundai Motor and Kia, marking the first major achievement from a new business initiative launched four years ago to diversify beyond display driver ICs (DDIs).

The company said on Aug. 10 that it has been supplying its automotive microcontroller unit (MCU), code-named LX61101, to Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles since July. The chip has already been installed in vehicles produced from July, and the scope of adoption is expected to expand. Specific vehicle models and shipment volumes were not disclosed due to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with customers.

The LX61101 is a motor-control-focused MCU based on a 40 MHz Arm Cortex-M3 core. It is optimized for motor control in automotive body electronics systems. When installed in vehicle doors, the chip monitors and controls motor speed, position and rotation direction in real time. For example, if an obstacle is detected while an automatic door is closing, the system can reverse operation and reopen the door.

LX Semicon said South Korean companies were involved across the entire process, including foundry manufacturing and back-end supply chain management (SCM).

The company has been developing automotive MCUs as a future growth engine since 2022. In 2023, it participated in Hyundai Motor and Kia's supplier selection process for new business projects. Following three years of development and testing, LX Semicon has now entered mass production of the LX61101.

The chip also meets key automotive semiconductor standards, including the AEC-Q100 reliability qualification standard and ISO 26262 functional safety requirements.

Telechips returned to profitability in the second quarter of 2026, driven by increased sales of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) chips.

The company said on Aug. 6 that second-quarter revenue rose 33.6% year over year to 59.2 billion won. Operating profit came in at 3.18 billion won. Operating margin improved to 5.4% from negative 8.0% a year earlier.

Growth was primarily driven by the automotive IVI chip business. Increased shipments of products supplied to existing customers supported the company's earnings improvement during the quarter.

Revenue recognition from a system-on-chip (SoC) development contract worth approximately 77.2 billion won, signed in October 2025, also contributed to results. The contract began contributing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 and has supported the company's top-line recovery since then. However, the impact was smaller than in the first quarter. A Telechips representative said revenue recognized from the contract exceeded 10 billion won in the first quarter, while the amount recorded in the second quarter was lower.

Net loss narrowed 27.3% from a year earlier to approximately 4.1 billion won. The company said the loss was affected by a decline in the valuation of its stake in Chips&Media, in which Telechips held a 7.25% stake as of the first quarter. Chips&Media's share price fell 31.4% over the 12-month period, declining from around 16,900 won at the end of June 2025 to 11,600 won at the close on June 30, 2026.

"We will continue to improve profitability in the second half by expanding our existing customer base and increasing mass production for new projects," a Telechips representative said.

SanDisk announced on Aug. 6 that it will unveil next-generation NAND technologies for artificial intelligence (AI) applications at Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026.

The technologies to be showcased include High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), next-generation NAND products and enterprise solid-state drives (SSDs). The solutions are designed for AI computing environments such as high-speed data lakes, model storage, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and key-value (KV) cache workloads. SanDisk plans to demonstrate how these technologies can address the diverse requirements of AI inference.

HBF is a NAND-based memory technology. Similar to High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), it vertically stacks NAND dies to increase data transfer speeds. The technology delivers high-bandwidth performance while offering greater capacity scalability than DRAM because it is NAND-based. HBF is designed for large-scale AI inference workloads that require both high bandwidth and large memory capacity.

SanDisk is participating in the HBF Specification Standardization Consortium alongside SK hynix. On Aug. 4, the consortium released its first HBF standard. The specification defines two configurations using eight-layer and 16-layer NAND die stacks. Maximum memory capacity is set at 512GB, while bandwidth is categorized into three performance tiers ranging from 0.4 terabytes per second (TB/s) to 3TB/s.

The company will also present its next-generation BiCS10 quad-level cell (QLC) NAND technology. The 3D NAND product is designed to improve density, performance and power efficiency to meet growing storage demand from AI data centers and cloud computing environments. SanDisk shipped samples of its BiCS10 triple-level cell (TLC) NAND last month.

In the enterprise SSD segment, SanDisk will showcase products based on the PCI Express (PCIe) 6.0 standard. The SSDs are designed in the E3.S form factor, a next-generation server storage specification. The products feature enhanced endurance for KV cache applications and reduced onboard DRAM requirements to maximize storage capacity. DRAM inside SSDs is typically used to store mapping tables that track the location of stored data.

The company will also introduce its AI Data Cycle Framework, an enhanced version of SanDisk’s proprietary framework designed to provide a comprehensive view of storage requirements across AI workloads. AI storage systems are used for functions including raw data archives, high-speed data lakes, model training, inference and generative content repositories.

“Growing inference workloads are creating demand for memory and storage technologies that can deliver optimal performance, capacity and power efficiency,” said Khurram Ismail, Chief Product Officer at SanDisk.

DB HiTek announced on Aug. 6 that it has transferred semiconductor process equipment to MoaFab, South Korea's national integrated nano-fab platform, as part of efforts to strengthen the country's semiconductor research and development infrastructure.

The company held a semiconductor equipment transfer ceremony at its Sangwoo Campus in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, together with the Ministry of Science and ICT and MoaFab. The initiative is aimed at supporting microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) research and development.

MEMS refers to technologies used to manufacture miniature precision mechanical devices at the micro- and nanoscale.

Under the agreement, DB HiTek is donating a total of three pieces of equipment, including one high-temperature thermal processing system and two etching systems.

The equipment will be used by the National NanoFab Center and the Nano Convergence Technology Center for research and development activities as well as prototype production.

In March, DB HiTek signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Science and ICT, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and other organizations to strengthen the competitiveness of MoaFab.

MoaFab is a national nano-fabrication support platform established by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Nano Infrastructure Council. The platform integrates and manages nano-fabrication equipment and facilities across South Korea to support nanotechnology research, education and prototype development.

FADU plans to begin supplying samples of its seventh-generation solid-state drive (SSD) controller in 2028, according to a technology roadmap unveiled at FMS 2026.

Nam Yi-hyun, Chief Executive Officer of FADU, disclosed the plan on Aug. 4 during the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026 conference in Santa Clara, California.

The company did not provide detailed specifications for the seventh-generation controller. However, FADU previously stated in December that it aims to improve SSD performance by more than tenfold compared with the previous generation.

Its long-term target is to achieve random read performance of 100 million input/output operations per second (IOPS) for 512-byte workloads.

At FMS 2026, FADU operated an exhibition booth featuring demonstrations of its sixth-generation SSD controller.

The Gen6 controller, which was recently completed, is scheduled to begin shipments in the second half of this year.

According to the company, the new controller delivers more than twice the performance of its fifth-generation predecessor while helping reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) for data center operators.

FADU is also pursuing a strategy of supplying SSD controllers directly to server customers rather than relying exclusively on memory manufacturers as intermediaries.

The company is seeking to expand its roster of hyperscale customers as part of that effort.

Meta is among FADU's existing hyperscale customers, and the company aims to secure additional large-scale cloud and data center operators as demand for high-performance storage infrastructure continues to grow.

FuriosaAI will supply its neural processing units (NPUs) for a large-scale AI data center project in Sweden, marking a significant expansion of the company's presence in the European AI infrastructure market.

The company announced on Aug. 5 that it is participating in an AI data center development project in Stockholm alongside US AI infrastructure company I/ONX and data center operator Velox.

The facility is planned to reach a total capacity of 15 megawatts and is expected to deploy more than 8,800 units of FuriosaAI's Renegade NPU.

The project will begin with the launch of a 2-megawatt facility early next year, followed by an additional 8 megawatts later in the year. Capacity will eventually expand to 15 megawatts.

FuriosaAI plans to initially supply approximately 1,800 Renegade processors before increasing shipments as the project scales.

The company will provide both Renegade hardware and its accompanying software stack. I/ONX will be responsible for system integration and AI platform services, while Velox will oversee data center development and operations.

According to FuriosaAI, Renegade will operate alongside graphics processing units (GPUs) within the facility. GPUs will be used for AI model training and selected compute workloads, while Renegade processors will handle inference tasks.

The company said the hybrid architecture is designed to improve both performance and power efficiency.

FuriosaAI expects the project to serve as a foundation for expanding AI inference services across Europe.

The company recently established its European subsidiary in Lisbon, Portugal. Through the new operation, FuriosaAI aims to expand its presence in the region's sovereign AI and AI infrastructure markets by promoting its inference-focused computing platform.

AMD expects its data center business to more than double in 2027 as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to accelerate, according to comments made during the company's second-quarter earnings conference call.

"We expect data center revenue in 2027 to more than double year over year," AMD Chair and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su said on Aug. 4.

AMD's data center segment consists of its server CPU business and its GPU-based AI accelerator business.

Su said server CPU revenue is expected to increase more than 80% in the second half of 2026 compared with the same period last year. She added that server CPU sales are projected to grow by more than 70% again in 2027.

During the question-and-answer session, Su also said AMD's data center AI business is expected to continue growing well above 100%, with AI accelerators expanding faster than server CPUs and driving overall segment growth.

AMD has recently secured a series of major AI data center customers. Following agreements with OpenAI and Meta last month, the company also signed a strategic partnership with Anthropic.

Under the agreement, Anthropic plans to deploy AMD's next-generation AI rack system, Helios, at a scale of up to 2 gigawatts. The first 1-gigawatt deployment is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027. Microsoft has also committed to deploying Helios within its Azure cloud platform.

Su said initial demand for Helios has exceeded expectations.

"Demand for Helios is stronger than we originally anticipated," she said. "We plan to begin shipments in the third quarter and expand deliveries through the fourth quarter and into next year."

The company also reiterated that supply constraints remain a challenge for its server CPU business.

"The server CPU supply chain remains tight. It has been tight throughout the first half of the year," Su said. "A significant portion of demand was not included in our forecasts."

She had previously acknowledged supply shortages during AMD's first-quarter earnings call in May.

AMD said it is increasing capacity across its supply chain, including wafers, advanced packaging and substrates. The company expects supply conditions to improve in 2027.

AMD now estimates the server CPU market will reach approximately $220 billion by 2030, implying annual growth of more than 50%.

The forecast marks a significant increase from previous projections. During its Analyst Day event in November 2025, AMD estimated annual growth of 18% for the server CPU market. In its first-quarter earnings call in May, the company raised its 2030 market estimate to $120 billion, implying annual growth of 35%.

AMD cited rising demand driven by the adoption of agentic AI as a key reason for the latest upward revision. While smaller than the company's projected $1.4 trillion AI accelerator market, AMD said the server CPU segment is expected to grow faster, at more than 45% annually.

The company has also begun production of its next-generation sixth-generation EPYC processor, codenamed Venice, which is manufactured using a 2-nanometer process technology.

According to Su, demand for Venice is the strongest of any EPYC generation to date.

AMD reported second-quarter revenue of $11.54 billion, up 50% year over year and a company record.

Data center revenue surged 107% to $6.7 billion, increasing its share of total revenue from 42% a year ago to 58%.

For the third quarter, AMD forecast revenue of approximately $13 billion, plus or minus $300 million. The outlook represents 41% year-over-year growth and exceeds the consensus analyst estimate of $12.52 billion.

"We are still in the early stages of a multi-year AI adoption cycle," Su said.

Despite the strong results, AMD shares fell more than 8% in after-hours trading after rising 7% during regular trading hours. While the company's revenue outlook exceeded Wall Street expectations, some investors viewed its AI growth projections as falling short of elevated market expectations.

Haechitech will begin supplying temperature sensor integrated circuits (ICs) for enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs) to a major South Korean memory manufacturer this year, marking its entry into a market previously served exclusively by Texas Instruments (TI).

Speaking at the company's initial public offering (IPO) event in Seoul on Aug. 5, CEO Choi Sung-min said Haechitech had secured a supply position for temperature sensor ICs that had previously been supplied solely by TI to the memory company.

"Haechitech's products will be applied to newly launched eSSD products," Choi said.

He added that Haechitech's sensor performance exceeded that of TI's competing products. According to Choi, TI's temperature sensing accuracy is rated at ±0.4°C, while Haechitech's solution achieves ±0.2°C.

Temperature sensor ICs monitor thermal conditions inside eSSDs. Accurate temperature management is critical because heat control directly affects performance, reliability and operating costs in enterprise storage systems.

Despite the design win, Haechitech does not expect temperature sensor ICs to become a major revenue contributor in the near term.

"We significantly lowered pricing to enter as a new supplier," Choi said. "The business is more about expanding our customer portfolio and securing new accounts."

The company expects geomagnetic sensor ICs to remain its primary business.

Choi said revenue from geomagnetic sensors will continue to exceed that of temperature sensor ICs as demand for mid-range and entry-level smartphones grows.

According to the company's securities filing, Haechitech projects temperature sensor IC revenue of approximately 7.9 billion won in 2028, compared with about 24.9 billion won for geomagnetic sensor products.

Geomagnetic sensor ICs detect the Earth's magnetic field and are commonly used in smartphones as electronic compasses. In 2025, geomagnetic sensor sales totaled approximately 9 billion won, accounting for 63.7% of the company's total revenue of roughly 14.1 billion won.

Key customers include Samsung Electronics, OPPO and Vivo. Manufacturing is outsourced to SK keyfoundry.

Haechitech was established in 2017 after being spun off from Magnachip Semiconductor's sensor business division. The company acquired product rights for OPPO and Vivo-related sensor products at the time of the separation.

After generating revenue of 3.9 billion won in 2022, Haechitech recorded an average annual revenue growth rate of 53%, supported by early supply relationships with major electronics companies.

The company plans to list on the KOSDAQ market through the technology-special listing track on Aug. 25.

Haechitech will offer 1 million shares, representing approximately 18.13% of its total outstanding shares after listing. The indicative IPO price range has been set at 23,000 won to 28,000 won per share, with the final offering price scheduled to be determined by Aug. 7. DB Securities is serving as the lead underwriter.

The company forecasts revenue of 23.1 billion won in 2026, rising to 37.3 billion won in 2027 and 54.2 billion won in 2028. It expects to return to annual operating profitability in 2027, with projected operating profit of approximately 4.3 billion won.

DB HiTek reported second-quarter consolidated revenue of 414.5 billion won on Aug. 5, up 23% from a year earlier. Operating profit rose 43% to 105.2 billion won, while operating margin improved by 3 percentage points to 25%.

The results exceeded market expectations. Analysts had forecast revenue of 391.1 billion won and operating profit of 88.6 billion won.

DB HiTek said demand increased for higher-value semiconductor products, particularly automotive and industrial power semiconductors. The company also cited growing demand from AI data centers and robotics applications.

DB GlobalChip, a subsidiary of DB HiTek, contributed to earnings growth by beginning shipments of mobile display driver ICs (DDIs) during the second quarter.

Foundry factory utilization approached 100% during the quarter, reflecting strong customer demand and tight production capacity.

DB HiTek also noted that consolidated revenue could decline going forward following a decision by subsidiary DB World to suspend operations in its ferroalloy business. However, the company said the move is expected to improve profitability, debt ratios and cash flow.

DB World announced on May 29 that it would suspend operations in its ferroalloy division through Sept. 30, citing a prolonged downturn in the steel industry and continued accumulated losses.

The ferroalloy business accounted for 18.7% of DB HiTek's consolidated revenue in 2025. The value of the suspended operations was approximately 40 billion won.

AMD reported a 50% year-over-year jump in second-quarter revenue, delivering an earnings beat that exceeded market expectations. The company said it expects growth to continue through the second half of the year as demand across key markets expands.

AMD said on Aug. 4 that it generated revenue of $11.54 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.66, while gross margin increased by 2 percentage points from a year earlier to 56%.

Analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected revenue of $11.28 billion and EPS of $1.62.

The data center segment, which includes server central processing units (CPUs), generated the highest revenue. Data center revenue reached $6.7 billion, up 107% from a year earlier, driven by strong sales of CPUs and graphics processing units (GPUs).

Revenue from consumer products also increased. Combined client and gaming revenue rose 6% year over year to $3.8 billion in the second quarter. Mobile processor revenue climbed 23% to $3.1 billion during the same period. Gaming revenue, however, fell 31% to $779 million due to lower sales of semi-custom products.

Industrial products also posted gains. Embedded segment revenue reached $977 million, up 19% from a year earlier. AMD said demand remained strong in networking, aerospace, emulation and telecommunications applications, marking the segment's fastest growth rate in three years.

For the third quarter, AMD provided revenue guidance with a midpoint of $13 billion, representing a 41% increase from the same period last year. The forecast exceeds Wall Street expectations of $12.52 billion.

The outlook is largely driven by growth in the server market. AMD projects that the data center AI accelerator market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of more than 45% through 2030, reaching $1.4 trillion. Within that market, server CPUs are expected to grow at more than 50% annually and reach $220 billion by 2030.

The company expects to benefit from rising shipments of products such as its recently unveiled Helios AI infrastructure platform and MI450-series GPUs.

AMD also forecasts server CPU demand to increase by more than 80% in the second half of this year and by more than 70% next year compared with the corresponding prior-year periods. As a result, the company expects data center revenue in 2027 to more than double from the previous year.

Its semiconductor design business is also improving. AMD said it has secured more than $18 billion in new orders. The company expects gaming revenue to remain under pressure with double-digit declines, while growth in consumer products is likely to remain modest.

AMD also emphasized continued strength in memory demand. The company said its Helios platform incorporates more than 50% more High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) than competing products.

"Large AI models benefit from larger memory capacity because it can reduce total cost of ownership," AMD Chair and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su said.

She added that many customers have been satisfied with the performance gains provided by larger memory configurations, while noting that the company would make adjustments if additional memory proves less beneficial for mid-sized AI models.

Samsung Electronics unveiled next-generation 3D memory technologies, including z-axis High Bandwidth Memory (zHBM) and zNAND-O, as the company seeks to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence market.

Samsung on Aug. 5 showcased mockups of zHBM and zNAND-O for the first time at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026 conference in California. During a keynote presentation on Aug. 4 local time, the company also outlined its vision for maximizing performance and power efficiency in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI systems through the use of zHBM, zNAND-O and other advanced memory technologies.

zHBM Delivers Up to Eight Times Higher Performance Through New Architecture

zHBM is a next-generation architecture that vertically stacks HBM on top of AI accelerators, or xPUs, along the z-axis. The design minimizes the distance data must travel between memory and AI processors, improving bandwidth and power efficiency while supporting the ultra-high-speed data processing required for training and inference of large-scale AI models.

Conventional architectures place HBM around the AI accelerator. Samsung said that approach faces limitations in meeting the performance requirements of next-generation HPC and AI infrastructure.

According to the company, zHBM can deliver up to eight times the data-processing performance of eighth-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM5) while improving performance per watt by a factor of three. Thermal resistance is reduced by more than half, enhancing both system stability and energy efficiency.

Samsung described zHBM as a customizable family of 3D memory products. The architecture allows customers to add semiconductor intellectual property (IP) blocks to an interlayer positioned between the memory and AI accelerator. These blocks can be tailored to expand memory capacity or optimize accelerator performance for specific workloads.

The company said it plans to work closely with customers to co-optimize AI processors and memory systems and maximize the performance potential of zHBM.

Samsung Reveals HBM-Like zNAND-O and 400-Plus-Layer V10 BV-NAND

Samsung also introduced zNAND-O, a next-generation high-performance NAND flash family currently under development. The technology combines Samsung's vertical V-NAND stacking architecture with Through-Silicon Via (TSV) technology. TSVs are used in HBM to electrically and physically connect vertically stacked DRAM dies. Samsung's zNAND-O adopts a structure similar to High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), which is being developed by SK Hynix and Sandisk.

The "O" in zNAND-O refers to on-device AI applications. Samsung demonstrated four-layer and eight-layer 3D-packaged V-NAND configurations designed to deliver high space efficiency, increased read bandwidth and faster response times. The company said the technology is well suited for environments requiring real-time processing of large volumes of data.

During the keynote, Samsung also unveiled its V10 Bonding Vertical (BV)-NAND technology featuring more than 400 layers. The next-generation NAND architecture improves both performance and power efficiency. The displayed zNAND-O mockup was built using the V10 NAND platform.

BV-NAND separates the NAND cell array and peripheral circuitry onto different wafers before vertically bonding them together. The process utilizes advanced wafer-bonding technology that enables three-dimensional integration of multiple wafers.

Samsung further combines the approach with a three-stack architecture, in which V-NAND cells are manufactured in three separate stacks and then vertically interconnected. The company said memory density improves by approximately 58% compared with the previous V9 generation, enabling greater storage capacity within the same footprint. Read, write and input/output performance have also been enhanced.

HBM4E, HBM5 and Processing-in-Memory Technologies Also Displayed

Samsung's exhibition area featured more than 30 memory products spanning DRAM and NAND technologies. Highlights included a next-generation AI computing platform based on HBM4E, wafer samples, and an HBM5 mockup incorporating Heat Path Block (HPB) technology. HPB adds vertical heat-dissipation channels along the sides of HBM core dies to improve thermal management.

The company also showcased LPDDR5X-PIM, which combines low-power LPDDR5X DRAM with Processing-in-Memory (PIM) functionality. Samsung described the product as the world's first implementation of its kind, enabling more efficient data movement and improved power efficiency.

Storage products optimized for AI workloads were also displayed, including the PM1763 and BM1773. PM1763 is Samsung's next-generation enterprise solid-state drive (SSD), designed for high-speed reading and efficient data processing. BM1773 is an ultra-high-capacity enterprise SSD aimed at supporting large-scale AI training datasets.

Samsung emphasized that it remains the world's only integrated device manufacturer (IDM) capable of providing a one-stop solution spanning memory, logic semiconductors, foundry services and packaging.

"We can provide integrated services from the product design stage through mass production, helping customers shorten development cycles while optimizing performance and power efficiency," the company said. "This enables customized AI semiconductor solutions tailored to customer requirements."

IMAGIS said Chief Executive Officer Lee Dong-seop, who was appointed in March, has resigned after serving for just four months.

The company disclosed on July 31 that its board approved the resignation at a meeting held the same day. Lee stepped down before completing his term, which was scheduled to run through March 2029. The company did not disclose the reason for his departure.

Chairman Kim Jung-chul will return as chief executive. Born in 1964, Kim has led IMAGIS since the 2000s and is currently the company's largest shareholder with an 18.43% stake.

In March, IMAGIS appointed Lee, a former SK hynix executive, as CEO. At the time, the company said it planned to expand into physical AI and robotics-based solutions, adding that the appointment was intended to drive revenue growth and strengthen management accountability.

Since then, the company has secured a major new order. On June 8, IMAGIS announced an automotive semiconductor supply contract worth approximately 5.8 billion won. The deal was equivalent to 43.71% of the company's revenue of about 13.2 billion won in the previous year and marked a significant win as the company seeks to recover from three consecutive years of losses since 2023.

IMAGIS has projected revenue of 21.0 billion won for 2026, which would represent its highest annual sales since 2017.

The leadership change comes as the company works to capitalize on growing opportunities in automotive semiconductors and next-generation AI-related applications.

Samsung Electronics' next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor foundry project has encountered a setback during trial production, raising concerns that commercial production may be delayed beyond this year. The issue emerged after some test chips reportedly failed to operate under extended high-temperature conditions.

According to multiple industry sources on July 31, Samsung has established a dedicated 8-inch GaN semiconductor foundry line at its Giheung campus in Yongin with monthly capacity of approximately 1,300 to 1,500 wafers. The company recently conducted trial production of chips designed by fabless semiconductor companies. During testing, some of the chips reportedly stopped functioning after being exposed to temperatures of 100 to 200 degrees Celsius for roughly 1,000 hours.

GaN semiconductors are commonly used in high-voltage applications of up to 1,200 volts and in environments exceeding 200 degrees Celsius. Their ability to operate reliably under high-temperature conditions has made them increasingly attractive for electric vehicles, robotics and data center applications. Industry sources said the reported reliability issues could limit the usability of chips manufactured using the current process.

Samsung is said to be investigating the root cause of the problem. Industry sources identified the wafer manufacturing process as a leading area of focus. According to those sources, process modifications introduced to achieve targeted device performance may have contributed to the reliability issue.

GaN devices are typically fabricated on epitaxial wafers, in which a GaN layer is grown on a silicon (Si) wafer through an epitaxy process. If the quality or structure of the GaN layer is not fully optimized, defects can become more pronounced under high-temperature and high-voltage operating conditions. Samsung manufactures its own epitaxial wafers using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment.

A person familiar with the matter said Samsung may have focused on achieving the target threshold voltage of 2 to 3 volts for power semiconductors while overlooking potential effects on device longevity. GaN semiconductors generally require a threshold voltage of around 2 volts. If the threshold voltage is too low, the device may respond to very small currents and become more susceptible to operational errors.

Samsung reorganized its LED business in 2023 and established the Compound Semiconductor Solutions (CSS) division to focus on GaN semiconductors. The division originally planned to launch a dedicated GaN foundry line in 2025. However, weaker-than-expected conditions in the power semiconductor market prompted Samsung to postpone the schedule to the end of 2026.

Industry sources now believe the latest reliability issue could push the timeline back by several additional months. One Samsung GaN foundry customer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Samsung had already entered the market later than competitors because the company prioritized major businesses such as memory semiconductors. Companies including Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Innoscience have already been shipping GaN semiconductors commercially for one to two years.

Some fabless semiconductor companies are reportedly evaluating alternative foundry partners until Samsung resolves the issue. Potential alternatives include GlobalFoundries, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation and X-FAB. Unlike silicon semiconductors, where mask costs are typically high enough to encourage production at a single foundry, compound semiconductor mask costs are relatively lower, making it less burdensome to work with multiple manufacturing partners.

A Samsung Electronics representative said the company is still in the pre-production stage and is working through normal development challenges.

"It is part of the process of addressing trial-and-error issues before mass production," the representative said. "It is too early to determine whether these findings constitute a defect."

SK hynix said it was unable to disclose additional shareholder return plans because of restrictions related to its American depositary receipt (ADR) offering and US securities regulations. The company expects to provide more specific details after the ADR process is completed in early August.

During the company's second-quarter earnings conference call on July 29, Song Hyun-jong, president of SK hynix's Corporate Center, said regulatory requirements tied to the ADR offering limited the company's ability to disclose new material information.

"Due to regulations and procedures related to the ADR offering, there are restrictions on providing additional material information that was not disclosed during the offering process," Song said. "We are reviewing various shareholder return options and will share specific plans with the market once they are finalized."

The restrictions are understood to stem from communication rules under Section 5 of the US Securities Act of 1933, which limit communications that could be interpreted as an offer to investors during a registered securities offering.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) broadly interprets communications that could stimulate public interest in an issuer or its securities as potential offers. Violations of these restrictions are commonly referred to as "gun jumping."

The term originates from track-and-field competitions, where an athlete starts running before the starting gun is fired. In securities markets, it refers to the disclosure of new material information not included in an offering prospectus before the registration process is completed, potentially influencing investor decisions or market sentiment.

Because shareholder return measures such as share buybacks or special dividends could affect investment decisions, SK hynix was limited in what it could disclose while the registered offering remained in progress.

The company is expected to provide more detailed shareholder return plans after the ADR-related procedures conclude in early August.

Under Rule 174 of US securities regulations, prospectus delivery requirements remain in effect for up to 25 days after a newly registered public offering. During that period, investors must continue to receive offering-related information while post-offering procedures are completed.

An SK hynix spokesperson said the company expects to announce more specific shareholder return measures once the ADR process is finalized. The remaining post-offering procedures are expected to be completed on August 4.

SK hynix reported record quarterly results in the second quarter, posting revenue of 79.3187 trillion won and operating profit of 60.5426 trillion won. Despite the strong earnings, the company's share price fell nearly 10% on the day of the announcement, as investors were disappointed by the absence of additional shareholder return plans.

At the company's annual shareholders meeting earlier this year, Kwak Noh-jung, president of SK hynix, said the company aims to strengthen its financial position by building net cash to 100 trillion won over the long term while continuing to consider dividends and share repurchases.

As of the end of June, SK hynix held 69.37 trillion won in net cash, up from 35.01 trillion won at the end of March. The company is expected to reach 100 trillion won in net cash by the end of the third quarter.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has made his first-ever direct open-market purchase of SK hynix shares, a move interpreted as a display of his commitment to responsible management following the company's record quarterly earnings.

According to a regulatory filing on DART, the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system, Chey purchased 3,620 common shares of SK hynix on the open market on July 30. Based on the stock's closing price of 1,322,000 won that day, the purchase was valued at approximately 4.79 billion won.

The transaction increased Chey's direct ownership of SK hynix shares from zero to 3,620 shares. Total holdings by the company's largest shareholder and related parties increased from 146,124,531 shares to 146,128,151 shares, while the ownership stake remained unchanged at 20.00%.

The purchase marks the first time Chey has directly acquired SK hynix shares in the open market. The move is seen as a display of responsible management, reflecting confidence in the company's mid- to long-term growth potential and corporate value amid the recent decline in the share price.

SK hynix reported record quarterly results on July 29, posting revenue of 79.3187 trillion won and operating profit of 60.5426 trillion won for the second quarter, both all-time highs on a quarterly basis. After the announcement, however, the shares weakened as profit-taking coincided with a correction in the South Korean stock market.

The purchase has also drawn attention because it came after the Seoul High Court, in a remanded case on July 24, ordered Chey to pay 944 billion won in property division to Roh Soh-yeong, director of Art Center Nabi. Analysts said the move demonstrates Chey's willingness to invest in a key group affiliate despite the substantial financial burden from the ruling.