Round-up
Highlights
- Intel swings the axe – 20 %+ workforce cut incoming. New CEO Lip-Bu Tan will announce the first phase of deep layoffs this week as he tries to reboot Intel’s engineering culture and stop share-loss to TSMC and Nvidia 12.
- Washington flirts with an outright semiconductor tariff. A White House study floated “component-tariffs” on foreign-made chips; allies warn the move could raise costs without reshoring production 3.
- Memory suppliers hike prices ahead of tariff deadlines. Spot DRAM quotes jumped 8-10 % overnight as PC and server makers stockpile inventory, while Micron joined Samsung in cutting legacy DDR4 output 45.
Other developments
- BE Semiconductor (Besi) bookings up 8 % on hybrid-bonding demand 6
- Industry group tells BIS that current export controls are driving customers off U.S. silicon 7
- Nvidia touts 300× water savings with Blackwell direct-to-chip cooling 8
- Short selling in SK Hynix hits a record after Korea ends its ban 9
- Tower Semi sets 14 May for Q1 earnings & guidance 10
- Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI GPU said to enter mass shipment in May 11
- Teledyne beats on Q1 earnings as defence sensor demand stays strong 12
Did you know?
Hybrid-bonding orders for HBM 4 packaging now account for over 40 % of Besi’s total backlog, the first time an advanced-memory node has dominated the Dutch toolmaker’s pipeline 6.
In-depth
1. Government & Corporate Policy
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U.S. semiconductor tariff blueprint
- Treasury memo weighs a flat ad-valorem duty or “component tariff” tied to chip value in finished goods 3.
- Economists warn broad levies could simply accelerate offshore assembly rather than on-shoring fabs.
- Targeted China-only duties would be symbolic – Chinese dies make up <5 % of chips entering the U.S. supply chain.
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Export-control backlash reaches BIS
- Semiconductor Industry Coalition told regulators the October rules are “forcing buyers toward non-U.S. alternatives within two quarters” 7.
- Companies urged faster licence processing and clearer de-minimis thresholds for design IP.
- BIS officials said tweaks are possible but a wholesale rollback is unlikely.
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South Korea lifts 18-month short-selling ban
- Immediate result: bearish bets on SK Hynix spiked to an all-time high 9.
- Traders cite AI demand uncertainty and looming U.S.-China trade friction.
- Seoul regulators signalled they will intervene if “excessive volatility” emerges.
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Intel’s radical head-count reset
2. Economics, Finance & Business Outlook
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Memory price spike
- TrendForce spot survey shows 8-10 % DRAM jump in one session 4.
- Buyers racing to beat anticipated reciprocal tariffs that start 1 May.
- Contract negotiations for Q2 already resetting 5-7 % higher.
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Micron joins Samsung in trimming DDR4
- Both vendors shifting wafer starts to HBM and DDR5 ahead of AI server demand 5.
- Taiwan IC packagers expect a windfall in legacy DIMM work.
- PC-OEMs face renewed cost pressure just as laptop demand stabilises.
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Besi rides the HBM 4 wave
- Q1 orders +8.2 % q/q to €132 m; hybrid-bonding tools secured from two top DRAM makers 6.
- Revenue still -6 % on weak smartphone and auto, but CEO flags “AI-led up-cycle from late-2025.”
- Shares popped 9 % on the print.
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SK Hynix under siege
- Short interest hits record as traders bet on tariff drag and slowing AI euphoria 9.
- Company reports Thursday; focus is on HBM3E margin disclosure.
- Korean regulators monitoring for naked-short violations post-ban-lift.
3. Technology & R&D
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Blackwell racks go closed-loop
- Nvidia claims GB200/GB300 systems use direct-to-chip liquid cooling that is 300× more water-efficient than traditional evaporative towers 8.
- Coolant distribution units rated at up to 2 MW enable 120-140 kW racks.
- Reference designs with Schneider Electric aim to ease data-centre retrofits.
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Huawei Ascend 910C mass production
- Dual-die package doubles compute over 910B, chasing Nvidia H100-class perf 11.
- Built on SMIC N+2 7 nm; first cloud shipments expected in June.
- U.S. export curbs on Nvidia H20 make 910C the default China AI accelerator.
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Tower Semi readies Q1 scorecard
- April 23 release set earnings date and guidance call for 14 May 10.
- Analysts will look for colour on RF-SOI demand and Intel foundry overlap.
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Teledyne sensor surge
- Imaging-segment sales +2.2 % y/y to $757 m on defence opto-electronics 12.
- Management keeps FY-25 outlook despite tariff fog, citing backlog visibility.
Footnotes
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Intel to lay off more than 20% of workforce - Business Recorder ↩︎ ↩︎
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Intel Plans to Cut More Than 20% of Staff, Source Tells Bloomberg - Morningstar ↩︎ ↩︎
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Financial Times: “What would a US tariff on chips look like … - Bluesky ↩︎ ↩︎
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Memory Spot Price Update: DRAM Suppliers Raise Prices by 8-10% amid Stockpiling ahead of Tariffs | TrendForce News ↩︎ ↩︎
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Micron Reportedly Joins Samsung in Cutting DDR4 Output, Boosting Taiwanese Suppliers - TrendForce ↩︎ ↩︎
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Besi posts strong bookings as AI drives demand for hybrid bonding tech ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
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Current Chip Controls Will Force Customers Away From US Products, Industry Group Tells BIS - Export Compliance Daily ↩︎ ↩︎
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Nvidia aims to solve AI’s water consumption problems with direct-to-chip cooling — claims 300X improvement with closed-loop systems | Tom’s Hardware ↩︎ ↩︎
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British Expat SIPP, Low Cost, All Digital Platform, Zero Paperwork. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
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Tower Semiconductor Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Conference Call ↩︎ ↩︎
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Exclusive: Huawei readies new AI chip for mass shipment as China seeks Nvidia alternatives, sources say - Reddit ↩︎ ↩︎
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Teledyne Technologies Reports First Quarter Results | Morningstar ↩︎ ↩︎