Semiconductors & AI Chips Weekly Briefing

January 2, 2026

TSMC started 2nm production amid tight supply, while Nvidia struck major deals with Groq and Intel; US renewed China export waivers; and HBM prices rose, and more.

• TSMC initiated mass production of its advanced 2nm chips, but high demand, partially driven by AI needs, has resulted in tight supply and capacity being booked through 2026, with anticipated price increases on advanced nodes. ¹²³⁴⁵
• The US government granted annual export licenses to TSMC, Samsung, and SK Hynix, allowing them to ship chipmaking equipment to their manufacturing facilities in China, replacing previous ad-hoc waivers. ^67891011
• Nvidia pursued aggressive strategic maneuvers, finalizing a $20 billion licensing agreement with Groq for inference chip technology and investing $5 billion in Intel to secure packaging capacity, while also entering advanced talks to acquire AI startup AI21 Labs for up to $3 billion. ^{12131415161718192021}
• HBM technology advanced significantly as Samsung achieved top scores in Google TPU tests for its HBM4 chips, concurrent with Samsung and SK Hynix raising HBM prices by approximately 20% for 2026 deliveries due to surging AI demand. ^2223242526
• Both Korean giants committed to major US manufacturing growth: SK Hynix reportedly plans its first 2.5D packaging facility in Indiana to create a full HBM turnkey strategy, and Samsung is planning a massive expansion of 2nm production in the US to rival TSMC's capacity. ²⁷²⁸²⁹
• Intel showcased advanced multi-chiplet packaging technology and commenced next-gen chip production, while AMD offered initial insights into its Zen-6 CPU architecture and slated RDNA 5 GPUs for a 2027 launch. ^19303132
• Other developments included Marvell acquiring Celestial AI for $5.5 billion to dominate AI infrastructure, Nvidia scrambling to meet strong Chinese demand for its H200 AI chips, and the indictment of former Samsung employees for allegedly leaking chip technology to a Chinese firm. ^3334353637

Sources

1. TSMC Achieves Milestone with 2nm Chip Production Commencement Devdiscourse
2. TSMC says it has started mass production of 'most advanced' 2nm chips The Japan Times
3. TSMC’s 2nm Process To Surpass The Company’s 3nm & 5nm Technologies In Cumulative Revenue By Q3 2026, Aiming... Wccftech
4. The 2nm Bottleneck: Apple Secures Lion’s Share of TSMC’s Next-Gen Capacity as Industry Braces for Scarcity FinancialContent
5. TSMC Is Experiencing A Tight Supply For 2nm Wafers Due To The AI Boom, Will Reportedly Raise Prices Of Its Advanced Nodes For Four Consecutive Years, Starting From New Year’s Day Wccftech
6. U.S. Grants Annual Waivers Allowing Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC to Ship Equipment to China Plants 알파경제
7. U.S. Grants Annual Waivers Allowing Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC to Ship Equipment to China Plants 알파경제
8. Washington grants TSMC annual approval for US chipmaking tool shipments to China Reuters
9. U.S. grants Samsung and SK hynix 2026 licenses for chipmaking tool shipments to China — annual approvals replace dated waiver system Yahoo Finance
10. US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say | Reuters Reuters
11. US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say | Reuters Reuters
12. CES 2026, Nvidia's $20 Billion Groq Deal, Meta Buys Manus For $2 Billion, Netflix Nabs Ready Player Me Forbes
13. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) To Make its Largest Purchase From Groq Yahoo Finance
14. Five things to know about Nvidia’s $20 billion licensing deal Mint
15. Nvidia Invests $5 Billion in Intel With Plans for Joint CPU Production ProPakistani
16. Sleeping With the Enemy: Inside the NVIDIA-Intel Deal Yahoo Finance
17. Nvidia bets US$5 billion on Intel's comeback BNN Bloomberg
18. Nvidia bets US$5 billion on Intel's comeback BNN Bloomberg
19. Intel Secures Major Nvidia Investment as Next-Gen Chip Production Begins AD HOC NEWS
20. NVIDIA Eyes $3 Billion AI21 Labs Buy to Deepen AI Software Play Analytics Insight
21. Nvidia in advanced talks to buy Israel s AI21 Labs for up to $3 billion, report says Reuters
22. Samsung Electronics highlights progress in HBM4 chip supply Reuters
23. Samsung's HBM4 Earns Top Scores in Google TPU Tests Businesskorea
24. [News] Samsung, SK hynix Reportedly Plan ~20% HBM3E Price Hike for 2026 as NVIDIA H200, ASIC Demand Rises TrendForce
25. Samsung, SK Hynix increase HBM3E prices by 20% for 2026 orders: report Seeking Alpha
26. Weekly roundup: AMD lands Alibaba chip deal as US probes Nvidia buyers, ASML keeps lithography lead DIGITIMES
27. [News] SK hynix Reportedly Plans First U.S. 2.5D Packaging Line, Eyes Turnkey HBM to Challenge TSMC TrendForce
28. SK Hynix considering 2.5D packaging in Indiana, USA... Activating 'HBM turnkey' strategy to break TSMC's monopoly 글로벌이코노믹
29. Semiconductor manufacturing: Samsung is said to be planning a massive expansion of 2-nm production Golem
30. Intel displays tech to build extreme multi-chiplet packages 12 times the size of the largest AI processors, beating TSMC's biggest — floorplan the size of a cellphone, armed with HBM5, 14A compute tiles and 18A SRAM Tom's Hardware
31. CPU: AMD provides first insight into the Zen-6 architecture Golem
32. AMD's Next-Gen RDNA 5 Radeon GPUs Rumored For TSMC N3P And 2027 Launch HotHardware
33. Marvell Shatters the “Memory Wall” with $5.5 Billion Acquisition of Celestial AI FinancialContent
34. Former Samsung employees arrested for allegedly leaking chip technology to China Moneycontrol
35. Chinese chipmaker CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak Yahoo Finance
36. Nvidia Seeks TSMC Boost to Meet Surge in Chinese H200 AI Chip Demand Modern Diplomacy
37. Exclusive: Nvidia sounds out TSMC on new H200 chip order as China demand jumps, sources say Reuters