According to a report from TechNews, Christophe Fouquet, the CEO of ASML, announced that Intel’s second high-NA EUV system has been completely assembled.

Christophe Fouquet stated that the High-NA EUV machine is less likely to face delivery delays compared to the current standard EUV machines because it can be assembled directly at the customer’s facility, eliminating the need for disassembly and reassembly. This approach saves both time and costs for ASML and its customers, helping to expedite delivery, the report noted.

Mark Phillips, the Director of Lithography Hardware at Intel, announced that the company has successfully completed the installation of two High-NA EUV systems at its Portland facility.

Moreover, Mark Phillips highlighted that the improvements offered by High-NA EUV machines surpass expectations when compared to standard EUV machines.

Mark Phillips also noted that the installation of the second High-NA EUV system was completed even faster than the first. He stated that all necessary infrastructure for the High-NA EUV system is in place, and inspections of the masks used for High-NA EUV have begun as scheduled. As a result, Intel is well-positioned to move into production with minimal additional effort.

Additionally, Mark Phillips was asked about the issue of CAR (Chemically Amplified Resist) versus metal oxide resists. According to the report by TechNews, he stated that while CAR is currently sufficient, there may be a need for metal oxide photoresists at some point in the future. Intel aims to have its Intel 14A process in mass production by 2026-2027, at which point further advancements in the node will be made.

Intel’s early adoption of ASML’s High-NA EUV equipment is seen by many as a crucial move for Intel to reclaim its technological leadership.

Regarding other semiconductor giants, ASML previously confirmed that it will deliver its latest High-NA EUV systems to TSMC by the end of this year. According to a report from the Economic Daily News, it is rumored that TSMC’s first High-NA EUV equipment arrived in September, which will support the company in advancing its process technology.

On the other hand, while Samsung has also decided to purchase ASML’s High-NA EUV equipment, a report from South Korean media outlet BusinessKorea suggests that the company is planning to reduce its procurement of ASML’s next-generation EUV lithography equipment, after Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun was appointed as the new head of the DS (Device Solutions) division and reviewed ongoing projects and investments.

Read more

• [News] TSMC Strengthens Its Advanced Process with Next-Generation EUV Equipment Reportedly Arriving This Month
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Reduces Procurement of ASML’s Next-Generation EUV Lithography Equipment

(Photo credit: ASML)

The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) continued to decline in September, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on October 10. The year-over-year CPI growth rate was 2.4%, down 0.1% from the previous month. Although slightly above the market expectation of 2.3%, it remains the lowest level since February 2021. The month-over-month increase was 0.2%, unchanged from the previous month and slightly higher than the market forecast of 0.1%.

Core CPI rose by 3.3% year-over-year, marginally exceeding both the previous month’s figure and market expectations of 3.2%.

Read more at Datatrack

The monthly increase was primarily driven by rising prices in apparel, medical services, and transportation services. On a positive note, the rent and owners’ equivalent rent, which have been key factors slowing the CPI decline, showed signs of easing. On a year-over-year basis, rent inflation grew by 4.8% (down from 5.0% in the prior month), while owners’ equivalent rent increased by 5.2% (down from 5.4%), both continuing their gradual deceleration.

(Source: BLS, TrendForce)

Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the latest weekly jobless claims. Initial claims reached 258,000, an increase of 33,000 from the previous week, while continued claims rose to 1,861,000, up by 42,000 from the prior month. Despite the rise in claims, the numbers remain within a healthy range, indicating that the labor market is still in balance.

Read more at Datatrack

Following the release of this data, market expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts remained unchanged, with projections for two cuts this year and four more in 2024.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s net worth has now reached USD 109.2 billion, surpassing Intel’s total market value of USD 96.595 billion. This development has sparked excitement among many netizens, with some calling for Huang to acquire Intel and create a new tech industry merger legend.

In fact, tech companies have long led the way in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), driven by the need to stay ahead in technological innovation and strengthen their market positions. Large-scale mergers have been a common strategy for tech giants looking to secure a competitive edge. The M&A Community has compiled a list of the 11 largest tech mergers in history.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard

Microsoft’s USD 69 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard, completed in 2023 after overcoming regulatory challenges in the U.S. and UK, has solidified the tech giant’s position in the gaming market, particularly for its Xbox platform. Activision Blizzard, known for popular titles such as Warcraft and Call of Duty, gives Microsoft a strategic advantage in the competitive gaming industry.

EMC and Dell

In 2016, Dell finalized its USD 67 billion acquisition of EMC, a leader in data storage and security. The merger, one of the largest in tech history, combined Dell’s hardware expertise with EMC’s advanced storage solutions, strengthening its position in enterprise IT and cloud computing.

AMD and Xilinx

AMD’s USD 49 billion acquisition of Xilinx, completed in 2022, marked a significant expansion of AMD’s semiconductor capabilities, particularly in adaptive computing. The deal, initially valued at USD35 billion, surged in value by the time it closed, positioning AMD as a major player in the semiconductor industry.

Avago and Broadcom

Avago’s USD 37 billion acquisition of Broadcom in 2016 brought together two semiconductor powerhouses. The merger created a stronger presence in wireless communications and infrastructure, with Broadcom’s strengths in communications semiconductors complementing Avago’s portfolio in wired and wireless solutions.

IBM and Red Hat

IBM’s USD 34 billion purchase of open-source leader Red Hat in 2019 was a landmark deal, designed to boost IBM’s cloud and hybrid cloud offerings. The acquisition positioned IBM as a key player in enterprise cloud solutions, leveraging Red Hat’s expertise in open-source software.

Salesforce and Slack

Salesforce completed its USD 27.7 billion acquisition of Slack in 2021, a move aimed at integrating Slack’s communication platform with Salesforce’s customer relationship management (CRM) tools. The deal created a unified solution for enterprise collaboration, further enhancing Salesforce’s suite of cloud-based business tools.

Microsoft and LinkedIn

Microsoft’s USD 26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016 was designed to enhance business productivity by integrating LinkedIn’s networking platform with Microsoft’s suite of enterprise software. The deal allowed Microsoft to expand its reach in the professional networking space.

HP and Compaq

HP’s USD 25 billion acquisition of Compaq in 2002 was one of the largest tech mergers at the time, but it ultimately became known as a failure. The merger led to significant market value losses for HP, and its long-term impact was negative.

Facebook (Meta) and WhatsApp

Facebook’s USD 19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014 was widely regarded as a success. The deal allowed Facebook, now Meta, to significantly expand its global reach, particularly in international markets where WhatsApp has a strong user base.

Silver Lake and Qualtrics

In 2023, Silver Lake completed a USD 12.5 billion deal to acquire Qualtrics from SAP, marking another high-value transaction in the tech industry. The acquisition strengthened Silver Lake’s investment portfolio, particularly in the data analytics and survey software space.

Adobe and Marketo

Adobe’s USD 4.75 billion acquisition of Marketo in 2018 enhanced its marketing automation capabilities, allowing Adobe to offer a more comprehensive marketing platform to both B2B and B2C clients. The deal boosted Adobe’s presence in digital marketing solutions.

(Photo credit: Microsoft)

As AMD unveiled the roadmap for its upcoming AI accelerators at Advancing AI 2024, including MI325X and MI355X, its longtime foundry partner TSMC is expected to be the major beneficiary, according to the reports by the Commercial Times and the Economic Daily News.

TSMC, as AMD’s key chip making partner, is expected to benefit the most, as the foundry giant also provides advanced packaging services such chiplets and CoWoS, Commercial Times notes.

Other Taiwanese companies in the supply chain are also expected to benefit, including ASMedia, which provides PCIe Gen5 high-speed interface chips, as well as ASIC firms GUC and Alchip, according to the report. Among server OEM partners, Compal, Wistron, Wiwynn, and Inventec are listed as AMD’s collaborators.

According to the Economic Daily News, AMD’s Instinct MI325X AI accelerator is said to be manufactured with TSMC’s 4nm and 5nm, with mass production anticipated to begin this quarter. It is worth noting that the AI GPU would be the first of its kind to be equipped with 256GB HBM3e memory, according to another report by Wccftech.

On the other hand, to compete with AI chip giant NVIDIA’s GB200, AMD also introduced the MI350 series at the event. According to Commercial Times, MI355X will be launched in the second half of 2025, leveraging TSMC’s 3nm process while equipped with 288GB HBM3e memory.

The report by Commercial Times further notes that in addition to its larger memory capacity, the MI355X accelerator also incorporates the CDNA 4 architecture, allowing it to achieve a significant 35x increase in FP8 computational performance.

Featuring TSMC’s 3nm node just like NVIDIA’s Rubin reportedly does, AMD’s MI355X has the potential to catch up with, or even run ahead of its archrival in terms of product schedule, the report suggests. NVIDIA’s Rubin is reportedly to be released in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Notably, AMD’s MI300X accelerator has been reportedly adopted by a few tech heavyweights. According to Commercial Times, following Microsoft’s adoption, Samsung has also purchased USD 20 million worth of AMD MI300X units for AI training.

At Advancing AI 2024, which took place on October 10^th, AMD also introduced its latest EPYC server processors, EPYC 9005 Series, previously codenamed Turin. According to its press release, the EPYC 9005 Series is built on the latest “Zen 5” architecture, which offers up to 192 cores and will be available in a wide range of platforms from leading OEMs and ODMs. According to the Economic Daily News, EPYC 9005 Series is manufactured with TSMC’s 3nm and 4nm nodes.

Read more

• [News] AMD Unifies RDNA and CDNA into UDNA Architecture, Aiming to Compete with NVIDIA’s CUDA
• [News] AMD MI325X Reported to Debut in October, Claiming AI Supercycle Has Just Started

(Photo credit: AMD)

Rumors have been circulating recently that NVIDIA, after the shipment of GB200 in the fourth quarter, is mulling to replace the current on-board solution with an independent GPU socket design, which might benefit Taiwanese supply chain companies such as Foxconn and interconnect component supplier LOTES, according to the reports by MoneyDJ and the Economic Daily News.

Industry sources further indicate that NVIDIA is expected to switch from an OAM type (on-board solution) to a socket type soon, starting with the GB300 product line.

It is understood that after the second half of 2025, the B300 series will likely to become the mainstream product for NVIDIA. The main attraction of the B300 series is said to be its adoption of FP4, which is well-suited for inference scenarios.

This change of design is expected to improve the yield rate for GPUs though it might probably reduce performance. According to the Economic Daily News, adopting socket design will help simplify after-sales service and server board maintenance, as well as optimize the yield of computing board manufacturing.

On the other hand, the new design is believed to allow more production flexibility, as manufacturers may not need to be equipped with SMT production line.

It is worth noting that if NVIDIA does initiate the change, this would mark the first time the AI chip giant introduces socket design in its GPU products, the Economic Daily News notes. However, this is not the first instance for the design to be introduced in the industry, as NVIDIA’s archrival AMD has adopted the socket design in 2023 with MI300A, according to the report.

Despite recent speculations concerning Blackwell’s yield rate, a previous report by Commercial Times noted that NVIDIA’s updated version of B200 is expected to be completed by late October, allowing the GB200 to enter mass production in December. In an interview with CNBC, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated that the demand for the company’s next-generation Blackwell AI chip is “insane,” and that “everybody wants to have the most and everybody wants to be first.”

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA’s Blackwell Overcomes Delays, as GB200 Reportedly Sets for December Mass Production
• [News] Foxconn Remains Unfazed Despite NVIDIA’s GB200 Delay, with Customers Aim to Secure Their Orders

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)