Entegris reported first-quarter revenues of $811.9 million, up 5% year on year and exceeding analyst expectations by 0.5%, amid a broadly strong earnings season for semiconductor manufacturing stocks. The 14 companies tracked in the sector collectively beat revenue consensus by 2.2% and provided next-quarter guidance 5.5% above estimates, with share prices rising an average of 20.2% since reporting. Kulicke and Soffa delivered the best performance, with revenues surging 49.8% to $242.6 million and the highest guidance raise among peers, while Photronics was the weakest, posting flat revenues of $209.9 million and missing estimates. Other notable results included IPG Photonics with $265.5 million in revenue, up 16.6%, and KLA Corporation with $3.42 billion, up 11.5%, both beating revenue expectations.
After market close on September 28, Qingyi Photomask issued a voluntary disclosure announcement stating that its 55nm PSM phase-shift mask products have had confidentiality agreements signed with customers and product specifications confirmed, received customer purchase orders, and the products have now been delivered, entering the customer qualification stage. The company also cautioned that qualification is an important part of customer validation, and the certification cycle and results are uncertain, so it cannot yet determine when volume supply can be achieved. Qingyi Photomask is one of the earliest established and largest photomask manufacturers in China, with a dual-business structure spanning flat panel display masks and semiconductor chip masks. The 55nm PSM announced this time is an important product for its semiconductor mask business to break through to more advanced process nodes. This year's interim report showed that the company's semiconductor chip mask business has achieved customer validation for the 55nm Binary process node, is steadily advancing research and development of PSM and OPC process masks from 130nm to 40nm nodes, and has started planning for 28nm node mask process development. The Foshan Qingyi Micro production base has entered trial production and plans to achieve mass production of PSM technology masks by the end of 2026. During the reporting period, the company achieved operating revenue of 654 million yuan, up 5.08 percent year on year, and net profit attributable to the parent company of 118 million yuan, up 28.16 percent year on year. Of this, flat panel display mask sales revenue was 528 million yuan, up 7.42 percent year on year, and semiconductor chip mask operating revenue was about 101 million yuan, up 0.95 percent year on year.
National Silicon Industry Group Chairman Jiang Haitao Resigns, No Longer Holds Any Position at the Company
National Silicon Industry Group announced on September 29 that its board of directors recently received a written resignation report from Chairman Jiang Haitao. Due to a change in work arrangements, he applied to resign from his positions as chairman of the third board of directors, director, member and convener of the strategy committee, member of the nomination committee, and member of the remuneration and assessment committee. After resigning, he will no longer hold any position at the company. Jiang Haitao is 54 years old this year and has served as a director of National Silicon Industry Group since June 10, 2021. Before his resignation, he was chairman of the company. He previously worked for a long time in the Shanghai port system and the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions. Since May 2020, he has served as deputy party secretary of Shanghai Guosheng Group, and he currently serves as deputy party secretary, president, and director of that company. National Silicon Industry Group mainly produces polished wafers, epitaxial wafers, and SOI silicon wafers. On August 19, the company released its 2026 interim report. Operating revenue was 2.32 billion yuan, up 36.5 percent year on year. Net profit attributable to the parent company swung from a loss of 367 million yuan in the same period last year to a loss of 965 million yuan, with the loss widening further. Net profit attributable to the parent company after deducting non-recurring items swung from a loss of 481 million yuan in the same period last year to a loss of 958 million yuan, with the loss also widening further. Net operating cash flow was 179 million yuan, up 138.8 percent year on year. The company said the revenue growth was mainly driven by a year-on-year increase of more than 90 percent in sales volume of 300-millimeter semiconductor silicon wafers, while the year-on-year decline in profit was mainly due to increased research and development investment, higher financial expenses caused by exchange rate fluctuations, and increased asset impairment losses.
688126.CG · Regulation · Negative Chairman Jiang Haitao resigned from all positions, including chairman and board committees, creating leadership/governance uncertainty.
TSMC 2nm capacity to reach 120,000 wafers monthly by end-2026, EDN reports
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is accelerating its 2-nanometre capacity expansion, with monthly output projected to reach about 120,000 wafers by the end of 2026, ahead of earlier expectations of 90,000 to 100,000 wafers, according to Taiwanese publication EDN. Customers including Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm and MediaTek have recently raised orders for TSMC's 2nm family capacity by 10% to 20%, the report said, citing industry sources. TSMC is bringing five 2nm fabs online this year, two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung, according to senior vice president Hou Yung-ching. Hou said first-year 2nm wafer output would be 45% higher than the first-year output of 3nm in 2023, while 2nm capacity is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 70% from 2026 to 2028.
SCHMID shares surged nearly 20% by Friday afternoon trading after a report revealed that advanced chipmakers were considering the use of glass substrates in processors. The technology could increase the amount of high-bandwidth memory in chips, boosting processing speeds for AI workloads. SCHMID Chief Sales Officer Roland Rettenmaier said on the company's second-quarter 2026 earnings call that many players in the Intel, Nvidia and AMD supply chains are eyeing glass core substrates for their flatness, smoothness, dielectric constants and signal integrity, and that the German-based company is engaged with most major supply chain players to make glass core substrates real. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently met with the chairman of SK Group to discuss using glass substrate technology in next-generation semiconductors, according to Seoul Economic Daily, and has reportedly discussed it with TSMC as well. SCHMID specializes in high-tech manufacturing for electronics, photovoltaics, glass and energy systems, and has been developing glass substrate solutions that offer thinner, smoother packaging material to raise chip speeds and cut power consumption.
Artificial Intelligence › HBM & AI Memory ▲Technology
SHMD · Technology · Positive SCHMID shares jumped ~20% as its glass core substrate technology is being eyed by major chip supply chains and it is engaged with most major players.
NVDA · Technology · Neutral Nvidia's CEO reportedly discussed glass substrate technology with SK Group and TSMC, but no concrete Nvidia commitment.
2330.TW · Technology · Neutral Reportedly discussed glass substrate technology with Nvidia, but no concrete development or order for TSMC is stated.
AMD · Technology · Neutral AMD named as one of the chipmakers whose supply chains are eyeing glass core substrates, but no AMD-specific development.
INTC · Technology · Neutral Intel mentioned as a chipmaker whose supply chain is considering glass substrates, with no Intel-specific action.
September Tankan: Large Manufacturers' DI Expected to Improve 4 Points to Plus 26
Forecasts from 12 private think tanks and other institutions for the Bank of Japan's September National Short-Term Economic Survey of Enterprises, or Tankan, to be released on the 1st of next month, were all in by the 25th. The average forecast for the business conditions diffusion index, which gauges corporate sentiment, stands at plus 26 for large manufacturers, a 4-point improvement from the previous June survey. The dominant view is that demand related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors will lift sentiment, and this would mark the sixth consecutive quarter of improvement for manufacturers. While industries producing equipment and materials related to semiconductor manufacturing, such as electrical machinery and production machinery, are analyzed as performing well, it has been pointed out that automobiles may act as a drag due to sluggish growth in export volumes. The average forecast for large non-manufacturers is 36, down 1 point from the June survey, with many companies expecting flat or slightly worse conditions due to weak inbound demand and rising costs such as fuel and labor expenses. Based on this Tankan, the Bank of Japan plans to analyze risks such as higher crude oil prices and AI-driven upward pressure on prices, and to look for the timing of an additional interest rate hike.
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TSMC and ASML Launch 12-Inch EUV Photomask Initiative Targeting 2031 Pilot Line
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and ASML Holding announced a collaborative industry initiative on September 8 to transition the semiconductor sector to a 12-inch Extreme Ultraviolet photomask format, replacing the 6-inch masks chipmakers currently use for High NA EUV systems. The shift aims to boost scanner productivity, eliminate stitching constraints on ultra-large chips, and lower long-term advanced node manufacturing costs, with the initiative targeting a pilot line by 2031 and 12-inch High-NA production by 2033. TSMC plans to adopt High-NA EUV starting in 2030, with the 12-inch masks providing a multi-year roadmap for scaling complex AI architectures. For ASML, establishing a 12-inch standard locks in the long-term economic case for its High-NA scanner line, supporting its 15% revenue expansion outlook, while for TSMC the larger format helps defend its leading-edge and AI/HPC manufacturing dominance. The decade-long roadmap carries execution risk, as the entire global supply chain, from mask blanks and inspection equipment to automated handling, must retool from scratch, and TSMC faces near-term gross margin dilution from its N2 ramp and overseas fab expansions while ASML contends with gross margin pressure in late 2025 and geopolitical growth uncertainties through 2026.
Artificial Intelligence › HBM & AI Memory ▲Technology
Artificial Intelligence › EDA & Semiconductor IP Technology
2330.TW · Technology · Positive TSMC and ASML launch a 12-inch EUV photomask initiative to boost scanner productivity and defend TSMC's leading-edge AI/HPC manufacturing dominance.
2330.TW · Capital · Negative TSMC faces near-term gross margin dilution from its N2 ramp and overseas fab expansions.
ASML.AS · Technology · Positive Establishing a 12-inch standard locks in the long-term economic case for ASML's High-NA scanner line, supporting its 15% revenue expansion outlook.
ASML.AS · Capital · Negative ASML contends with gross margin pressure in late 2025 and geopolitical growth uncertainties through 2026.