1. TSMC Invests Another $100 Billion to Expand U.S. Chip Manufacturing
2. SLC NAND Prices Could Rise by Up to 170% Amid Niche Demand and the Shift to MLC
SLC NAND prices are expected to increase sharply in the second half of 2026 as supply tightens and demand grows across industrial, automotive, networking and AI applications.
According to TrendForce, NAND manufacturers are shifting mature production capacity toward higher-value products such as high-layer-count 3D NAND. This has reduced the availability of MLC NAND and encouraged some customers to move from low- and mid-density MLC products to 4Gb and 8Gb SLC NAND.
SLC NAND is widely used in applications that require high reliability, long data retention and strong endurance. Demand is increasing in AI edge computing, data centers, automotive electronics, industrial equipment, medical systems, aerospace and defense.
The market is also facing limited supply growth, as major SLC NAND suppliers currently have no plans to add significant new production capacity. Instead, manufacturers are focusing on process improvements, higher yields and greater output per wafer.
TrendForce expects SLC NAND contract prices to rise by 120% to 170% in the second half of 2026 compared with the first half. Seasonal inventory replenishment and lower mature-node NAND production could place further pressure on supply later in the year.
3. Intel Uses ASML’s Next-Generation High-NA EUV System to Produce Laptop Chips
Intel Foundry has begun high-volume manufacturing of selected Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, code-named Panther Lake, using ASML’s High-NA EUV lithography technology.
The processors are manufactured on Intel’s 18A process node, with High-NA EUV used to pattern specific chip layers. According to ASML, this marks an important step in demonstrating that the technology is ready for advanced semiconductor production at scale.
High-NA EUV provides higher resolution and improved process control, enabling manufacturers to create smaller and denser chip patterns. The technology is expected to support future developments in AI, high-performance computing and other advanced applications.
Intel and ASML installed the industry’s first commercial High-NA EUV system at Intel’s research and development facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, in 2024. Intel was also the first company to install and qualify ASML’s second-generation TWINSCAN EXE:5200B system.
With this milestone, Intel Foundry has become the first chipmaker to ship high-volume logic products manufactured with High-NA EUV technology.
