Yazılar

TSMC to Phase Out 6-Inch Wafer Production Over Two Years

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) announced on Tuesday that it will gradually phase out its 6-inch wafer manufacturing business over the next two years, while continuing to consolidate 8-inch wafer production to improve operational efficiency.

STRATEGIC MOVE

  • The decision was made after a thorough evaluation of market conditions and aligns with TSMC’s long-term business strategy.

  • The company emphasized that the transition will be managed closely with customers to ensure their needs are met.

  • TSMC stated that this move will not impact previously announced financial targets.

MANUFACTURING CAPACITY

  • TSMC currently operates one 6-inch wafer fab and four 8-inch wafer fabs in Taiwan for mature-node chip production.

  • Advanced-node chip manufacturing, used by clients like Apple and Nvidia, is conducted in 12-inch fabs.

  • In July, TSMC forecasted annual revenue growth of approximately 30% in U.S. dollar terms.

RATIONALE
The phase-out reflects market trends and efficiency goals, allowing TSMC to focus resources on more in-demand wafer sizes and advanced technologies.

CoreWeave Beats Q2 Revenue Estimates on AI Demand but Posts Larger Loss

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Cloud services provider CoreWeave exceeded second-quarter revenue expectations on Tuesday, driven by strong demand for AI infrastructure, but a larger-than-expected net loss pushed its shares down 10% in after-hours trading.

REVENUE AND BACKLOG

  • Q2 revenue: $1.21 billion (est. $1.08B)

  • Revenue backlog: $30.1 billion as of June 30, up from $25.9 billion on March 31

  • Annual revenue forecast: Raised to $5.15–$5.35 billion from prior $4.9–$5.1 billion

LOSSES AND COSTS

  • Net loss: $290.5 million (est. $190.6M)

  • Operating expenses: Jumped to $1.19 billion from $317.7 million a year earlier
    CEO Michael Intrator noted the main challenge is accessing power shells to support AI infrastructure at scale.

AI GROWTH AND STRATEGY
CoreWeave operates 33 AI data centers in the U.S. and Europe and provides access to Nvidia chips for enterprises training large AI models.
The company highlighted rising demand for AI inference, particularly chain-of-thought reasoning models, which significantly increase computational requirements.

M&A AND CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION

  • CoreWeave’s $9 billion all-stock acquisition of Core Scientific will secure 1.3 GW of power under contract, though some shareholders oppose the deal.

  • The company acknowledged that its reliance on large customers like OpenAI is both a strategic advantage and a potential risk.

  • Contracts with hyperscalers have been expanded to meet growing demand.

MARKET RESPONSE
Shares fell 10% after-hours to $133.71, despite nearly tripling since the March IPO. Analysts noted that strong revenue visibility is tempered by cost growth and customer concentration risks.

Trump Suggests Allowing Scaled-Down Nvidia AI Chips Sales to China Amid Security Concerns

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U.S. President Donald Trump signaled on Monday that he may permit Nvidia to sell a reduced-performance version of its next-generation Blackwell AI chips in China, raising alarms in Washington about Beijing’s potential access to cutting-edge computing power.

Trump told reporters that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had discussed a “somewhat enhanced-in-a-negative-way Blackwell,” explaining it would carry 30–50% less computing power than the U.S. flagship model. “That will be an unenhanced version of the big one,” Trump said, suggesting the proposal remains under review.

The Trump administration also confirmed an unprecedented deal with Nvidia and AMD that requires them to give the U.S. government 15% of revenue from China chip sales. The move follows last month’s approval for Nvidia’s H20 chips, a lower-performance variant developed under Biden-era export restrictions, to resume shipping to China.

Security experts warn the policy could still advance Beijing’s AI capabilities. Saif Khan, a former White House tech security director, cautioned that China could buy enough scaled-down Blackwell chips to build frontier-level AI supercomputers, potentially leapfrogging U.S. progress.

Currently, the H20 is the most advanced chip allowed for Chinese markets, though Trump called it “obsolete,” noting Beijing already has access. Nvidia unveiled its flagship Blackwell chip in March, boasting performance up to 30 times faster than its predecessor.

While Nvidia has not confirmed a China-only Blackwell variant, Reuters reported in May that a lower-cost, scaled-down version was being prepared. China’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment.

Meanwhile, critics highlight Trump’s unusual interventions in corporate strategy, from demanding revenue-sharing to pressuring Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign over his ties to Chinese firms. The Commerce Department has begun issuing licenses for H20 exports, insisting national security remains safeguarded.

Nvidia and AMD both stated they will comply with U.S. rules, while China has accused Washington of using tech restrictions to “maliciously contain and suppress” its development.