chip packaging

Volantis

2026-10-03 12:09:32

Volantis says it raised $88 million in Series A to pursue optical interconnects for AI memory limits

Volantis, an optical interconnect chip company, said on X that it has completed an $88 million Series A round. The company said it is using an optical approach to address AI memory bottlenecks by equipping chips with large amounts of high-speed memory and lifting per-chip memory bandwidth and capacity by several orders of magnitude. Volantis said the design is aimed at high-speed inference for models with more than 10 trillion parameters, with throughput of up to 10,000 tokens per second for a single user. In its initial stage, the company said the technology will be used to accelerate agents, cutting programming-related tasks from hours to minutes or seconds. Volantis also said optical systems can improve memory performance by several orders of magnitude across generations instead of roughly doubling each year, and added that its next-generation product has taped out.

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Applied Mater

2026-10-01 13:17:50

Applied Materials and Besi expand partnership to advance AI chip packaging

Semiconductor equipment supplier Applied Materials and Dutch semiconductor equipment company Besi have announced an expanded partnership focused on AI chip packaging technology, according to a Techub News brief citing Crypto Briefing. The companies said the broader collaboration is aimed at accelerating progress in AI chips. The report adds that the effort could affect data processing speeds and energy efficiency across the technology sector. No financial terms or timeline for the expanded partnership were disclosed in the source brief. The item was published by Techub under its technology category.

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Apple

2026-09-09 18:52:25

Apple details A20 Pro and C2 modem specs in launch materials, but leaves suppliers unnamed

Apple’s latest fall launch materials offered a denser look at hardware changes than in prior years, laying out process nodes, packaging choices, thermal design details and modem power figures while avoiding any mention of who supplies the underlying parts. The company said the new A20 Pro is built on a 2 nm process, carries a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU and a new dual 16-core Neural Engine for a total of 32 cores, with gains measured against the A19 Pro. Apple also described a packaging shift that places silicon and memory side by side rather than stacked, which it said helps free memory from the chip’s thermal path and supports a 50% increase in memory bandwidth. On connectivity, the third-generation in-house C2 modem now adds mmWave support in the U.S. and uses 15% less power than C1X, according to Apple. The company also introduced 2TB storage to the iPhone lineup, outlined 3D-printed titanium hinge-cover parts for iPhone Duo, and added a variable aperture system to the iPhone 18 Pro main camera. Across all of those areas, Apple did not identify foundry, memory, NAND, display, glass or hinge suppliers.

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Ajinomoto

2026-08-20 03:49:24

Ajinomoto says ABF film powers high-margin chip materials business with over 95% global share

Ajinomoto, best known as a Japanese food company, said its electronic materials business delivered outsized profit in the latest quarter, driven by ABF, or Ajinomoto Build-up Film, a key insulating layer used in IC substrates for advanced processors. The company said the segment generated JPY 33.1 billion in revenue and JPY 19.1 billion in business profit, implying a 57.7% margin. While the unit accounted for about 8% of group revenue, it contributed 32% of profit. According to the company, ABF holds more than 95% of the global market for insulating films used in high-performance semiconductors. The material is used in substrates for high-end CPUs and GPUs, and demand has benefited from larger AI accelerator packages, more substrate layers, tighter line widths, and stricter thermal expansion requirements. Ajinomoto said growth came from an improved product mix rather than price increases. The report also outlined competitive and technological pressure, including efforts by Sekisui Chemical, U.S. startup Thintronics, and longer-term interest in glass substrates. In response, Ajinomoto is expanding capacity in Japan, with investment already underway in Gunma and Kawasaki and more spending planned through 2030.

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Nvidia

2026-07-24 01:12:00

Nvidia signs $1.5 billion deal with Amkor to expand chip packaging capacity

Nvidia has signed a $1.5 billion agreement with Amkor Technology to support an expansion of chip packaging capacity, according to Bloomberg. A statement released Thursday said the deal includes a prepayment from Nvidia that will help Amkor increase its manufacturing capacity in Arizona. The announcement sent Amkor shares up about 15% in after-hours trading. The two companies said their partnership will focus on chip packaging and testing technologies tied to artificial intelligence. Packaging is one of the final and most important stages in semiconductor manufacturing, where chips are enclosed so they can connect with other components. The agreement was described as part of a broader push to expand semiconductor operations in the United States.

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