The U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party released a bombshell report titled “Selling the Forges of the Future” on October 7, 2025, detailing how the People’s Republic of China is stockpiling semiconductor manufacturing equipment… Read More
– First SEMICON in Arizona was great- should make it permanent
– Congress finally wakes up to China issues long after cows are gone
– Memory cycle in support of AI could be huge but scary at same time
– AI demand seems bottomless- but may distort chip industry dynamics
Phoenix SEMICON was wonderful!
The crowds… Read More
– AMAT has OK Q but horrible guide as China & Leading edge drop
– China finally chokes on indigestion & export issues -$500M hit
– TSMC trims on fab timing causing leading edge to slow -$500M hit
– Cycle which had slowed to single digits has rolled over to negative
– Lam put up good numbers but H2 outlook was flat with unknown 2026
– China remains high & exposed at 35% of biz while US is a measly 6%
– Unclear if this is peak, pause, digestion, technology or normal cycle
– Coupled with ASML soft outlook & stock run ups means profit taking
– AMAT has OK QTR but outlook below expectations as 2025 weakens
– Strength in AI cannot offset weakness in the rest of the market
– Increasing headwinds going into 2025 dampen overall outlook
– Weakness combined with regulatory uncertainty reduce valuations
– CHIPS Act more likely to be maimed & cut than outright killed
– Will Legislators reverse flow of equipment to Reshore from Offshore?
– Recent order cuts, Fab Delay & SMIC comments are all negative
– News flow for semi equipment all bad in front of AMAT
It coulda been… Read More
– SPIE Photomask -all about High NA and bigger masks
– High NA will ramp very fast & is ramping fast – two already at Intel
– Doubling size of photomask will offset High NA exposure size problem
– Assembling litho tools at customer saves time/money- “Scanner Kits”
Embargoes and other fun stuff in the Semiconductor Tools Market
While this post dives into the semiconductor tool market’s Q2 data, it is also about the senseless embargo game currently in place. The post illustration shows what my notebooks look like as embargoes enforce what they are supposed to suppress and are replaced… Read More
