Overview: This Foundry Monthly Intelligence Report provides timely, always-on market intelligence to keep you aligned with the latest developments in the foundry ecosystem. It includes ad hoc deep dives into emerging trends and market shifts, along with concise analyst takeaways that deliver real-time, decision-ready insights to support strategic planning and execution.
Table of Contents
Robust Demand and Capacity Constraints Support Further Wafer Price Increases Among Foundries in H2 2026 and 2027
- TSMC and Samsung's 8-inch capacity cuts were the primary trigger for the 2026 price cycle. TSMC N3 accumulated 8-15% in 2026, while SMIC’s consecutive increases pushed 8-inch mature nodes up 10-20%, the most aggressive move among all foundries.
- TSMC's N3/N2 faces no meaningful relief despite a near-doubling of N2 capacity to 110-120 KWPM in 2027. Samsung is moving toward premium pricing on SF2/SF2Z anchored by HBM4 base-die and AI demand, while UMC targets 8-12% in specialty nodes, and GF and Intel Foundry are expected at 0-5%.