Nexperia's Chip Export Restrictions Eased, Automakers Scramble for Supplies
On November 8th local time, Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, stated in a post on social media that China will exempt the strict licensing requirements previously imposed due to the forced takeover of Chinese-funded enterprise Nexperia Semiconductor, and agree to resume the supply of key chips to the European automotive industry—on the condition that buyers commit to using these semiconductor products only for civilian purposes.
According to people familiar with the matter, although the dispute between the two parties remains to be resolved, China’s "easing of restrictions" has already triggered a frenzy of procurement among enterprises.
Currently, German auto parts suppliers are flocking to submit applications. Among them, Aumovio has obtained the exemption, and its customers include Volkswagen, Stellantis, and BMW. Honda Motor stated that it has received information about shipment arrangements from China and is promoting the resumption of production at its factories in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH has also restarted chip procurement. ZF Group, for its part, said it is communicating with relevant authorities through its Chinese subsidiary, but is still preparing for potential production disruptions, noting that "the situation remains very tense."
SoftBank Considers Acquiring Marvell and Merging It with ArmMarvell
Earlier this year, SoftBank Group explored the possibility of acquiring Marvell Technology, a U.S.-based AI chipmaker, and merging it with Arm—another company under SoftBank's ownership. Reports indicate that Marvell and SoftBank are not currently engaged in active negotiations regarding the deal, though interest from both sides could reignite. Based on corporate valuations, if the transaction were to materialize, it would become the largest merger and acquisition (M&A) deal in the history of the semiconductor industry.
Marvell ranks among the most prominent AI ASIC design firms globally, second only to Broadcom. It provides support for the custom chip development efforts of multiple tech giants. Beyond this, Marvell boasts an extensive product portfolio covering interconnect, storage, and computing solutions. SoftBank recently announced its plan to acquire Ampere Computing, a company specializing in server processors based on Arm instruction sets.
However, the proposed acquisition of Marvell is set to face far more rigorous antitrust scrutiny worldwide. Notably, previous high-profile semiconductor deals—such as Qualcomm's attempted acquisition of NXP and Nvidia's bid to take over Arm—collapsed due to opposition from regulatory authorities.
U.S. Government Intervenes, Banning Nvidia from Selling Its Latest AI Chips to China
According to people familiar with the matter, the White House has notified federal agencies of a ban on Nvidia selling its latest AI chip, the B30A, to China. This chip can be clustered for training large language models (LLMs). Nvidia had already provided samples of the chip to some Chinese customers and is now modifying the chip’s design in an attempt to secure a re-review by U.S. authorities.
Nvidia stated that it holds a zero-percent market share in China’s data center market and has not included this segment in its performance forecasts. Its CEO, Jensen Huang, warned that China will outperform the U.S. in the AI race, leveraging advantages such as lower energy costs and more relaxed regulations.
Bluetooth SIG Releases Bluetooth 6.2 Specification
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) has officially launched the Bluetooth Core Specification Version 6.2, which introduces a range of key enhanced features covering device responsiveness, communication security, and testing efficiency. The main technical improvements are as follows:
The new specification significantly shortens the minimum connection interval of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) from 7.5 milliseconds (ms) to 375 microseconds (µs), greatly improving connection speed and responsiveness. This makes it more suitable for high-performance Human Interface Device (HID) equipment, real-time Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), and latency-sensitive sensor applications.
By improving the resistance against attacks based on channel-ranging amplitude, Bluetooth 6.2 strengthens protection against complex radio frequency (RF) attacks (such as relay attacks and spoofing attacks) and further enhances the secure ranging system. It is particularly applicable to scenarios with high security requirements, including automotive, smart home, and industrial control.
Novosense Launches New-Generation Automotive-Grade PWM Controller
Novosense has newly rolled out the NSR2260x-Q1 series of automotive-grade PWM controllers, which support a wide input voltage range of 4.5V to 50V and adopt a peak current mode control architecture. Compatible with various topologies such as SEPIC, Flyback, and Boost, the controllers strike a balance between a wide input voltage range and excellent EMI performance, providing an efficient and reliable auxiliary power control solution for automotive power systems.
Xinchips E3620P Enters Sample Shipment PhaseE3620P
Xinchips Technology announced that its high-end automotive-grade MCU (Microcontroller Unit) E3620P—specifically designed for new energy powertrains—has successfully completed tape-out and passed post-tape-out verification. The product has already secured advance design-in approvals from several leading domestic new energy vehicle OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Tier 1 suppliers, and has smoothly entered the phase of shipping samples to customers.
Gallium Oxide Company Secures Funding
Gallium Future (provisional translation; note: official English name pending confirmation) announced the completion of a multi-ten-million-yuan angel round of financing. Founded in July 2025, the company focuses on the R&D and industrialization of gallium oxide epitaxial wafers—a fourth-generation ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material—and currently has the capability for small-batch production of heterogeneous epitaxial wafers.
As a fourth-generation semiconductor material, gallium oxide boasts an ultra-wide bandgap of 4.9 eV, far exceeding the 3.3 eV of silicon carbide (SiC) and 3.4 eV of gallium nitride (GaN). Its critical breakdown electric field reaches 8 MV/cm, more than three times that of SiC; its Baliga’s Figure of Merit (BFOM) stands at 3,444, which is four times that of GaN and ten times that of SiC. This means gallium oxide exhibits extremely low on-resistance loss in power device applications—its power loss is only 1/7 that of SiC and 1/49 that of silicon—making it of great significance for enhancing applications in fields such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaic inverters. Additionally, gallium oxide’s response characteristics in the solar-blind ultraviolet band fill a market gap and are expected to expand application scenarios for ultra-high voltages above 3,000 V.
Physical AI Company Secures Financing
Jijia Shijie (provisional translation; note: official English name pending confirmation), a physical AI company, has secured financing. The company focuses on world model-driven general intelligence for the physical world, with its product portfolio covering full-stack physical AI hardware and software, including the GigaWorld world model platform (for driving and embodied intelligence), the GigaBrain embodied foundation model, and the Maker universal embodied agent.
