Capacity cuts and surging demand for AI power ICs set stage for mature-node foundry price increases

The global mature-node supply–demand landscape is undergoing a structural shift, according to TrendForce’s latest foundry industry research. Not only have 8-inch capacity utilization and pricing stabilized and begun to rebound, but 12-inch mature-node processes are also poised to benefit from TSMC’s planned capacity cuts. This could potentially trigger order reallocation. Furthermore, Taiwanese foundries are shifting 90 nm-and-above high-voltage capacity toward power-related applications, indirectly benefiting Chinese suppliers and gradually fueling upward pricing momentum. Leading foundries such as TSMC and Samsung Foundry have been reducing 8-inch capacity since the second half of 2025. However, sustained demand growth for AI servers, general-purpose servers, and edge AI applications, particularly in power management and power devices, has driven the average 8-inch utilization rate among the top 10 global foundries to nearly 90% in 2026—up significantly from around 80% in 2025. Found