The semiconductor industry is the aggregate of companies engaged in the design and fabrication of semiconductors and semiconductor devices, such as transistors and integrated circuits. It formed around 1960, once the fabrication of semiconductor devices became a viable business.
The industry’s annual semiconductor sales revenue has since grown to over $481 billion, as of 2018. The semiconductor industry is in turn the driving force behind the wider electronics industry, with annual power electronics sales of £135 billion ($216 billion) as of 2011, annual consumer electronics sales expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2020, tech industry sales expected to reach $5 trillion in 2019, and e-commerce with over $29 trillion in 2017.
In 2019, 32.4% of the semiconductor market segment was for networks and communications devices.
- Samsung Electronics – Samsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate that is one of the world’s largest technology companies. It is a leading manufacturer of semiconductor chips, including memory chips and processors, and is known for its innovative technology products.
- Intel Corporation – Intel is an American multinational corporation and one of the world’s largest and highest-valued semiconductor chip makers. It is known for producing microprocessors and other computer hardware components, as well as for its research and development efforts.
- TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) – TSMC is a Taiwanese multinational corporation that is the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry. It manufactures a wide range of semiconductor products for a variety of customers, including many of the world’s largest technology companies.
- SK Hynix – SK Hynix is a South Korean company that is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of memory chips, including DRAM and NAND flash memory. It is also a leading supplier of image sensors and other semiconductor components.
- Micron Technology – Micron Technology is an American multinational corporation that is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of memory chips, including DRAM and NAND flash memory. It is also a leading supplier of image sensors and other semiconductor components.
- Broadcom – Broadcom is an American multinational corporation that is a leading supplier of a wide range of semiconductor and infrastructure software products. It is known for its networking, storage, and communications products, as well as its wireless and broadband technologies.
- Qualcomm – Qualcomm is an American multinational corporation that is a leading developer and supplier of wireless telecommunications products and services. It is known for its mobile phone processors and other semiconductor products, as well as its patent licensing business.
- UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) – UMC is a Taiwanese semiconductor foundry that is one of the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundries. It manufactures a wide range of semiconductor products for a variety of customers, including many of the world’s largest technology companies.
- GlobalFoundries – GlobalFoundries is a semiconductor foundry that is one of the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundries. It manufactures a wide range of semiconductor products for a variety of customers, including many of the world’s largest technology companies.
- Texas Instruments – Texas Instruments is an American technology company that is a leading producer of semiconductors and other electronic components, including microprocessors, analog chips, and embedded processors. It is also known for its calculators and other consumer electronics products.
