The Marketing Minute: The First Step to More Sales—Marketing
It’s Only Common Sense: Customer Service Is Sales in Disguise
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Dream First, Details Later
Worldwide Semiconductor Foundry Market Grew 4.4% in 2015
April 13, 2016 | Gartner, Inc.Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Breaking a three-year double-digit-growth streak, the worldwide semiconductor foundry market grew 4.4 percent in 2015 to achieve $48.8 billion in revenue, according to final results by Gartner, Inc.
"In 2015, semiconductor device market revenue declined due to excess IC inventory, poor demand for mobile products and PCs, and slowing tablet sales," said Samuel Wang, research vice president at Gartner. "The slowdown in the device market has driven semiconductor producers to be conservative in placing wafer orders to foundries. Foundry growth was only possible from the high wafer demand by Apple and the revenue conversion of a few integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) to foundries."
Among the top players, the leader, TSMC, grew 5.5 percent in 2015, driven by the success of 20 nm planar and 16 nm Fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) technologies serving the need of application processors and baseband modem chips (see Table 1). Globalfoundries moved into the No. 2 position with 9.6 percent of the market. The No. 3 position went to UMC with $4.5 billion revenue, representing 9.3 percent of the market.
Price competition in advanced process technologies in 2015 was exceptionally strong, not only on the 28 nm node, as more foundry suppliers have started the production volume of 28 nm polySiON technology, but also on 65 nm and 40 nm. In contrast to the highly utilized 200 mm fabs from fingerprint ID chips and power management ICs, the low 300 mm fab utilization rates at some large foundries have triggered their willingness to run more 0.18-micron wafers in the 300 mm fabs.
"On a quarterly basis, foundry revenue changed quarter to quarter in 2015. The normal seasonal pattern of a very strong second quarter was not obvious, while most foundries continued to revise their business outlook during each quarter's earnings release," said Mr. Wang. "The peak inventory level for the semiconductor industry continued to push out during 2015, from the second quarter to the third quarter, and through the rest of the year."
Share on:
Suggested Items
The Marketing Minute: The First Step to More Sales—Marketing
07/16/2025 | Brittany Martin -- Column: The Marketing MinuteIn today’s competitive B2B landscape, marketing is no longer just a support role; it’s the starting line. Before a PO is ever submitted, marketing has already laid the foundation for the sale. These days, buyers are more informed, selective, and self-guided than ever, and marketing is how they find, evaluate, and build trust in your company.
Infineon Advances on 300-millimeter GaN Manufacturing Roadmap as Leading Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)
07/10/2025 | InfineonAs the demand for gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors continues to grow, Infineon Technologies AG is poised to capitalize on this trend and solidify its position as a leading Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) in the GaN market.
Webinar Review: A Global Trade and Economy in Flux
07/09/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn a July 8 webinar, Global Electronics Association Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac provided a comprehensive analysis of the evolving international trade environment, its implications for inflation, monetary policy, and labor dynamics, and a sober assessment of market valuations. In “Navigating a Shifting Landscape” DuBravac painted a picture of a global economy in flux, where shifting trade alliances and tariff structures are redrawing the supply chain map and influencing the broader economic landscape, while also conveying an overall bullish market outlook.
I-Connect007’s Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/04/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007For our industry, we have seen several bullish market announcements over the past few weeks, including one this week by IDC on the massive growth in the global server market. We’re also closely watching global trade and nearshoring. One good example of successful nearshoring is Rehm Thermal Systems, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in Mexico and the official opening of its new building in Guadalajara.
Weather RADAR Market Set to Hit Valuation of US$ 816.19 Million by 2033
07/04/2025 | PRNewswireThe global weather RADAR market was valued at US$ 158.43 million in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 816.19 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 21.42% during the forecast period 2025–2033.