Samsung ahead of TSMC as world's leading wafer manufacturer

[midian182]

In brief: TSMC counts many tech giants among its customers, but it didn’t make the most chips in December. That honor went to Samsung, whose monthly manufacturing capacity of 3.1 million wafers exceeded TSMC’s 2.7 million wafers. It means Samsung accounted for almost 15 percent of the world’s total wafer supply.

As reported by IC Insights (via DigiTimes) the top five wafer manufacturers saw their global capacity share increase to 54 percent during December 2020. You might think that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) would lead the way, considering its customers include AMD, Apple, Qualcomm, and Broadcom, but the pure-play foundry’s monthly manufacturing capacity was lower than Samsung’s by around 400,000 wafers.

Samsung’s lucrative memory business doubtlessly played a big part in it claiming the number one spot, while Nvidia uses a custom version of Samsung’s 8nm process for its consumer Ampere line, sticking with TSMC and its 7nm FinFET process for the A100 accelerator.

Wafer capacity leaders

Company	Monthly wafer manufacturing capacity	Total global capacity share
Samsung	3.1 million	14.7%
TSMC	2.7 million	13.1%
Micron Technology	1.9 million+	9.3%
SK Hynix	~1.85 million	9%
Kioxia	1.6 million	7.7%
Intel	884,000	~4.1%

Following TSMC with the third-largest amount of capacity is Micron Technology, which has capacity for over 1.9 million wafers per month. SK Hynix is fourth (around 1.85 million), then memory IC supplier Kioxia in fifth (1.6 million). Intel, which has its own manufacturing fabs, is in sixth place with 884K wafers per month.

The issues caused by chip shortages are well document, impacting industries including pc hardware, automotive, and game consoles—even the Biden administration is getting involved. Somewhat surprisingly, the top five wafer producers increased their production output 40 percent year-on-year in December, illustrating how most of the shortage problems are the result of unprecedented consumer demand stemming from the pandemic.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88657-samsung-ahead-tsmc-world-leading-wafer-manufacturer.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

We need more.

more.

SSD, CPU, GPU...flood the markets...

 

[Bullwinkle M]

We need more.

Once you stop manufacturing chips designed for the sole purpose of maintaining monopolistic control of global markets and products.......
POOOOF!
We now have an oversupply of chips that actually benefit the end users

But who would want that?

Anyone?

Anyone at all?

Hello?
Hello?
Is this thing on?

 

[PlantPanda]

Could a TechSpot contributor run a piece on how the rising demand in the semiconductor market is affecting the environment from a production standpoint? I see all these articles of countless products being produced and sold but I don't think I've ever seen a TechSpot article evaluating the ecological price of producing more and more of these products, especially with materials like helium and some metals that are not renewable. Idk, I just feel a bit uneasy with observing so much focus on company projections and hardware specs alongside the lack of discussion (and apparent disinterest) surrounding these practices that are not at all sustainable.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Any numbers out there for how much a we actually need at the moment to meet current and say future demand out to 5 years? It seems at a minimum 2x the current capacity would be required just for current demand. Automotive industry is exploding, some cars as many 25 or so chips in them and autonomous driving will require massive amounts of processing. Maybe AMD needs to get GoFlo on board again and help fund them as they only currently have 7% of the world's chip market. Which begs the question why they aren't on the list, that's more than Intel's share!

 

[hahahanoobs]

Well ain't that a b.....

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Any numbers out there for how much a we actually need at the moment to meet current and say future demand out to 5 years? It seems at a minimum 2x the current capacity would be required just for current demand. Automotive industry is exploding, some cars as many 25 or so chips in them and autonomous driving will require massive amounts of processing. Maybe AMD needs to get GoFlo on board again and help fund them as they only currently have 7% of the world's chip market. Which begs the question why they aren't on the list, that's more than Intel's share!

Yes, here are those numbers....

I need zero chips in my car, I do not require a smartphone, and my Windows XP computers will still work fine for the next 10 years

I also require zero smart devices in the next 5 years

Your numbers may vary!

 

[brucek]

Could a TechSpot contributor run a piece on how the rising demand in the semiconductor market is affecting the environment from a production standpoint?

It's an interesting topic but only informative when also considering what it is replacing. I have more devices with chips than I did a decade or two ago, but I also drive a ton less, shop in person a lot less, no longer fly to meetings, I get my news on screen instead of on paper newsprint, same with books, I no longer need physical CDs or DVDs, etc etc.

 

[himindedlolife]

Suits me just fine. The entire semiconductor sector has been in fire from the supply squeeze. Since May I've been all in SOXL, a semiconductor ETF with everything from TSM, AMD, nVidia, Micron, Dutch based lithography machine maker ASML, and so on. It's been nice. Especially now that money printer incarnate Apple is basing their entire line on the absolute state of the art from TSM, the industry will feel the resulting push like never before.

 

[poohbear]

Yes, here are those numbers....

I need zero chips in my car, I do not require a smartphone, and my Windows XP computers will still work fine for the next 10 years

I also require zero smart devices in the next 5 years

Your numbers may vary!

Lol what exactly are u doing on Techspot then? Reading the Bird watching articles?

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Lol what exactly are u doing on Techspot then? Reading the Bird watching articles?

I enjoy reading about much of the technology that I created for personal use but was hijacked by greedy Corporations to create a locked down, walled garden of spyware and Monopolistic shackles for people like you

The difference here is that I can use the technology I designed for my own benefit and use, while you pay for your own enslavement

My XP machine can native boot to Windows 10, Linux, Windows XP or DOS

Your brand new computer can't do that, can it?
No, I didn't think so

I can enjoy my technology in the World that "I" created, and you can enjoy your enslavement

Win/Win

 

[terzaerian]

Lol what exactly are u doing on Techspot then? Reading the Bird watching articles?

He has a more interesting, even entertaining gimmick than some other Techspot posters, that's for damn sure.

 

[Bullwinkle M]

He has a more interesting, even entertaining gimmick than some other Techspot posters, that's for damn sure.

AWESOME!
I have a fan base of 1

LoL

 

[terzaerian]

AWESOME!
I have a fan base of 1

LoL

I admit I do have a soft spot for Windows XP.

Better days

 

[poohbear]

I enjoy reading about much of the technology that I created for personal use but was hijacked by greedy Corporations to create a locked down, walled garden of spyware and Monopolistic shackles for people like you

The difference here is that I can use the technology I designed for my own benefit and use, while you pay for your own enslavement

My XP machine can native boot to Windows 10, Linux, Windows XP or DOS

Your brand new computer can't do that, can it?
No, I didn't think so

I can enjoy my technology in the World that "I" created, and you can enjoy your enslavement

Win/Win

You're glorifying Win XP by MS. But sure, no "greedy Corporations to create a locked down, walled garden of spyware and Monopolistic shackles" for you.