Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to seize an 84 percent share of the global 28-nanometer chip market this year, far ahead of its peers in the wafer foundry industry, market researcher IC Insights said in a statement yesterday.
That matches TSMC spokesperson Lora Ho’s (何麗梅) remarks that the company would see its 28nm market share reach about 80 percent this year after rivals — including GlobalFoundries Inc and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) — began supplying chips using the advanced 28nm process technology.
In the report, IC Insights forecast TSMC would generate US$10.3 billion worth of sales from 28nm chips and advanced 20nm chips this year.
In July, TSMC said 28nm technology accounted for 37 percent of its total revenue for last quarter, the biggest revenue source for the world’s top contract chipmaker.
The company forecast 20nm chips would make up 10 percent of its overall revenue this quarter and rise to 20 percent next quarter.
High revenue contribution from advanced technologies would help TSMC to become the only firm among the world’s top four contract chipmakers to see an increase in revenue per wafer this year to US$1,328, according to IC Insights. The researcher did not provide comparative figures.
The average selling price of 28nm chips can be as high as US$5,850 per wafer, which is 14 times higher than the price of a wafer using the less advanced 0.5-micron process technology, IC Insights said.
The researcher also forecast that revenue generated from leading technologies, including 28nm, would grow 72 percent annually to US$12.3 billion this year from US$7.2 billion.
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