Silicon Becomes New Gold: Semiconductor Wafer Market Surges 11.5% in One Quarter

Silicon Becomes New Gold: Semiconductor Wafer Market Surges 11.5% in One Quarter

Combined revenue of the ten largest semiconductor wafer producers hit a record $534.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026, marking an 11.5% increase over the previous period. According to TrendForce, this growth was driven by a shortage of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips, demand for accompanying components such as power discrete ICs and PMICs, and early procurement of parts for laptops, PCs, and televisions. TSMC maintained its m…

SMIC narrows gap with Samsung as global foundry revenue hits record...

SMIC posted the strongest growth among the top three foundries in Q2 2026, with revenue surging 20% QoQ to more than USD 3 billion and market share edging up to 5.4% – closing in on Samsung Foundry's 5.9%. Combined revenue for the world's top ten foundries rose 11.5% to nearly USD 53.49 billion, a new record, according to TrendForce.

China's SMIC's revenue has grown significantly, approaching Samsung and TSMC in the chip production market

SMIC was one of the fastest growing contract factories in the second quarter. The Chinese manufacturer’s revenue grew by 20% and it consolidated its third position in the world, clearly breaking away from the influence of GlobalFoundries. According to TrendForce data, SMIC’s growth is mainly due to purchases from consumer electronics manufacturers, while the growth […]