• Opinion
The semiconductor market is becoming dangerously dependent upon foundries. IDMs can help rebalance the supply chain.
By Bolaji Ojo
What’s at stake:
The growing reliance of semiconductor vendors on foundries is problematic as the limited number of contractors will eventually not be able to satisfy the market’s IC needs. IDMs can help plug the gap but doing so successfully would require a complete overhaul of the current capital equipment funding system.
Foundries are the new alpha males of the semiconductor manufacturing world. The recent spate of supply deals between foundries and OEMs – at least one of which bypasses semiconductor suppliers – attest to the complete dominance of chip production by foundries and the quandary the industry is sliding into.