Silicon (Si) semiconductor with widespread use is close to reaching the physical limits of Moore's Law and is thus being replaced by wide bandgap semiconductors of third-generation semiconductors in a growing number of applications.

Digitimes Research believes 2021 were a fruitful year for the global foundry industry thanks to strong order momentum and is optimistic about its outlook going into 2022.

Third-quarter 2021 smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China-based vendors amounted to 258 million units.

Unisoc has become an alternative source of smartphone AP supply for Chinese smartphone brands.

Thanks to ongoing strong chip demand, the top-3 Taiwan-based foundries - TSMC, UMC and VIS - performed outstandingly in second-quarter 2021 and will see revenue climb further in the third quarter.

Second-quarter 2021 smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China-based vendors amounted to 218 million units, up 3% quarter-over-quarter.

TSMC is currently in the lead in terms of process technology but Samsung Electronics has been gearing up on its related R&D, eyeing to catch up.

As the supply chain aggressively ramped up chip inventory in second-half 2020, IC assembly and test capacity utilization showed a major increase.

While there may be different views on the validity of Moore's Law, TSMC is confident that it can uphold Moore's Law as it makes smooth progress in advanced process technologies.

China's top-3 wafer foundries enjoyed an over 20% on-year growth in their combined revenues in 2020 and the amount is expected to increase further in 2021.

First-quarter 2021 smartphone AP shipments to China-based vendors amounted to 212 million units, maintaining a similar level to the prior quarter and soaring 56.9% from a year ago.

Taiwan's top-3 wafer foundries saw their combined revenues rise 2.2% from a quarter ago to reach a new high in the first quarter of 2021.