Major upsets in semiconductor top 20 ranking, IC Insights reports

IC Insights reports that reactions to the economic downturn has caused a big changes in the ranking of top 20 semiconductor suppliers in Q1, and this volatile trend is expected to continue into Q2.

By Gail Flower, Contributing Editor -- Electronic News, 5/15/2009

Blaming the economic recession, IC Insights has reported a major shakeup in the Q1 top 20 semiconductor ranking as compared to the research company's 2008 ranking. (See ranking below)

The volatility will continue into Q2, even with many suppliers expecting to register strong double-digit figures in sales growth during this period, IC Insights stated in the May update to The McClean Report issued Thursday evening.

Only three of the 20 positions remained the same with Intel in the catbird seat in the No. 1 top spot, Samsung at No. 2, and Fujitsu retaining the No. 17 rank.

Toshiba jumped to the No. 3 position, unseating Texas Instruments, which dropped down a slot to No. 4.

Qualcomm, the largest fabless IC supplier and with a focus on leading-edge smart cell phones, moved up a spot from No. 8 in Q4 to No. 6 in Q1 of 2009.

AMD moved up three spots from 12th in 2008 to ninth in Q1 2009, IC Insights said.

Fabless IC supplier, MediaTech, jumped five positions from 25th in 2008 to the 20th in Q1. MediaTech was the only top semiconductor supplier to register a sequential sales increase from Q4 to Q1 at a 16% growth rate. Digital TV IC sales and strength in wireless communications contributed to its growth, IC Insights noted.

In the descending category, TSMC, the world’s largest foundry, sunk six positions as compared to its 2008 rank, finding its legs in the 10th spot. Fabless companies represent the bulk of TSMC sales, and with IC inventory builds and burns occurring so quickly in that sector, TSMC suffered accordingly, the market research company said.

IC Insights said TSMC sales may rebound as much as $2.2 billion in Q2, a sequential increase of 89%. If this growth happens in Q2, TSMC could become the third largest semiconductor supplier, IC Insights said in the report.