Will pass in 2015, during the year many stories happened the global semiconductor industry, which is worth us to review:

Predict large correction

At the beginning of many market analysis firm predicted semiconductor industry growth this year from 3% to 7%, but at the end of the year in succession to flat, or a slight decline.

The industry are interested to know why? Three words: terminal is weak, the dollar is strong, and China slow.

Fabless decline

The latest forecast market research firm IC Insights, global chip suppliers list in 2015, there will be 25 years since the second fabless chipmaker IDM performance is better than no wafer plant.

According to the IC insights in December of this year's global Top 10 fabless total revenue is expected to decline 5% to $58.919 billion, most of them are affected by qualcomm fabless revenue fell 20%, it is made up of $2014 in 20 billion to $16 billion this year. To qualcomm's revenue has two parts, except fabless has one third of its revenue and strong fee income. IC Insights, points out that high revenues have plunged, ostensibly because samsung decided to use their own Exynos series processors, no longer to qualcomm order actually reflect a trend, the system manufacturers such as apple, samsung, huawei, etc. In order to enhance product differentiation, have their own r&d processor chip.

In addition, fabless was third mediatek revenue is expected to shrink 8% this year to $6.504 billion.

And predict global fabless sales will fall 5% in 2015, for $79.9 billion, compared to $84.1 billion last year.

Merger and acquisition (m&a) again

In 2015, according to research firm Dealogic, until mid-december semiconductor industry mergers and acquisitions scale has reached $120 billion, the highest on record. Transaction amount has reached more than four times last year.

Since 1972, the world's top ten semiconductor company's market share has remained within a certain level, but this year the combination between big companies and approximate crazy mergers and acquisitions, broke the law. In 2015, the world's top ten semiconductor company's market share is at its highest level than in the past 42 years increased by 3%. View say, at such a pace, to 2020 global semiconductor companies will "unification", everybody works for a company. This statement clearly exaggerated, but it is undeniable that the unusual semiconductor companies mergers and acquisitions this year, probably it is the end.

Contract more competitive

Overall in 2015 for the generation of the years of industry is a challenge, there may be a moderate growth. Based on the advanced process of OEM customer base to further mergers, and due to yield problems global foundry in nm 16/14 finfet craft could stay longer.

From the advanced process technology, most of the OEM manufacturers to enter a new stage, such as, Romania, samsung and TSMC can have from the traditional planar process, 28 nm, or 20 nm transition to 16 nm / 14 nm finFET process, while Intel has started to enter the 14 nm technology of second generation finFET production. Contract manufacturers expect at the end of 2016 to start the pilot production of 10 nm.

Although the industry has adopted finFET process, the advanced technology process of CMOS market is still very has the vigor, 28 nm is actually many application market. In 2015, 28 nm is a single node could produce $10.0 B OEM sales.

An indisputable fact that, both chipmakers, or its OEM partner, as long as you can into apple's supply chain must be prosperous, because apple orders is guaranteed. The future very likely is in advanced process first started buying in the contract, at the same time, on the other hand the contract manufacturing chamber of commerce began to merger and production capacity of 200 mm.

Global pure foundry may sales growth in 2015 is less than 10%, and for $42.1 billion last year.

Advanced process steps

Despite the global semiconductor industry the pace of growth slowed, but did not stop from the aspects of advanced process, speed up instead. Intel, samsung and TSMC, and leading the global trend is more and more prominent.

They are on the breakthrough of 16 nm / 14 nm process at the same time, Intel, samsung and TSMC also developed 10 nm finFET process respectively. At the end of 2016 and expected to start the pilot production of 10 nm.

Gartner said Wang, samsung and TSMC are actively to 10 nm, but it looks like in outlook about 10 nm in between samsung and TSMC have a different opinion. TSMC's point of view think it wouldn't be a long life 10 nm node, because compared with 16 nm / 14 nm to 10 nm 25% higher than that of only from the speed, don't take too much advantage. So think the next 7 nm TSMC is likely to be more lasting. The samsung have different views, think, compared with 14 nm to 10 nm will be more successful.

Intel, samsung and TSMC three in terms of advanced technology process, make the effort to compete in the dark. Because is based on finFET craft, buy is almost the same equipment, analyze them almost at the same level, at least it has obvious advantages.

Applied materials, in this year's Semicon Taiwan stressed that the major turning point technology of semiconductor industry, must rely on material innovation. Especially in the next-generation EUV lithography technology is not yet in place, is expected to 7 nanometer line after the meeting, at the present stage must progress through material innovation and process to achieve goals. On chip process like "pave the way to build a bridge", after to ensure that the circuit is stable and reliable enough, adjustments must be combined with material engineering, to provide customers with turning point implementation technology required for the differentiation of products and services. 3 d NAND is expected in 2018 to 1 million, increased by 85%, and the layer number increased from 36 to 48 layer, 50-70% of the market scale growth.

From the current process of semiconductor industry in advanced process may enter 5 nm.

Samsung and stmicroelectronics cooperation to carry out the research of FD - SOI (full depletion SOI) process began to cast slice of 28 nm chips, French semiconductor company with SA with SOI substrate. Besides stmicroelectronics, there will be other customers into the piece of queue.

According to reported that samsung has started in 2015 to develop multiple operation FD SOI wafer foundry production plan, and will be launched in 2016, the available physical design kit (PDK), and the IP ecosystem according to user's requirements.

Flat storage

Memory is the vane of industry. So global storage industry flat in 2015, according to the forecast of TrendForce memory 1.8% increase in total revenue in May this year.

IC Insight predicted data, global storage industry in 2015 total revenue of $83.4 billion, including DRAM accounted for 63%, to $52.54 billion, Flash is occupied 35%, to $29.2 billion, including NAND Flash memory is occupied 32%, at $26.7 billion and NOR Flash memory is occupied 3%, to $2.5 billion.

In 2015, influenced by weak demand side, continuous supply exceeds demand, DRAM prices significantly decline, especially in the standard memory is obvious. TrendForce its memory storage business in, according to DRAMeXchange survey under oligopolistic market pattern, although slightly exceeds the demand and prices continue to fall, each supplier production remained discipline, no obvious new capacity, therefore continued in 2013 and 2014, DRAM GeChang remains comprehensive profit this year.

China's semiconductor industry status rise rapidly

In recent years due to China's semiconductor industry efforts and progress, it has aroused the concern of the global industry. Such as WSTS f through data from China's semiconductor industry and start single row in the asia-pacific region. And that leads to the global semiconductor industry this year trend of weakening of the three factors, one is because of China's economic slowdown.

In addition, the world's top companies such as samsung, Intel and TSMC are being built in China, or the most advanced new process of 12 inches production line, so for China's semiconductor industry will face more intense competition environment.

Recent purple light on continuous investment in Taiwan area of the factory three sealing test action, has caused a huge response on the island.

Such as China in sensor, analog and discrete device is the first in the world, in accordance with the shipments, they consume about 50% of the world, respectively 41% and 40%.

And compared with the average selling prices of global IC ASP, China's IC ASP low 16%.

In addition, the global ICT industry gravity to move to Asia in recent years, China's growth is particularly striking. As in 2000, China's electronic components exports accounted for 2.1%, however, global has reached 19.8% by 2013, accounting for than beyond Taiwan.

For a decade, electronic components export market of global proportion had the very big change, Japan's first 2000, accounted for 14.2%, now is China's largest.

China's semiconductor industry is under great change, big fund launched last year was an important symbol. On the face of large funds seem to solve the enterprise financing difficulties, actually deeper role is to solve a China's semiconductor industry rapid transition to a market mechanism. Through access to capital to raise the competitive power of enterprise, and only in the competitiveness of the enterprise to improve profitability ascends is possible transition to a market mechanism, so the big fund is considered to be a bridge role in the development of industry, the ultimate goal is the competitive power of enterprise through ascension, and allow industry to accelerate the transition to a market mechanism.

China's slowdown has affected the entire semiconductor industry, if the next step with the strength of China's semiconductor industry status, it adopt the strategy of falling prices, that could be a greater impact for the global semiconductor industry.