Leading semiconductor foundries revenue worldwide 2019-2022, by quarter

In the first quarter of 2022, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) generated about 17.53 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in the semiconductor foundry market, while Samsung made 5.33 billion U.S. dollars.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)

The leading semiconductor foundry, TSMC, is contracted by a variety of companies to manufacture chips. Founded in 1987, TSMC decided not to manufacture any products under its name so that the company never engages in direct competition with its customers. Under this strategy, TSMC became the world’s largest semiconductor foundry and a key supplier for large tech companies. However, the company also faced challenges during the pandemic as it looked to keep up with growing demand.

Global chip shortage 2021

The coronavirus pandemic had an impact on the semiconductor industry, with initial disruption observed in Taiwan and China - dominant chip-producing regions - where factories were forced to shut down when the pandemic first hit. However, although production recovered and semiconductor revenue grew in 2020, surges in demand due to changing consumer habits, together with challenges in chip capacity allocation, resulted in a global chip shortage in 2021.