The silicon foundry business is poised for growth in 2019, although the industry faces several challenges across a number of market segments next year.
Generally, foundry vendors saw steady growth in 2018, but many are ending the year on a sour note. Weak demand for Apple’s new iPhone XR and a downturn in the cryptocurrency market have impacted several IC suppliers and foundries, causing them to reduce their year-end revenue forecasts.
In addition, supply exceeded demand at 28nm, the largest foundry segment in dollar value, in 2018. And on the geopolitical front, trade tensions between the United States and China are causing uncertainty, if not angst, in the market.
Read more: Foundries See Growth, New Issues In 2019