China’s semiconductor industry consists of a wide variety of companies, from integrated device manufacturers to pure-play foundries, fabless semiconductor companies and OSAT companies. Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) design and manufacture integrated circuits. Pure-play foundries only manufacture devices for other companies, without designing them, while fabless semiconductor companies only design devices. Examples of Chinese IDMs are YMTC and CXMT, examples of Chinese pure-play foundries are SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor and Wingtech, examples of Chinese fabless companies are Zhaoxin, HiSilicon, Loongson and UNISOC, and examples of Chinese OSAT companies are JCET, Huatian Technology and Tongfu Microelectronics.
The semiconductor industry in China began between a period in 1956, along with the country’s first transistor produced in a state lab. In 1965, China created their first integrated circuit. From 1956 to 1990, the industry followed a Soviet-style system of industrial organization. China’s State Council prioritized semiconductor technology in its “Outline for Science and Technology Development, 1956–1967,” leading to the establishment of semiconductor-related degree programs in five major universities. The Huajing Group’s Wuxi Factory No. 742, operational from 1960, played a crucial role in training industry experts and supporting subsequent industrial strategies.
Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs)
- Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC)
- ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT)
- Silan Microelectronics
- Silergy
- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC)
- Hua Hong Semiconducto
- Nexchip
- United Nova Technology
- Wingtech
HiSilicon