Do you know all our mobiles and electronic devices run on Silicon? Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth second only to oxygen. However, have you wondered how Silicon reached from the Earth to our devices? What is the journey. Explore it here…
Earth’s crust consists of the following:
- oxygen (46.6%)
- silicon (27.7%)
- aluminum (8.1%)
- iron (5.0%)
- calcium (3.6%)
- potassium (2.8%)
- sodium (2.6%)
- magnesium (2.1%)
Silicon is usually available in the form of Silica ( Silicon Dioxide ). Elemental silicon is produced commercially by the reduction of silica (SiO2) with coke in an electric furnace, and the impure product is then refined.
This silicon is used in the making of Semiconductors and mostly popularly in Transistors which are a specific type of Semiconductors. These are an important element of the microprocessors which are responsible for all the storage and calculation of data.
In a semiconductor, Silicon is the material which is arranged in three layers to amplify of switch electric signals. The changes to electric signals is achieved through a process called doping* using elements like boron and phosphorous.
*Doping is a process of either introducing elements with higher or lower number of free electrons (referred to as impurities) to form a bond with Silicon thereby making it negative or positive respectively.
So, which countries produced the most silicon?
The top 10 producers of silicon in the world, based on 2022 production volumes:
- China – 6 million metric tons 12
- Russia – 580 thousand metric tons 2
- Norway – 370 thousand metric tons 2
- United States – 320 thousand metric tons 2
- Brazil – 210 thousand metric tons 2
- Malaysia – 200 thousand metric tons 2
- France – 170 thousand metric tons 2
- South Africa – 160 thousand metric tons 2
- Japan – 150 thousand metric tons 2
- Kazakhstan – 140 thousand metric tons 2
Silicon is used in the manufacture of Semiconductors. What the top 10 companies by revenue?
The top 10 semiconductor companies in the world based on their 12-month trailing revenue are:
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM): Revenue (TTM): $71.66 billion
- Intel Corp. (INTC): Revenue (TTM): $69.54 billion
- Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM): Revenue (TTM): $31.05 billion
- Broadcom Inc. (AVGO): Revenue (TTM): $28.85 billion
- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.: Revenue (TTM): $26.77 billion
- Micron Technology Inc. (MU): Revenue (TTM): $23.97 billion
- SK Hynix Inc.: Revenue (TTM): $22.57 billion
- Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN): Revenue (TTM): $18.79 billion
- NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI): Revenue (TTM): $11.98 billion
- Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD): Revenue (TTM): $11.77 billion
What is India’s strategy?
The semiconductor industry has become a key focus area for India, with the government aiming to establish the country as a global leader in the sector. India’s domestic semiconductor consumption is expected to cross $80 billion by 2026, and the government has emphasized the importance of the sector to India’s future. The demand for semiconductors in India is driven by various sectors, including consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, and industrial automation. India’s talent pool can propel semiconductor developments and encourage domestic chip design skills by giving a significant emphasis on skill development and innovation. The government’s push to boost domestic manufacturing through policies like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for electronics manufacturing further enhances the attractiveness of the Indian market for semiconductor companies. However, India is currently a net importer of semiconductors, with the majority of its demand being met through imports. The recent global semiconductor shortage has also impacted India, leading to the closure or lowering of production by several firms from diverse industries.
The Indian semiconductor market is poised to witness stellar growth backed by projections reaching USD 55 billion by 2026.