Semiconductor industry 101

Part of the fun (and challenge) of being a consultant is coming up to speed on an industry vertical for an engagement. I recently had to do this for the semiconductor industry.

While there are tons of books out there that talk about the detail of the manufacturing process or the physics of the devices, there were fewer sources that talked about the industry (i.e. size, value chain, competitors, trends).

I found a few sources that I thought may help others:

• The Essential Guide to Semiconductors – Turley. This book is a great overview of the underlying technology (at a high level) and the industry players, value chain and history.
• Current (circa 2009) trends in the industry (Economist). Great article (as one would expect from the Economist).
• Industry snapshot from Investopedia

I’m sure there are tons of other good sources. If you have any please add a comment and I’ll update the entry.