according to the latest report from market research firm counterpoint research, global pure-play foundry sales in the second quarter of 2025 increased by 33% year-on-year, hitting an all-time high. this significant growth is primarily driven by the explosive demand for artificial intelligence (ai) chips and the continuous subsidies from the chinese government for the semiconductor industry.
tsmc maintains its position as the global leader with a market share of 71%. its dominance is supported by the rapid expansion of its 3nm process capacity, high utilization rates of 4/5nm ai gpus, and the widespread adoption of cowos (chip-on-wafer-on-substrate) packaging technology. samsung electronics, meanwhile, has seen a significant improvement in the utilization rates of its mature process capacity due to the recovery of the smartphone and consumer electronics markets, maintaining its second-place position with an 18% share. smic ranks third with a 7% share. according to the report, the company is accelerating its efforts to advance to process nodes beyond 14nm, and its market share is expected to continue to increase.
technical trends indicate that the demand for advanced process foundries (7nm and below) remains robust. counterpoint research forecasts that wafer shipments from various manufacturers will continue to increase in the second half of 2025. notably, ai-related chips already account for more than 40% of tsmc's revenue. additionally, chinese foundries are gaining momentum in both the mid- and low-end process segments with policy support. this market environment reflects the rapid transition of the global semiconductor industry to an ai-driven model, with increasing differentiation in competition between technology leaders and companies benefiting from policy support.
