AMD breaks into global semiconductor top 10

AMD jumped eight spots to become the seventh largest semiconductor manufacturer

AMD will ride a 90 per cent revenue explosion that will propel it into the top 10 ranking of global semiconductor suppliers, according to research firm iSuppli. 

ISuppli said that AMD's merger with ATI, combined with a 37.5 per cent growth in its microprocessor sales, propelled the chipmaker into the top 10 for the first time.

AMD jumped eight spots from last year to become the seventh largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world.

The research firm estimates that AMD's semiconductor revenue will jump from $3.9bn in 2005 to more than $7.4bn this year.

"There is a certain poetic justice to the ATI acquisition boosting AMD into iSuppli's top 10 in 2006," said iSuppli.

"AMD just missed making the top 10 in 2005 due to the sale of its Spansion Flash memory division."

Joining AMD in the top 10 was Korea's Hynix, a Flash memory manufacturer. Hynix recorded a $1.8bn revenue increase and moved from number 11 to number eight on rising sales of its DRam and Nand chips. 

Intel maintained the top spot on the list, despite an 11.6 per cent drop in revenue. According to the report, Intel recorded in excess of $12bn more than second place Samsung. 

Intel now accounts for 12.1 per cent of all semiconductor revenues, the company's lowest market share since iSuppli began its reports in 2000.

The report credits Intel's drop in revenue to slowing microprocessor and NOR Flash memory sales.

ISuppli also cites Intel's unloading of XScale as a cause for the revenue dro p, but the firm suggests that the impact from the transaction was relatively minor.

Dropping from the top 10 were Infineon Technologies (from six to 14) and NEC Electronics (from eight to 11.) 

ISuppli said that Infineon's drop was due to the spin-off of its Qimonda memory manufacturing business, which was ranked number 12 in its own right.