The live ledger of AI-chip economics
A provenance-backed data platform for semiconductor & AI-accelerator economics — wafer pricing, HBM, packaging, fabs, and foundry allocation. Every number dated and sourced, every dataset queryable by humans and AI agents alike.
TSMC wafer price by node
Public sourcesAnalysis & Modeling Tools
From wafer-level cost modeling to global supply chain mapping — everything in one platform.
Chip Price Calculator
Wafer cost, yield modeling, packaging economics, and margin analysis across process nodes from 180nm to 2nm.
HBM Market Analysis
HBM market dynamics — accelerator specs, vendor market share, spot pricing, supply chain signals, and revenue forecasts.
Fab Explorer
Explore 64 semiconductor fabs from TSMC, Samsung, Intel, GlobalFoundries, SMIC, UMC, and more. Filter by node, country, and capacity.
Market Data
Historical time series for wafer pricing, HBM/DRAM costs, fab utilization, CoWoS capacity, and NRE trends — 328 sourced data points across 16 datasets.
Cost Bridge Chart
Side-by-side manufacturing cost comparison across logic die, HBM memory, packaging, and assembly for 18 AI accelerators.
Packaging Model
Compare CoWoS-S, CoWoS-L, EMIB, SoIC, and flip-chip architectures with HBM stack cost analysis.
Supply Chain Explorer
Interactive sunburst visualization of semiconductor supply chain chokepoints — from ASML to Zeiss optics to Japanese photoresist monopolies.
Price / Performance Frontier
Compare AI accelerators on cost, throughput, training time, and TCO — H100, B200, MI300X, TPU v5p, and more.
Allocation Dashboard
Track foundry allocation status, CoWoS packaging availability, and HBM supply signals across 14 process nodes from TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and more.
Tapeout Decision Workspace
Guided 5-step workflow for fabless teams evaluating tapeout decisions — chip definition, foundry selection, cost modeling, competitive benchmarking, and go/no-go summary.
Developer API
Structured semiconductor data for AI agents and applications — wafer pricing, HBM, foundry economics, the daily change ledger, and 30+ articles. Free, no key required.
The AI-chip supply chain, one email a week
One short email a week on the AI-chip supply chain — pricing & lead-time signals, HBM and foundry-capacity moves, and that week's new analysis. Sourced, dated, human-reviewed. No marketing, ever.
One short email a week — only when the data moves. No marketing, ever. One-click unsubscribe.
Latest Analysis & Market Intelligence
Deep-dive reports and daily AI-detected supply-chain signals — each sourced and dated. Public sources only.
TrendForce Lifts 2027 HBM ASP Forecast to +121%; HBM4 Stack Seen Doubling to ~$1,300
TrendForce, in a Sept. 29 report, raised its 2027 HBM blended average selling price forecast to a 121% year-on-year increase, citing persistent supply shortage, a rising mix of HBM4 and expanded HBM4E output in 2H27. Industry estimates cited by Seoul Economic Daily put a 12-high 36GB HBM4 stack at roughly $1,300 next year versus about $600 this year, while Micron stated on its FQ4 call that it has already committed more than 75% of FY2027 shipment volume at prices well above 2026 levels.
HBM blended ASP: +121% YoY in 2027; 12-Hi 36GB HBM4 stack: ~$600 → ~$1,300 (+~117%); HBM share of industry DRAM wafer capacity: ~20% → ~30% by 2027
Samsung HBM4 Yield Climbs to ~80%, Wafer Starts Up 40% as HBM4 Pricing Projected +65%
Samsung's HBM4 mass-production yield has risen from below 60% at ramp start to roughly 80%, enabling a plan to roughly double HBM4/HBM4E output next year and lift HBM wafer input about 40% from 180,000 to 250,000 wafers per month, with the HBM4-family share of that input rising from 40% to 80%. Despite the ramp from Samsung, SK hynix (M15X wafer input scaling from ~10k to 80k/month) and Micron, the market still models 2027 HBM demand growth of 56% against supply growth of 50%, with HBM4 contract prices projected roughly 65% above this year's levels.
Yield: <60% → ~80% (+20pp); Capacity: Samsung HBM wafer starts +40% (180k→250k wpm), HBM4-family mix 40%→80%; Price: HBM4 ASP +65% YoY; Share shift: Samsung 21%→33%, SK hynix 58%→50% (Counterpoint, Q1→Q2)
HBM3E Contract Prices Surge ~20% for 2026; Server DRAM Spikes 90-95% QoQ as Supply Crunch Intensifies
Samsung and SK Hynix raised HBM3E 2026 contract prices by approximately 20% versus prior-year agreements, according to TrendForce, while broader server DRAM contract prices surged 90–95% QoQ in Q1 2026 and 58–63% QoQ in Q2 2026 before moderating to 13–18% in Q3. HBM4 mass production began ramping in H1 2026 across all three major suppliers, but HBM4 pricing is tracking upward alongside HBM3E, offering no near-term relief for AI accelerator BOM costs.
HBM3E 2026 contract price: ~+20% full-year vs. prior contracts (Samsung, SK Hynix per TrendForce); Server DRAM contract price QoQ: +90–95% Q1 2026, +58–63% Q2 2026, +13–18% Q3 2026 (TrendForce); DDR4 commodity spot: +249% Nov 2025 to Aug 2026 ($12.18 → $42.50). Est. BOM impact on H200/B200-class GPU: HBM cost line up ~+20% YoY on contracted volumes.
The Quiet Shortage: How NOR Flash and SLC NAND Undersupply Are Pressuring Embedded Storage Channels
NOR Flash supply and SLC NAND undersupply are creating sustained channel pressure across automotive, industrial, and IoT markets. This analysis examines the structural causes, pricing dynamics, and procurement strategies that embedded storage buyers need to understand now.
NOR Flash and SLC NAND occupy a structural blind spot in the semiconductor supply chain: manufactured on mature nodes that attract little new investment, consumed in small but non-negotiable quantities by industries that cannot substitute alternatives, and distributed through channels with thin inventory buffers. The resulting undersupply is not cyclical noise — it reflects a years-long misalignment between capacity investment and end-market demand growth, particularly from automotive electronics.
SK Hynix GDDR Memory Components: Suppliers, Channel Structure, and Market Position
Who actually supplies SK Hynix GDDR memory components, how the supply chain is structured, and what procurement teams need to know about sourcing in 2026.
SK Hynix operates a vertically integrated memory supply chain, but its GDDR and broader DRAM production depends on a network of materials, equipment, and packaging suppliers spanning South Korea, Japan, the US, and Europe. Understanding that upstream map is increasingly critical as memory prices rise sharply and capacity remains tight through 2026. The company's strategic pivot toward HBM has compressed the bandwidth available for GDDR output, making supplier relationships and channel access more consequential for procurement teams than they have been in a decade.
Silicon Analysts Pro
Custom cost models, data exports, full historical series, and exclusive analysis for semiconductor professionals.
Pro is coming soon — get notified when it launches.
Learn More →Free to join the waitlist — no credit card required.
Semiconductor Cost Modeling Platform
Chip Cost Calculator
Model chip manufacturing costs across process nodes from 28nm to 2nm. Calculate GDPW, net die yield, wafer costs, CoWoS packaging, HBM memory pricing, and total chip cost with interactive parameter adjustments. Free alternative to paid die calculators.
Supply Chain Intelligence
Explore 64 semiconductor fabs worldwide with capacity data, track HBM market dynamics with live spot pricing and vendor market share, and visualize supply chain chokepoints from ASML lithography to Japanese photoresist monopolies.
Market Analysis
30+ deep-dive reports covering TSMC wafer pricing, NVIDIA GPU economics, HBM memory shortages, export controls, and AI chip demand trends. Data-driven analysis with interactive cost models and structured data via our free API.
Semiconductor Manufacturing FAQ
- How much does it cost to make a semiconductor chip?
- Semiconductor manufacturing costs vary by process node: mature 28nm costs ~$3,000 per wafer, advanced 5nm costs ~$18,500, and cutting-edge 3nm costs ~$19,500. Per-chip cost depends on die size and yield — for example, an NVIDIA H100 (814mm² at TSMC 4N) costs approximately $3,320 to manufacture, while the B200 costs approximately $6,400.
- How many chips can you get from one wafer?
- The number of chips per wafer (Gross Dies Per Wafer or GDPW) depends on die size and wafer diameter. On a standard 300mm wafer: a small chip (50mm²) yields ~1,250 gross dies, a medium chip (200mm²) yields ~300, and a large chip like NVIDIA's H100 (814mm²) yields approximately 74 gross dies before yield loss.
- What is the most expensive chip to manufacture?
- As of 2026, the most expensive chips to manufacture are large AI accelerators. NVIDIA's B200 (Blackwell) at TSMC 4NP has an estimated manufacturing cost of ~$6,750, with HBM memory ($3,250) being the largest cost component. AMD's MI300X, using N5/N6 chiplets with advanced packaging, costs approximately $5,300 to manufacture.
- How many semiconductor fabs are there in the world?
- Silicon Analysts tracks 64 semiconductor fabrication facilities across 10 countries, operated by 16 companies including TSMC, Samsung, Intel, GlobalFoundries, UMC, and SMIC. New fabs are currently under construction or announced globally, including TSMC Arizona, JASM Kumamoto, and Intel Ohio.
Start analyzing semiconductor costs today
No sign-up required. Open tools, open data, open API.