Share of the worldwide semiconductor material market of Taiwan 2012-2020
In 2020, Taiwan's share in the global semiconductor material market amounted to 22.4 percent with a total market size figured over 12 billion U.S. dollars. Precursory materials for semiconductors are silicon, germanium, and gallium. These materials are relatively cheap and easy to come by, which makes computer chips very affordable. For instance, the United States Geological Survey classifies silicon as an abundant material because, together with oxygen, aluminum, and iron makes up around 90 percent of the earth's crust.