Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the competitive landscape of the global semiconductor industry, highlighting the R&D investments of leading companies and their implications for market positioning and technological advancements [2][4][5]. R&D Investment Rankings - Intel leads the global semiconductor companies in R&D spending for 2024 with an investment of $16.546 billion, marking a 3.1% increase from the previous year [4]. - NVIDIA follows in second place with $12.502 billion in R&D expenditure, experiencing a significant growth of 47% [4]. - Samsung Electronics has increased its R&D investment from $5.5 billion to $9.5 billion, achieving the highest year-on-year growth rate of 71.3% [4][5]. - The top 10 companies account for a total R&D expenditure of $80.607 billion, with an average R&D-to-sales ratio of 15.4% [4]. Regional Distribution - Among the top 10 companies, 6 are based in the United States, 2 in Taiwan, and 2 in South Korea, indicating a strong presence of American firms in the semiconductor sector [3]. - The rankings from 11 to 20 include 5 companies from the U.S., 3 from Europe, and 2 from Japan, further emphasizing the dominance of U.S. firms in R&D investments [3]. R&D Spending as a Percentage of Sales - Intel has the highest R&D-to-sales ratio at 33.6%, followed by Broadcom at 30.3%, Qualcomm at 25.9%, and AMD at 25.0% [5]. - Samsung and SK Hynix have lower ratios of 11.7% and 6.99%, respectively, despite increases in their R&D spending [5]. Competitive Landscape - Samsung is competing in advanced process nodes with companies like TSMC, Intel, and Rapidus, while also facing challenges in the DRAM and NAND flash markets [5]. - The semiconductor industry is characterized by intense competition, particularly in cutting-edge technology and manufacturing capabilities [5].

Core Insights - In 2024, Intel remains the largest R&D spender among the top 20 global semiconductor companies, with an investment of $16.55 billion, but its year-on-year growth is only 3.1% [1] - Samsung Electronics shows the highest increase in R&D spending, reaching $9.5 billion, a 71.3% increase from $5.5 billion in 2023, moving from seventh to third place [1] - Nvidia ranks second with $12.5 billion in R&D spending, a 47% increase year-on-year [1] - The total R&D expenditure of the top 20 semiconductor companies is $98.68 billion, reflecting a 17% year-on-year growth [2] Group 1: R&D Spending Overview - The top 20 semiconductor companies account for 96% of the industry's total R&D spending [2] - 15 companies increased their R&D investments, while 5 reduced theirs [2] - The average R&D spending as a percentage of revenue for the top 20 companies is 15.8% [2] Group 2: Company-Specific Insights - Intel is the only company in the U.S. that designs and manufactures chips domestically, focusing on improving the yield of its 18A process technology [1] - Despite its significant R&D investment, Intel reported a loss of $18.8 billion last year [1] - Nvidia is expected to surpass Intel in R&D spending next year, as Intel's new CEO has begun to cut expenses [2] Group 3: Technology and Performance Metrics - Intel's 18A process technology has a logic transistor density of 184.21 MTr/mm², the lowest among its peers [4] - TSMC's 2nm technology has a higher density of 313 MTr/mm², while Samsung's 2nm is at 231 MTr/mm² [4] - SK Hynix's R&D spending is $3.33 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 32.7%, but its R&D spending as a percentage of revenue has decreased due to nearly doubling its revenue [2]