Short Economist article:
The Semiconductor Industry Under New Management
This excellent short article appeared in the Economist in April 2009, takes a wide ranging tour of the global situation affecting the industry, the (then) downturn, and structural factors affecting the industry. It embraces the commercial challenges (restructuring, closures, mergers, etc), business models (fabless), technical challenges (the challenges to make 32 nanometre and below), and regional landscape (“Europe is still too focussed on manufacturing”).