But as chips became smaller and harder to manufacture, the cost of outfitting a silicon fab rose from $2-3 billion to $10-$12 billion over the past decade. As a result, many companies went "fabless" -- designing their own chips but outsourcing the manufacturing process to foundries. Today, only four companies -- Intel, Samsung, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries -- can still afford to manufacture the newest 14 and 16-nm chips. The rapid consolidation of this market means that the fabless players now have fewer partnering options for foundries. In the past, Intel refused to manufacture chips for competitors. However, Brian Krzanich, who took over as CEO in 2013, broke with tradition and started allowing rivals to use its foundries. Last year, Intel signedmajor foundry deals with Cisco and Panasonic. An Intel microprocessor plant in Costa Rica. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Mariordo.