The map below illustrates the relationship between the epicenter of the earthquake and most of the semiconductor wafer fabrication plants in Japan.

FORBES: Japan - Big Earthquake In Semiconductor Country

It costs a few billion dollars to build a modern semiconductor wafer processing plant, and chip development costs can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

FORBES: Why do Semiconductors Constantly Shrink?

Semiconductor suppliers and silicon wafer makers had been among the worst hit.

FORBES: Japan Industrial Production Skyrockets As Global Supply Chain Comes Back On-Line

Nvidia is a big customer at wafer fabs run by Taiwan Semiconductor and United Microelectronics.

FORBES: Shoot To Kill

So-called fabless semiconductor companies such as Altera and Xilinx arose in the 1980s to design specialized chips while leaving the wafer line-work to such all-purpose foundries as Morris Chang's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (see story, p. 50).

FORBES: Ghost cars, ghost brands