Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Reach Record High in Third Quarter of 2021, SEMI Reports

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 3.3% to 3,649 million square inches in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter, a new industry record, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Third-quarter 2021 silicon wafer shipments grew 16.4% from the 3,135 million square inches recorded during the same quarter last year.

“Silicon wafer shipments reached a new high in third quarter, with higher shipments in all diameters, which support the large variety of semiconductor devices needed for the modern economy,” said Neil Weaver, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Vice President of Product Development and Applications Engineering at Shin Etsu Handotai America. “Silicon wafer demand is expected to remain high, as many new fabs will ramp up in the next several years.”
Silicon Area Shipment Trends – Semiconductor Applications Only 

Data cited in this release include polished silicon wafers such as virgin test and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped to end users.

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for the majority of semiconductors, which are vital components of all electronics including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer devices. The highly engineered thin disks are produced in diameters of up to 12 inches and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices, or chips, are fabricated.

The SMG is a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG) and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi). The SMG facilitates collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.