Worldwide silicon wafer shipments reached a new record of 3,741 million square inches (MSI) in the third quarter of 2022, increasing 1.0% quarter-over-quarter and growing 2.5% from the 3,649 MSI recorded during the same quarter last year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
“While the semiconductor industry has faced macroeconomic headwinds, the silicon industry continues to show quarter-over-quarter shipment increases,” said Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Chief Commercial Officer at Okmetic. “As the role of silicon wafers is fundamental in the broader cyclical industry, we remain confident in long-term growth.”
Silicon Area Shipment Trends – Semiconductor Applications Only
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Millions of Square Inches
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2Q 2021
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3Q 2021
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4Q 2021
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1Q 2022
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2Q 2022
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3Q 2022
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Total
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3,534
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3,649
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3,645
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3,679
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3,704
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3,741
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Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), October 2022
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 electronic devices. The highly engineered thin disks are produced in diameters of up to 12 inches and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductors 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.
