Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased 4% to 3,337 million square inches in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, topping the previous historical high set in the third quarter of 2018, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
First-quarter 2021 silicon wafer shipments saw 14% growth from the 2,920 million square inches logged during the same quarter last year.
“Logic and foundry continue to drive strong demand for silicon wafers,” said Neil Weaver, chairman SEMI SMG and Vice President, Product Development and Applications Engineering at Shin Etsu Handotai America. “The memory market recovery further bolstered shipment growth in the first quarter of 2021.”
Silicon Area Shipment Trends – Semiconductor Applications Only
| Millions of Square Inches | ||||||
| 4Q 2019 | 1Q 2020 | 2Q 2020 | 3Q 2020 | 4Q 2020 | 1Q 2021 | |
| Total | 2,844 | 2,920 | 3,152 | 3,135 | 3,200 | 3,337 |
Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), May 2021
Data cited in this release includes 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, in turn, are vital components of all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. 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 purpose of the SMG is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics on the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.