Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments and Revenue Set New Records in 2022

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Setting new all-time highs, worldwide silicon wafer shipments in 2022 increased 3.9% to 14,713 million square inches (MSI) while wafer revenue rose 9.5% to $13.8 billion over the same period, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

Last year’s 14,713 MSI total compared to 14,165 MSI shipped in 2021 as silicon wafers supported strong demand for semiconductor devices. Consumption of both 8-inch and 12-inch wafers increased, driven in part by the automotive, industrial, and IoT segments along with the 5G buildout. Wafer revenue reached $13,831 million, surpassing the record previously set in 2021.

“The silicon wafer industry continued to advance despite mounting global macroeconomic concerns,” said Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Chief Commercial Officer at Okmetic. “Silicon shipments have grown in nine out of the last 10 years, a testament to silicon’s central role in the vital semiconductor industry.”

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.