SEMI: Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Set New Record in Q2 2022

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Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments in the second quarter of 2022 surpassed the previous record high set in the first quarter of the year, edging up 1% quarter-over-quarter to 3,704 million square inches, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly report of the silicon wafer industry. Second-quarter silicon wafer shipments saw 5% growth from the 3,534 million square inches reported during the same quarter last year.

“Silicon shipments and demand remain robust driven by a strong semiconductor market,” said Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Chief Commercial Officer at Okmetic. “Inflation, as in the case of other wafer fabrication materials, continues to place upward pricing pressures on silicon. Wafer supply, in the face of continuing semiconductor fab expansions, remains constrained.”

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.