SEMI Reports Global Silicon Wafer Shipments to Rebound 5.4% in 2025, with New Record Expected by 2028

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Global shipments of silicon wafers are projected to increase 5.4% in 2025 to 12,824 million square inches (MSI) followed by steady growth through 2028 when the market is expected to reach a new industry record of 15,485 MSI, SEMI reported in its annual silicon shipment forecast.

In 2025, the increase in silicon wafer shipments has been supported by strong AI-related growth, including advanced epitaxial wafers for leading edge logic devices and polished wafers for high bandwidth memory (HBM). Wafer shipments for non-AI applications, however, are just beginning to demonstrate a gradual recovery from the recent downcycle. The steady growth is expected to continue through 2028, driven by AI's expanding compute footprint in data centers and at the edge.

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, produced in diameters of up to 300 mm, serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices, or chips, are fabricated.

All data cited in this release include polished silicon wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers shipped by wafer manufacturers to end users. The data does not include non-polished or reclaimed wafers.

The annual silicon shipment forecast is developed based on input from the members of the Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG). The SMG is a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG). This forecast reflects industry input gathered by SEMI and does not represent an official forecast of the SMG or any individual member company.