SEMI reports increase wafer shipments
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the first quarter 2010 when compared to fourth quarter 2009 area shipments according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Total silicon wafer area shipments were 2,214 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 5 percent increase from the 2,109 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. The new quarterly total area shipments are 136 percent greater than first quarter 2009 shipments and at the highest levels since the third quarter 2008.
"This is the fourth consecutive quarter where silicon shipments have grown," said Takashi Yamada, chairman of SEMI SMG and General Manager SUMCO. "While growth rates are moderate, current shipments are approaching pre-downturn levels."
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or "chips" are fabricated.
All data cited in this release is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.
Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
Semiconductor Silicon Shipments* - Millions of Square Inches
Million of Square Inches
Q1 2009 Q4 2009 Q1 2010
TOTAL 940 2,109 2,214
*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications
