SEMI: Silicon Wafer Shipments To Increase In 2013 & 2014
SEMI recently completed its annual silicon shipment forecast for the semiconductor industry for the period 2012 to 2014.
The results show polished and epitaxial silicon shipments totalling 8,901 million square inches in 2012, 9,400 million square inches in 2013, and 9,965 million square inches in 2014. Total wafer shipments are expected to remain below the all-time high set in 2010 this year but reach record levels in 2013 and 2014.
"In spite of heightened economic uncertainty, silicon shipments for the first half of 2012 were very promising," says Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. "We expect 2012 silicon shipments to remain essentially flat when compared to 2011 and increase in 2013 and 2014."
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods. These include computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from 1 inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or "chips" are fabricated.
All data cited here is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.
The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers. These include as cut, polished, epiwafers and others. The purpose of the group is to facilitate 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.
