Global Silicon Wafer Area Shipments Edge Up in First Quarter 2020 Despite COVID-19 Headwinds

Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments rose 2.7% to 2,920 million square inches in the first quarter of 2020, compared with fourth-quarter 2019 shipments of 2,844 million square inches, but dropped 4.3% year-over-year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry. 

 

“Global silicon wafer shipments rebounded slightly in the first quarter of 2020 after declining for one year,” said Neil Weaver, chairman SEMI SMG and VP, Product Development and Applications Engineering at Shin Etsu Handotai America. “However, with the disruptions caused by the coronavirus, market uncertainty will prevail in the upcoming quarters.”

 

All data cited in this release includes polished silicon wafers such as virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped to end-users.

 

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.

 

A sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG), the SMG is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi). The purpose of the SMG 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.

Silicon Area Shipment Trends – Semiconductor Applications Only

	Millions of Square Inches
	4Q 2018	1Q 2019	2Q 2019	3Q 2019	4Q 2019	1Q 2020
Total	3,234	3,051	2,983	2,932	2,844	2,920

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), April 2020