SEMI: Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments and Revenue Set New Records in 2021
February 09, 2022
News
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments in 2021 increased 14% while wafer revenue rose 13% compared to 2020, topping $12 billion to reach new all-time highs, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
Silicon shipments totaled 14,165 million square inches (MSI) compared to 12,407 MSI shipped in 2020 to meet surging broad-based demand for semiconductor devices and a wide variety of applications. 300mm, 200mm, and 150mm wafer sizes all saw strong demand. Wafer revenue reached over $12.6 million, surpassing the previous record of $12.1 million set in 2007.
“The robust year-over-year growth in silicon wafer area shipments and revenue reflects the heavy dependence of the modern economy on silicon wafers,” said Neil Weaver, outgoing chairman SEMI SMG 2018-2021 and vice president, Product Development and Applications Engineering at Shin Etsu Handotai America. “Wafers are the engine of digital transformation and new technologies that are reshaping how we live and work.”
Annual Silicon* Industry Trends
Source: SEMI, February 2022
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 semiconductor devices, or chips, 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).
All data cited above includes polished silicon wafers such as virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped to end users.
*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications.
For more information, please visit SEMI Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipment Statistics.
