Worldwide Si Wafer Shipments Set New Record in Q2 2022, SEMI Reports

Worldwide Si wafer area shipments in the second quarter of 2022 surpassed the previous record high set in the first quarter of the year, edging up 1 percent quarter-over-quarter to 3,704 million square inches, according to the SEMI Si Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly report of the Si wafer industry. Second-quarter Si wafer shipments saw 5 percent growth from the 3,534 million square inches reported during the same quarter last year.

“Si shipments and demand remain robust driven by a strong semiconductor market,” said Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, chairman of SEMI SMG and chief commercial Officer at Okmetic. “Inflation, as in the case of other wafer fabrication materials, continues to place upward pricing pressures on Si. Wafer supply, in the face of continuing semiconductor fab expansions, remains constrained.”

Si Area Shipment Trends – Semiconductor Applications Only 

Source: SEMI, July 2022

Data cited in this release include polished Si wafers such as virgin test and epitaxial Si wafers, as well as non-polished Si wafers shipped to end users.

Si 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 in. and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductors are fabricated.

The SMG is a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline Si, monocrystalline Si or Si wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi). The SMG facilitates collective efforts on issues related to the Si industry including the development of market information and statistics about the Si industry and the semiconductor market.