Increase in Second Quarter 2012 Silicon Wafer Shipments
Aug 15, 2012
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the second quarter 2012 when compared to first quarter 2012 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 2,447 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 20
percent increase from the 2,033 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. New quarterly total area shipments are 2 percent greater than second quarter 2011 shipments.
"As expected, second quarter silicon shipment volumes increased compared to both the first quarter and the second quarter last year," said Dr. Bruce Kellerman, chairman of SEMI SMG and senior director of Semiconductor Product Marketing at MEMC. "Given the ongoing market uncertainties and challenges, the overall wafer demand for 2012 is expected to be relatively flat compared to 2011."
Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
Semiconductor Silicon Shipments* - Millions of Square Inches
Million of Square Inches
Q2 2011 2,393
Q1 2012 2,033
Q2 2012 2,447
*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications
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.
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 (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). 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.
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