Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Set New Record in Q2 2022: SEMI

Worldwide silicon 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% quarter-over-quarter to 3,704 million square inches, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly report of the silicon wafer industry.

Second-quarter silicon wafer shipments saw 5% growth from the 3,534 million square inches reported during the same quarter last year.

“Silicon 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 silicon. Wafer supply, in the face of continuing semiconductor fab expansions, remains constrained.”