Silicon wafer shipments recover strongly and will exceed 13.2 billion square inches in 2022

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SEMI) recently released the "2020 Semiconductor Industry Silicon Wafer Shipment Forecast Report". Data shows that global silicon wafer shipments will increase by 2.4% in 2020 compared with last year, and this growth trend will continue in 2021, and is expected to reach 13.22 billion square inches in 2022, which will be a record high.

Estimated global silicon wafer shipments in 2020 (unit: million square inches, MSI)

Note: Total electronic grade silicon wafers, excluding unpolished wafers; shipment data only includes semiconductor industry applications, excluding solar energy applications; data source: SEMI

“Despite the impact of geopolitical tensions, the shift in the global semiconductor supply chain, and the COVID-19 pandemic, silicon wafer shipments will recover steadily this year,” said SEMI Global Marketing Director and Taiwan President Tsao Shih-lun. “In addition, the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of IT and services for global companies. SEMI is optimistic that silicon wafers will continue to grow in the next two years.”

According to information, silicon wafers are the base material for semiconductor manufacturing. They appear to be thin discs with diameters of various sizes (1 inch to 12 inches). They are mainly manufactured into semiconductor components or "chips" through high-tech design and are used in all electronic products such as computers, communications, and consumer electronics.