Q2’s Wafer Shipment Heat Wave

Online staff -- Electronic News, 8/12/2005

Silicon wafer shipments heated up across the globe during Q2, increasing 10 percent sequentially, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

The quarterly analysis performed recently by the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) calculated wafer area shipments to be 1,606 million square inches during Q2, up from the 1,465 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter.

While Q1 shipments were down 1 percent year-over-year, SEMI believes silicon shipments have survived the worst of the industry downturn.

"After reaching a cyclical low point in the first quarter, silicon shipment clearly recovered in the second quarter,” Makoto Tsukada, chairman of SEMI SMG and general manager of Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., said in a statement. "Based on increasing demand, 300mm unit shipments remain strong, while 200mm wafer shipments are close to peak shipment levels.”

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn are integral components of electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products and consumer electronics. The wafers, which range from 1 inch to 12 inches in diameter, serve as the substrate material on which most chips are fabricated.

SEMI’s analysis includes -- in descending order silicon shipments -- polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by wafer manufacturers to end users.