Silicon wafer shipments increase in first quarter 2010

SAN JOSE, USA: Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the first quarter 2010 when compared to fourth quarter 2009 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 2,214 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 5 percent increase from the 2,109 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. The new quarterly total area shipments are 136 percent greater than first quarter 2009 shipments and at the highest levels since the third quarter 2008.

"This is the fourth consecutive quarter where silicon shipments have grown,” said Takashi Yamada, chairman of SEMI SMG and General Manager SUMCO. ”While growth rates are moderate, current shipments are approaching pre-downturn levels.”

Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
Semiconductor Silicon Shipments* - Millions of Square InchesSource: SEMI
*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.

Source: SEMI, USA