Silicon wafer revenues up in 2011

SAN JOSE, USA: Worldwide silicon wafer revenues improved by 2 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments decreased by three percent in 2011 when compared to 2010 area shipments.

Silicon wafer area shipments in 2011 totaled 9,043 million square inches (MSI), down from the 9,370 million square inches shipped during 2010. Revenues reached $9.9 billion up from $9.7 billion posted in 2010. "While the recovery from the 2009 downturn continued into early 2011,” said Kazuyo Heinink, chairwoman of SEMI SMG and vice president, MEMC. ”Silicon shipments lost momentum as global economic uncertainty increased during the second half of the year.”Source: SEMI, USA.
*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.