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Analysis |
Total wafer shipments to drop 6% in 2019
Total wafer shipments in 2019 are expected to decline 6% from last year's historic high, with growth resuming in 2020 and shipments reaching a new high in 2022, according to SEMI's annual semiconductor industry silicon shipment forecast.
Forecast demand for silicon units through 2022 shows polished and epitaxial silicon shipments totaling 11,757 million square inches in 2019, 11,977 million square inches in 2020, 12,390 million square inches in 2021, and 12,785 million square inches in 2022.
"Silicon shipment volumes are expected to decline this year as the industry works through accumulated inventory and weaker demand," said Clark Tseng, director of Industry Research and Statistics at SEMI. "The industry is expected to stabilize in 2020 and regain growth momentum in 2021 and 2022."
2019 Silicon* Shipment Forecast (MSI = Millions of Square Inches)
*Total Electronic Grade Silicon Slices – Excludes Non-Polished Wafers
*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications.
| Actual | Forecast | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| MSI | 11,617 | 11,617 | 11,757 | 11,977 | 12,390 | 12,785 |
| Annual Growth | 9.8% | 8.0% | -6.3% | 1.9% | 3.5% | 3.2% |
