Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) today reported that 2003 wafer shipments for 2003 will exceed last year's total by 10 percent, citing its consensus forecast.

According to the San Jose-based consortium's Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) consensus forecast, silicon suppliers anticipate shipments will again increase by 15 percent in 2004. This would seem to naturally correspond with rising semiconductor unit volumes, which analysts predict this year will top the peak level set in 2000.

The SMG is a special interest group organized by SEMI consisting of SEMI members who produce polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers. The SMG member companies collectively represent more than 95 percent of the total worldwide semiconductor silicon production, according to SEMI.

The survey forecast results show silicon shipments reaching 5.9 billion square inches in 2004, surpassing 6.3 billion square inches in 2005 and 6.6 billion square inches in 2006. A key part of that growth is 300mm wafer shipments, SEMI said. The SMG expects 300mm wafer shipments to account for 20 percent of total shipments by 2006.

The SEMI SMG consensus forecast sees 300mm shipments in terms of square inches growing 84 percent in 2004 to 759 million share inches. It expects 50 percent growth in 2005 to 1.1 billion square inches.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved