Semiconductor equipment sales are expected to reach an all-time high in 2022.
Foundry equipment sales are expected to grow 39% this year and 8% next year.
Korea is the largest semiconductor equipment investor in 2021.


According to a survey conducted on the 14th by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), semiconductor equipment sales are expected to reach a record high of $100 billion in 2022. Steady investments by chipmakers are accelerating the growth of the front-end and back-end semiconductor equipment industries.

The wafer fab equipment segment, which includes wafer processing, fab facilities, and mask and reticle equipment, is projected to grow 34% this year, reaching $81.7 billion in sales. Next year, sales are projected to grow 6%, reaching $86 billion. Foundry and logic semiconductor equipment, which accounts for more than half of total wafer fab equipment sales, is projected to grow 39% year-over-year to $45.7 billion this year, driven by global digitalization. This growth is projected to increase by another 8% in 2022.

Explosive demand for memory is driving strong growth in DRAM and NAND equipment sales. This year, DRAM equipment sales are expected to grow 46% to $14 billion. NAND equipment sales are expected to grow 13% this year to $17.4 billion, and another 9% next year to $18.9 billion.

The assembly and packaging equipment sector is also expected to grow 56% this year, reaching $6 billion in sales. In 2022, the advanced packaging sector is expected to lead the growth, with an additional 6% growth. The semiconductor test equipment sector is projected to grow 26% to $7.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow another 6% in 2022, driven by demand for 5G and HPC.

Regionally, South Korea, Taiwan, and China were the major countries investing in semiconductor equipment this year. South Korea, in particular, is expected to become the top investor, driven by a recovering memory market and aggressive investment in foundries. Investment in other regions is also expected to increase compared to last year.

SEMI's Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS), cited in this announcement, summarizes monthly sales figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry, encompassing wafer processing, assembly and packaging, testing, and other front-end processes (mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer fabrication, and fab facility equipment). Further details about the report can be found on the SEMI website.