Global silicon wafer shipments and sales in 2023 are expected to decline compared to the previous year.

According to SEMI, an industry association representing the global electronics industry supply chain, global silicon wafer shipments in 2023 are expected to decline 14.3% year-over-year to 12.62 billion square inches, while wafer sales during the same period are expected to decline 10.9% year-over-year to $12.3 billion.

Silicon wafer shipments and wafer revenue have maintained steady growth for the past three years, but recorded negative growth in 2023 due to inventory adjustments and slowing semiconductor demand.

“In 2023, 12-inch polished wafer and epitaxial wafer shipments are expected to decline by 13% and 5% year-over-year, respectively,” said Li Chengwei, chairman of SEMI SMG and vice president and chief controller of GlobalWafers. “In particular, shipments in the second half of 2023 will decline by 9% compared to the first half.”

Silicon wafers are a key material for semiconductor manufacturing and are therefore an essential component of virtually all electronic products, including computers, communications products, and consumer electronics.

Precision machined silicon discs are produced in a variety of diameters, from 1 inch to 12 inches, and are used as substrate material on which It produces most semiconductor chips.

Meanwhile, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturing Group (SMG) operates as a Special Interest Group (SIG) within SEMI and is comprised of companies involved in the production of polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, and silicon wafers (e.g. as cut, polished, epi, etc.).

The purpose of this group is to develop market information and statistics on the silicon industry and semiconductor markets and to promote collaborative efforts on key issues related to the silicon industry.