Global silicon wafer shipments grew significantly, driven by strong demand from data centers and generative AI.

SEMI, an industry association representing the global electronics industry supply chain, announced on the 5th that global silicon wafer shipments in the second quarter of 2024 were 3.035 billion square inches, down 8.9% from 3.331 billion square inches in the same period last year, but up 7.1% from the previous quarter.

“The silicon wafer market is recovering, driven by strong demand from data centers and generative AI,” said Chengwei Li, president of SEMI SMG and vice president and chief controller of GlobalWafers. “While the recovery is not uniform across applications, 300mm wafer shipments in the second quarter increased 8% quarter-on-quarter, showing a significant increase compared to other types of wafers. In particular, the outlook for the silicon wafer market is inevitably bright as new fabs are being built and production capacity is being expanded.”

Silicon wafers are a key material for semiconductor manufacturing, making them an essential component of virtually all electronic products, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. Precision-machined silicon disks are produced in diameters ranging from 1 inch to 12 inches and are used as substrate materials on which most semiconductor chips are manufactured.