Next Year Wafer Shipments Rebound 9.5%... HBM Drives Growth

SEMI "Growth Until 2027"

Shipments of silicon wafers, a key material in semiconductor manufacturing, are expected to increase by 10% next year.

According to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) on the 23rd, global silicon wafer shipments this year recorded 12.174 billion in² (square inches), a 2.4% decrease from the previous year, but are projected to increase by 9.5% next year to 13.128 billion in².

SEMI forecasted continuous growth through 2027, with shipments reaching 14.057 billion in² (8.8%↑) in 2026 and 15.413 billion in² (6.3%↑) in 2027.

Wafer. [Photo by Yonhap News]

SEMI explained, "The production capacity of the global semiconductor industry will expand to meet the demand of advanced manufacturing processes."

They further analyzed, "The growth of new applications incorporating advanced packaging technology and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which requires more wafers, will drive the increase in wafer shipments."