SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide silicon wafer area
shipments increased 4 percent during the second quarter 2006 when compared
to the first quarter 2006 areas shipments according to the SEMI Silicon
Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer
industry.
Total silicon wafer area shipments were 1,966 million square inches
during the most recent quarter, an increase from the 1,884 million square
inches shipped during the previous quarter. The new quarterly total area
shipments are about 22 percent above second quarter 2005 shipments.
"Silicon wafer shipments continue to remain strong for all wafer sizes
during the second quarter," said Tatsuhiko Shigematsu, chairman SEMI SMG
and technology officer of SUMCO Corporation. "Continuing demand for
semiconductors is driving strong growth for silicon wafers."
Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
Silicon Shipments- Millions of Square Inches
Millions of Square Inches
Q2 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006
Polished 1,207 1,390 1,452
Epitaxial 345 431 452
Nonpolished 54 63 62
TOTAL 1,606 1,884 1,966
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for
semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all
electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and
consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced
in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the
substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or "chips" are
fabricated.
All data cited in this release is inclusive of polished silicon wafers,
including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished
silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.
The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest
group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in
manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon
wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to
facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry
including the development of market information and statistics about the
silicon industry and the semiconductor market.
SEMI is a global industry association serving companies that provide
equipment, materials and services used to manufacture semiconductors,
displays, nano-scaled structures, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
and related technologies. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing,
Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose (California), Seoul, Shanghai,
Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit
http://www.semi.org .
SOURCE SEMI
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Related links:
http://www.semi.org/
CONTACT:
Scott Smith, +1-408-943-7957, or
ssmith@semi.org, or Dan Tracy, +1-408-943-7987, or
dtracy@semi.org, both of SEMI
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