Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase in Third Quarter 2006

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Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase in Third Quarter 2006
    SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide silicon wafer area
shipments increased over 5 percent during the third quarter 2006 when
compared to the second quarter 2006 area shipments according to the SEMI
Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon
wafer industry.
    Total silicon wafer area shipments were 2,074 million square inches
during the most recent quarter, an increase from the 1,966 million square
inches shipped during the previous quarter. The new quarterly total area
shipments are over 18 percent above third quarter 2005 shipments.
    "We have seen tremendous growth in demand for silicon wafer shipments
over the past year," said Tatsuhiko Shigematsu, chairman SEMI SMG and
technology officer of SUMCO Corporation. "Going forward, we expect the
growth rate to be in the single digits next year, but anticipate double
digit growth in 2008 according to the recent SMG consensus forecast."
                    Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
                Silicon Shipments -- Millions of Square Inches
                                     Million of Square Inches
                                Q3 2005       Q2 2006       Q3 2006
    Polished                     1,304         1,452         1,541
    Epitaxial                      385           452           471
    Nonpolished                     59            62            63
               TOTAL             1,748         1,966         2,074

    * Totals may not add due to rounding
    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 (Calif.), Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore,
Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.semi.org.
SOURCE SEMI
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