Silicon wafer shipments fell in Q3, says SEMI

LONDON – Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments decreased sequentially during the third quarter of 2012, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG), which analyses wafer area shipments on a quarterly basis.

The total area of silicon wafer shipments – excluding wafers for solar applications – was 2,389 million square inches in 3Q12, a 2 percent decrease from the 2,447 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. The latest figure was 1 percent greater than the 2,354 million square inches in 3Q11.

"The positive shipment volume growth experienced during the second quarter did not continue into the third quarter as wafer demand declined," said Bruce Kellerman, chairman of SEMI SMG and senior director of semiconductor product marketing at wafer producer MEMC Electronics Materials Inc. (St. Peters, Missouri). "Ongoing market uncertainties continue to hinder a full recovery as the semiconductor industry encounters slower conditions than anticipated earlier in the year," he added.


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