Wafer shipments up sharply, revenue rebound weaker

FEB. 14–SAN JOSE, Calif– Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increase by 19 percent in 2002 when compared to 2001 area shipments, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International
(SEMI) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

Revenues, however, grew only by six percent in 2002 compared to 2001.

Silicon wafer area shipments in 2002 totaled 4,681 million square inches (MSI), up from the 3,940 million square inches shipped during 2001. Revenues grew to $5.5 billion from $5.2 billion posted in 2001. Fourth
quarter silicon area shipments declined 10 percent from the prior quarter, but were more than 29 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2001.

“We are pleased with the area shipment improvement in 2002,” said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. “However, the lower revenue growth indicates that silicon manufacturers will continue to face difficult decisions regarding technology and capacity investments, especially as fabs ramp up with advanced design rules.”

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