May 7, 2008 – Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments were roughly the same in 1Q as they were in 4Q, reflecting the industry’s overall conservative environment, according to data from SEMI.
Total silicon area shipments totaled 2163 millions of sq. in. (MSI) in 1Q08, down -1.0% from the prior quarter and up 3.0% from the year-ago quarter. The numbers do not include any shipments destined for solar applications.
That Q-Q decline is “consistent with the conservative industry sentiment,” though 300mm wafer shipments continue to rise, said Kazuyo Heinink, chairwoman of SEMI SMG and VP of new product marketing for MEMC Electronic Materials, in a statement.