August 1, 2011 — Silicon carbide parts for semiconductor fab applications rose sharply in 2010, up 38% year-over-year to $200 million, according to "Silicon Carbide As Used in the Semiconductor Industry 2011, A Techet Group Critical Materials Report." SiC fell 5% shy of the 2008 peak, but should reach $225 million to $240 million in 2011, growing 12%.
The escalated SiC buying results from OEMs and fab users who allowed SiC parts inventory to run low during the recession and are now scrambling to restock. In a more general trend, the product lifetime and performance benefits of SiC (over quartz) for 300mm chip manufacturing are becoming more widely recognized and proven in studies.
Some chemical vapor deposition (CVD) SiC suppliers have pushed lead times out to six months and are working to double capacity, though Techcet affirms that there is no significant materials shortage.
Roughly 60% of the SiC demand is for wafer carriers, boats and related fabware, with the remainder going to OEM components.
Silicon Carbide As Used in the Semiconductor Industry 2011, A Techet Group Critical Materials Report provides market analysis, technical trends and critical supply chain issues, and profiles and updates for eight of the leading SiC parts suppliers to the global semiconductor industry.
Other recent Techcet reports:
- Semiconductor sputtering targets headed for 2012 market peak
- Semiconductor gases bounce back, wet chemicals on their way
- Photoresist market snapshot for semiconductor fab
- CMP consumables are back faster than expected
Techcet Group LLC specializes in technical trend analysis and market analysis for the
semiconductor, silicon, PV and related electronics industries. For additional information, visit www.techcet.com.
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