Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the first quarter 2016 when compared to fourth quarter 2015 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 2,538 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 1.3 percent increase from the 2,504 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. However, new quarterly total area shipments are 3.8 percent lower than first quarter 2015 shipments.

“After two quarters of negative silicon shipment volume growth, the increase in silicon volume shipments in the most recent quarter is encouraging,” said Dr. Volker Braetsch, chairman SEMI SMG and senior vice president of Siltronic AG. “It remains to be seen if silicon shipment volumes will exceed the record amount shipped last year.”

Quarterly Silicon* Area Shipment Trends

Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications

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 and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.