Peter Clarke EE Times
(02/23/2010 7:29 AM EST)
LONDON — Worldwide silicon wafer revenues declined by 41 percent in 2009 compared to 2008 wafer revenues, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry. At the same time area shipments decreased by 18 percent in 2009 compared to 2008 accompanied by a strong decrease in average selling price. Silicon wafer area shipments in 2009 totaled 6,707 million square inches (MSI), down from the 8,137 million square inches shipped during 2008. Revenues fell to $6.7 billion from $11.4 billion posted in 2008. "This past year was clearly a difficult time for the industry," said Takashi Yamada, chairman of SEMI SMG and general manager of Sumco. "We are encouraged by the increase in silicon shipments over the past three quarters." Area shipments, at 940-MSI, were at a low point in the first quarter of 2009. Through the rest of the year the quarterly shipments were 1,686, 1,972 and 2,109-MSI sequentially.
