Semiconductor Metrology and Inspection Market Expected to Reach $13.3 Billion by 2031—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Semiconductor Metrology and Inspection Market," The semiconductor metrology and inspection market size was valued at $7.3 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $13.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031.

Metrology and inspection are important for the management of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Metrology and inspection processes are therefore established at critical points of semiconductor manufacturing process to ensure that a certain yield can be confirmed and maintained. Metrology generally means a method of measuring numbers and volumes, mainly by using metrology equipment. Inspection is a process for detecting any particles or defects in a wafer.

The advancement of R&D facilities and growth in foundries continue to drive the semiconductor metrology and inspection market growth. The market for consumer electronics is increasing due to rising demand. The industry is also being supplemented by an increase in number of servers and data centers. The most recent advancements in electronic products have resulted in a desire for high performance electronic devices, high functionality, tiny form factor, and low cost. This has boosted the market growth and surged the demand for the 3D sector even further.

Key players are implementing strategies, such as merger, acquisition, agreement, collaboration, and product launch, to strengthen their market position. For instance, in November 2021, Hitachi High-Tech develops the electron beam area inspection system GS1000, which is a newly developed tool, offers precise and fast e-beam inspection SEM’s. Thus, these strategic moves are expected to provide positive impact to the market growth during the forecast period.

Furthermore, Asia-Pacific registered the highest share of the global semiconductor metrology and inspection market share in 2021. The region's high concentration of integrated circuits makers is expected to drive the demand for semiconductor metrology and inspection in Asia-Pacific. ICs are widely used in a variety of industries, including consumer electronics, industrial, telecommunications, data centers, and automotive. In addition, China has become a major exporter of semiconductor metrology and inspection worldwide, capturing 45% of global production, due to its higher production capacity. According to the Financial Times, China currently holds 15% of global semiconductor production capacity, with the percentage expected to rise to 24% in the next ten years.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, various manufacturers in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market had to stop their business in countries such as China, the U.S., and India. This break directly impacted the sales of semiconductor metrology and inspection companies. In addition, lack of manpower and raw materials constrained the supply of raw materials of semiconductor metrology and inspection, which negatively influenced the growth of the market. However, reopening of production facilities and introduction of vaccines for coronavirus disease are anticipated to lead to re-opening of semiconductor metrology and inspection companies.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

• The report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging global semiconductor metrology and inspection market trends and dynamics. 
• Depending on type, the wafer inspection system segment has dominated the semiconductor metrology and inspection market, in terms of revenue in 2021 and is projected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.
• By technology, the optical segment has registered highest revenue in 2021.
• Asia-Pacific is projected to register highest growth rate in the coming years.
• The key players within the global semiconductor metrology and inspection market are profiled in this report, and their strategies are analyzed thoroughly, which helps understand competitive outlook of the semiconductor metrology and inspection industry.
• The semiconductor metrology and inspection market forecast analysis from 2022 to 2031 is included in the report.
• In-depth global semiconductor metrology and inspection market analysis is conducted by constructing estimations for the key segments between 2022 and 2031.