Semiconductor Wafer Market Expected to Reach $27.13 Billion by 2030

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Semiconductor Wafer Market by Wafer Size, Technology, Product Type, and End Use: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2030,” the global semiconductor wafer industry size was valued at $16.87 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $27.13 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.8%. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market during the forecast period, followed by North America and Europe.  

Semiconductor wafer is an important part in the production of semiconductor devices. A semiconductor wafer has a very large number of small chips that will be produced with the use of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The growth of the global semiconductor wafer market size is anticipated to be driven by factors such as growing usage of semiconductor wafers in power amplifiers for transmitting ultra-high radio frequency, fast electronic switching, and high-speed signal applications. In addition, increase in adoption of smart devices and rise in sales of consumer electronic devices boost the overall market growth. However, volatility in cost of raw materials acts as a major restraint of the global semiconductor wafer industry. On the contrary, surge in usage in automotive, healthcare, and industrial applications is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the semiconductor wafer industry.

Moreover, developing nations tend to witness high penetration of semiconductor wafer products especially in automotive & industrial sector, which is anticipated to augment the market growth. In addition, increase in integration of electronics in automotive systems is expected to accelerate the market growth.

The global semiconductor wafer market share is segmented into wafer size, technology, product type, end use, and region. By wafer size, the market is classified into 6 inch, 8 inch, 12 inch, and others. Depending on technology, the market is categorized into wafer bumping, packaging & assembly, testing & inspection, and others. The product types covered in the study include memory, processor, analog, and others. On the basis of end use, the market is divided into automotive, consumer electronics, industrial, telecommunication, and others.

Region-wise, the semiconductor wafer market trends have been analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. Asia-Pacific contributed maximum revenue in 2020. Also, between 2020 and 2030, the Asia-Pacific semiconductor wafer market is expected to grow at a faster rate as compared to other regions. This is attributed to increase in demand from the emerging economical countries such as India, China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly affected the electronics and semiconductor sector. Business and manufacturing units across various countries were closed, owing to increase in number of COVID-19 cases, and are expected to remain closed in 2021. Furthermore, partial or complete lockdown has disrupted global supply chains posing challenges for manufacturers to reach customers.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the society and overall economy across the globe. The impact of this outbreak is growing day-by-day as well as affecting the overall business globally. The crisis is creating uncertainty in the stock market and resulting in falling business confidence, massive slowing of supply chain, and increasing panic among the customer segments.

Asian and European countries under lockdowns have suffered major loss of business and revenue due to the shutdown of manufacturing units. The operations of production and manufacturing industries have been heavily impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19, which further impacted the growth of the semiconductor wafer market.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the electronics sector, as production facilities have stalled, which, in turn, boosted the demand for electronics and semiconductor products in industries. Its major impact includes large manufacturing interruption across Europe and interruption in Chinese parts exports, which may hinder the semiconductor wafer market growth.

Key Findings Of The Study

• The consumer electronics sector is projected to be the major application, followed by automotive.
• Asia-Pacific and North America collectively accounted for more than 83% of the global market share in 2020.
• China is anticipated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period.
• U.S. was the major shareholder in the North America semiconductor wafer market, accounting for approximately 93% share in 2020.
• Depending on product type, the memory segment generated the highest revenue in 2020. However, the processor segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate in the near future.
• Region-wise, the semiconductor wafer market share was dominated by Asia-Pacific. Also, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years.

The key players profiled in the semiconductor wafer market report include Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited, Global Foundries, Global Wafers, micron, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), Shin Etsu, Siltronics, Sumco, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Limited, and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). These players have adopted various strategies, such as partnership, expansion, and acquisition, to strengthen their foothold in the semiconductor wafer industry.