The global semiconductor materials market contracted 19% in 2009 compared to 2008 as the semiconductor industry reacted quickly to deteriorating market conditions in the first part of the year. While the decline in 2009 was significant, it was less than the 26% decline the semiconductor materials industry incurred in 2001, according to SEMI.
Semiconductor materials market revenues totaled US$34.6 billion globally in 2009. Total wafer fabrication materials and packaging materials were US$17.9 billion and US$16.8 billion, respectively. Comparable revenues for these segments in 2008 were US$24.2 billion for wafer fabrication materials and US$18.3 billion for packaging materials. Significant decreases in silicon revenues contributed to the on-year decline in the wafer fabrication materials market.
Japan remains the largest consumer of semiconductor materials with a 22% share due to its large wafer fab and advanced packaging base. All regional markets experienced double-digit declines with the exception of China, which contracted about 9%. Increases in gold metal pricing helped to offset declines in regions with strong packaging bases.
| SEMI: Semiconductor materials market by world region, 2008-2009 (US$b) | |||
| Region | 2008 | 2009 | Y/Y |
| Japan | 9.96 | 7.63 | (23.4%) |
| Taiwan | 7.87 | 6.77 | (14.0%) |
| Rest of world (ROW) | 6.90 | 5.98 | (13.3%) |
| South Korea | 5.90 | 4.69 | (20.5%) |
| North America | 4.99 | 3.79 | (24.1%) |
| China | 3.57 | 3.26 | (8.7%) |
| Europe | 3.32 | 2.52 | (24.1%) |
| Total | 42.51 | 34.63 | (18.5%) |
Note: ROW includes Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, other areas of Southeast Asia and smaller global markets.
Source: SEMI, compiled by Digitimes, March 2010
Article translated by Meiling Chen
