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Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase in Second Quarter 2008

Posted on: Monday, 11 August 2008, 21:00 CDT

Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments grew over six percent during the second quarter of 2008 when compared to the first quarter of 2008 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 2,303 million square inches in the second quarter, compared to 2,163 million square inches shipped during the first quarter. Compared to the 2007 second quarter, total area shipments increased nearly five percent.

"Following the slightly weaker first quarter and macro economic concerns silicon shipments grew more than 6% in Q2 which is in-line with normal seasonality for the quarter, particularly with the start of a new fiscal year for most Japanese companies," said Kazuyo Heinink, chairwoman of SEMI SMG and Vice President, New Product Marketing for MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. "This growth was mainly attributed to 300mm."

                   Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends        Semiconductor Silicon Shipments* - Millions of Square Inches                           Million of Square Inches                 Q2 2007           Q1 2008           Q2 2008 TOTAL            2,201             2,163             2,303 * 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, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.

The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.

SEMI is the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org.

 ASSOCIATION CONTACTS:  Jonathan Davis SEMI Ph: 408.943.6937 E-mail: Email Contact  Dan Tracy SEMI Ph: 408.943.7987 E-mail: Email Contact

SOURCE: SEMI

Source: MARKET WIRE

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