The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported that global silicon wafer shipments rose 9.6% year-on-year in Q2 2025, reaching 3,327 million square inches (MSI) compared to 3,035 MSI in Q2 2024. The data, part of SMG’s quarterly analysis, also shows a 14.9% quarter-over-quarter increase from the 2,896 MSI recorded in Q1 2025, pointing to early signs of recovery in select non-memory sectors.
Lee Chungwei, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Vice President and Chief Auditor at GlobalWafers, noted that demand for silicon wafers used in AI data-center chips, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), remains robust. However, fab utilization for other devices is generally low, though inventory levels are stabilizing. Despite positive shipment trends, uncertainties related to geopolitical and supply chain dynamics persist.
Silicon wafers, essential for most semiconductor production, are thin disks manufactured in diameters up to 300 mm, serving as the substrate for electronic devices. The SMG, a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG), includes SEMI members engaged in producing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, or silicon wafers. The group collaborates on issues impacting the silicon industry and develops market data and statistics for the silicon and semiconductor markets.
