Date: 02/09/2011

12 Inch semiconductor manufacturing to nearly double from 2010 to 2015

IHS iSuppli has estimated semiconductor manufacturing using 12-inch (300-millimeter) wafers will see production nearly double from 2010 to 2015 as chip producers increasingly employ them for older, more mature products.

IHS iSuppli forecasts by 2015, foundries and integrated device manufacturers (IDM) will produce 8,753 million square inches of silicon on 12-inch wafers, up from 4,799.4 million in 2010, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8 percent during the five-year period. This year alone, IDMs will produce some 5,608.5 million square inches of silicon on 12-inch wafers, as per IHS iSuppli.

"Initially, 12-inch wafers were employed only for the most advanced products," said Len Jelinek, research director and analyst for semiconductor manufacturing at IHS. "However, that's been changing over the course of the past two years, with both foundries and IDMs having determined that 12-inch wafers represent the most cost-effective manufacturing method for mature products. As a result, IHS forecasts a new period of rapid growth for 12-inch wafers."