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Global silicon wafer shipments are projected to increase 11.8% in 2026 to 14,420 million square inches (MSI), SEMI reported in its annual silicon shipment forecast. Shipments are expected to reach successive record highs from 2027 through 2029, rising to 17,034 MSI by the end of the forecast period.
Silicon wafer shipment growth in 2026 is being led by strong AI-related demand, supporting advanced epitaxial wafers for leading-edge logic and polished wafers for memory applications. Memory demand extends beyond high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to server DRAM and enterprise NAND flash. Recovering mature-node utilization and easing customer inventory adjustments are also supporting shipment growth this year. Looking ahead, continued expansion of AI infrastructure is expected to underpin silicon wafer demand growth through 2029.
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for the majority of semiconductors, which are vital components of all electronic devices. The highly engineered thin disks, produced in diameters of up to 300 mm, serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices, or chips, are fabricated.
All data cited in this release include polished silicon wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers shipped by wafer manufacturers to end users. The figures exclude non-polished or reclaimed wafers.
The annual silicon shipment forecast is developed by SEMI using input from members of the Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG). The SMG is a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG). This forecast reflects industry input gathered by SEMI and does not represent an official forecast of the SMG or any individual member company.
