MILPITAS, CA — Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 9.6% year-on-year to 3.33 billion square inches (MSI) from the 3.04 billion MSI recorded during the same quarter of 2024, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported today.

Sequentially, shipments grew 14.9% quarter-over-quarter from the 2,896 MSI recorded during the first quarter of this year, indicating emerging signs of recovery for select business sectors outside of memory.

“The silicon wafer demand for AI data-center chips, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), continues to be very strong,” said Lee Chungwei (李崇偉), chairman of SEMI SMG and vice president and chief auditor at GlobalWafers. “Fab utilization for other devices generally remains low, although inventory levels appear to be normalizing. While the direction of silicon shipments indicates positive momentum, the future impact of geopolitical and supply chain dynamics remains uncertain.”

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 are produced in diameters of up to 300 mm and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductors are fabricated.