Mainland China expands wafer fab, Ranking No 1 in the world four years later

According to Taiwanese media reports, SEMI has recently updated its global fab estimates and estimates that between 2017 and 2020, 62 new fabs will be put into operation worldwide. Among the 62 fabs, only 7 are fabs for research and development, and the other fabs are mass production plants. In terms of geographic area, China will have 26 new fabs in operation during this period, accounting for 42% of the newly added fabs. There are 10 in the United States and 9 in Taiwan.

　　 According to the type of products produced by the fab, 32% of the new wafer capacity will be used for foundry, 21% for memory, and 11% for LEDs. The other 36% are used for LEDs, power management, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), logic chips, analog chips, and optoelectronic components.

SEMI predicts that the output value of semiconductor equipment will reach 434 billion US dollars next year, an annual increase of 9.3%, and it is estimated that 62 new wafer fabs will be put into production in the future, injecting fresh water into the global semiconductor equipment factories.

In contrast, the United States and Taiwan will invest nine to ten new wafer fabs in the next four years, which is less than half of mainland China. Although it also brings considerable business opportunities for local semiconductor equipment factories, it is foreseeable that in the next four years, global semiconductor equipment Merchants will accelerate their positions in mainland China and share the huge purchasing opportunities.

SEMI estimates that the amount of semiconductor equipment this year will reach 397 billion U.S. dollars, of which wafer manufacturing-related estimates reach 312 billion U.S. dollars, an annual increase of 8.2%; packaging-related estimates reach 29 billion U.S. dollars, an annual increase of 14.6%; test equipment is estimated to reach 39 billion U.S. dollars , An annual increase of 16%.

　　In terms of regions, Taiwan and South Korea are still the countries with the largest semiconductor equipment output value, but the mainland is actively developing semiconductors, and this year’s output value quickly surpassed the top three. Next year, the European semiconductor equipment output value growth rate will be the highest, reaching 28 billion U.S. dollars, an annual increase of 51.7%; Taiwan, South Korea and the mainland will maintain the top three regions, but Taiwan's output value is expected to decline in the opposite direction.