The global semiconductor materials market grew 15.9% to $64.3 billion in revenue in 2021, surpassing the previous market high of $55.5 billion set in 2020, Semi, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, reported today in its Materials Market Data Subscription (MMDS).
Semi logoWafer fabrication materials and packaging materials revenues in 2021 totaled $40.4 billion and $23.9 billion, respectively, for year-over-year increases of 15.5% and 16.5%. The silicon, wet chemicals, chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), and photomask segments showed the strongest growth in the wafer fabrication materials market, while packaging materials market growth was largely driven by the organic substrates, leadframes, and bonding wire segments.
“The global semiconductor materials market saw exceptional growth in 2021 on the strength of robust secular demand for chips and the industry’s expansion of production capacity,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of Semi. “All regions registered double-digit or high single-digit growth last year to meet historic demand for electronics as digital transformation continues apace.”
For the 12th consecutive year, Taiwan, at $14.7 billion, was the world’s largest consumer of semiconductor materials on the strength of its foundry capacity and advanced packaging base. China registered the strongest absolute year-over-year growth in 2021 to rank second, while Korea remained the third largest consumer of semiconductor materials.
| 2020** | 2021 | Year-Over-Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | $12,720 | $14,711 | 15.7% |
| China | $9,783 | $11,929 | 21.9% |
| South Korea | $9,119 | $10,572 | 15.9% |
| Japan | $7,902 | $8,811 | 11.5% |
| Rest of World* | $6,770 | $7,801 | 15.2% |
| North America | $5,564 | $6,036 | 8.5% |
| Europa | $3,622 | $4,414 | 21.9% |
| Total | $55,479 | $64,273 | 15.9% |
Source: Semi, March 2022
Note: Numbers may not add up due to rounding.
* Rest of World (ROW) includes Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, other areas of Southeast Asia and smaller global markets.
** 2020 data reflect current updates.
The Materials Market Data Subscription (MMDS) from Semi provides annual revenue with 10 years of historical data and a two-year forecast. The annual subscription includes quarterly updates for the materials segment and reports revenue for seven market regions (North America, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and ROW). The report also features detailed historical data for silicon shipments and revenues for photoresist, photoresist ancillaries, process gases and lead frames.
