2015 wafers will transition from 12 inches to 18 inches

According to a study by IHS iSuppli Corporation, the production of semiconductors using 12-inch wafers will enter a new era and production will nearly double in 2010-2015.

By 2015, foundry and integrated equipment manufacturers (IDM) will use the 12-inch wafers to produce 8.753 billion square inches of silicon wafers, compared to 47.994 billion in 2010, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 12.8%. This year, IDM will use a 12-inch wafer to produce approximately 5.608 billion square inches of silicon.

Initially, 12-inch wafer production was mainly for the most advanced products. However, the situation has changed in the last two years. OEMs and IDM now believe that 12-inch wafers are the most cost-effective manufacturing method for producing mature products. Therefore, IHS predicts that 12-inch wafers will enter a new phase of rapid growth.

For semiconductor manufacturers using mature processes, mass production using 12-inch wafers is the key to success.

With the increase in the use of 12-inch wafers, and the major suppliers discussing the future development in recent years, the prospect of the next shift to 18-inch wafers has now surfaced. However, there are still great questions about the benefits and costs of adopting next-generation wafer sizes.

From a wafer-manufacturer perspective, a shift to 18 inches is the most logical choice and can reduce costs to meet Moore's Law requirements. According to Moore's Law, the number of transistors on integrated circuits will double every two years, while the cost will not increase substantially.

However, whether semiconductor manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and silicon suppliers can use 18-inch wafers to profit, the situation is still not clear, and all signs point to another aspect. However, this does not mean that some leading manufacturers will not adopt the next-generation wafer size.