Milpitas, CA, April 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEMI, the global association representing the worldwide electronics manufacturing supply chain, today reported that worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled $56.6 billion in 2017, a year-over-year increase of 37 percent from 2016 sales of $41.24 billion. The data are available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report, now available from SEMI.

Korea claimed the largest market for new semiconductor equipment for the first time, shattering all previous regional spending records with $17.95 billion in equipment sales. Taiwan fell to the second position with sales of $11.49 billion. Annual spending rates increased for South Korea, Europe, China, Japan and North America. However, new equipment markets in Taiwan and Rest of World (primarily Southeast Asia) contracted.

Equipment sales to China increased 27 percent as the region maintained the third largest market position for the second year in a row. The 2017 equipment markets in Japan and North America held onto fourth and fifth places, respectively, while the Europe market rose in the rankings to the sixth spot. The global other front-end segment increased 40 percent; the wafer processing equipment market segment rose 39 percent; the assembly and packaging segment jumped 29 percent; and total test equipment sales increased 27 percent.

Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the Worldwide SEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. Categories cover wafer processing, assembly and packaging, test, and other front-end equipment. Other front-end includes mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, and fab facilities equipment.

Semiconductor Capital Equipment Market by World Region (2016-2017)

Source: SEMI/SEAJ April 2018

Note: Summed subtotals may not equal the total due to rounding.

The Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) from SEMI provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market. A subscription includes three reports: the monthly SEMI Billings Report, which offers a perspective of the trends in the equipment market; the monthly Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS), a detailed report of semiconductor equipment bookings and billings for seven regions and 24 market segments; and the SEMI Semiconductor Equipment Forecast, which provides an outlook for the semiconductor equipment market. For more information or to subscribe, please contact SEMI customer service at 1.877.746.7788 (toll free in the U.S.) or 1.408.943.6901 (International Callers). More information also is available online: www.semi.org/en/MarketInfo/EquipmentMarket.

About SEMI

SEMI® connects over 2,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, Calif.), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit  www.semi.org and follow SEMI on  LinkedIn and  Twitter.

Michael Hall
SEMI
(408) 943-7988
mhall@semi.org