Logging a second consecutive year of strong growth, the silicon wafer reclaim market surged 19% to US$603 million in 2018 on the strength of a record number of reclaimed wafers processed, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, reported today in its 2018 Silicon Reclaim Wafer Characterization Summary.

Growth, however, is forecast to taper off with the market expanding to US$633 million by 2021. The 2018 total is well below the US$703 million market high set in 2007.

While Japan-based suppliers continued to dominate the reclaim market by maintaining the largest portion of large-diameter (200mm and 300mm) reclaim capacity, the region’s global capacity share of large-diameter wafers declined % to 53% in 2018.

Reclaim suppliers based in Asia Pacific increased their global large-diameter capacity share to 31%, up from 30% in 2017, while companies based in Europe and North America maintained their relative capacity share of 16 percent. Global large-diameter wafer reclaim capacity increased 3% in 2018.

SEMI tracks a growing list of reclaim suppliers, now numbering 22. Nine are based in Japan, seven in Asia Pacific, and six in North America and Europe. The 2018 report now includes Advanced Silicon Technology, a Chinese supplier of 200mm silicon reclaim. Advanced Energy Technology Solution, a supplier of 300mm silicon reclaim in Korea, was added in 2017.

The recently published Silicon Reclaim Wafer Characterization Summary provides 2018 details, including regional reclaim pricing and capacity, on reclaimed silicon wafers in the global semiconductor market and a forecast to 2021.

The SEMI report covers seven regions including North America, Japan, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, China, and Rest of World (ROW). Market estimates for reclaim wafers include the semiconductor equipment and IC manufacturing segments.