TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan has maintained its dominant position in the global semiconductor materials market for a remarkable 15th consecutive year, according to a report released Monday (April 28) by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI). The industry trade group reported that global semiconductor materials revenues rebounded to US$67.5 billion (NT$2.18 trillion) in 2024, representing a 3.8% increase, with Taiwan generating US$20.1 billion (NT$649.2 billion) of that total.
The industry's resurgence stems from heightened demand for cutting-edge technologies, SEMI explained in its statement. Specifically, the growth in semiconductor material revenues was propelled by increased production of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) — critical for artificial intelligence applications — and components for high-performance computing (HPC) systems that power today's most demanding technological applications.
Breaking down the market segments, SEMI reported that wafer fabrication materials—the foundation of semiconductor production—grew by 3.3% to reach US$42.9 billion (NT$1.39 trillion), while packaging materials experienced even stronger growth of 4.7%, totaling US$24.6 billion (NT$794.6 billion). The report attributed significant demand increases to advanced memory technologies such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), 3D NAND Flash, and sophisticated logic integrated circuits, which drove growth in specialized manufacturing materials including chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) compounds and photoresists.
Despite the overall positive trajectory, SEMI highlighted one significant area of concern: the silicon wafer market faced substantial headwinds as demand contracted. Silicon wafer revenues fell by 7.1% as manufacturers continued to reduce excess inventory, particularly in mature semiconductor process segments. The report also revealed the shifting global landscape, with China securing the second position worldwide at US$13.5 billion (NT$436.1 billion) in materials revenue, followed by South Korea with US$10.5 billion (NT$339.2 billion). ★
