Fan Filter Units and Custom FFU Sales On The Rise
The year 2019 saw an overall downturn in the sales of 300mm fab equipment. However, these sales are projected to slowly increase in the year 2020 before skyrocketing to new highs in 2021, according to Semiconductor Digest writer Shannon Davis. In 2021, the sales are projected to surpass $60 billion. After that, sales are expected to droop again in 2022, but 2023 will see another new record high. All in all, the industry will see a seesaw effect from year to year, but ultimately, the next four years look very bright.
Details on the Increase
The primary drivers behind this rosy outlook are memory, foundry/logic, and power. In the realm of memory, NAND will be particularly prominent. (NAND memory is a widely used type of flash memory, often seen in USB drives and memory cards.)
Some regions are expected to drive the increase in 300mm fab equipment investment more than others. The top-spending region is projected to be Korea. China and Taiwan will follow behind Korea in terms of spending. Other regions, such as Europe and Southeast Asia, will show increases as well, according to the projections.
The number of semiconductor fabs/lines in operation is expected to increase tremendously, from 136 in 2019 to a figure of 172 in 2023. That is an increase of more than 30 percent.
The Source of the Projections
The figures covered by Davis and in this article are pulled from the “Global 300mm Fab Outlook to 2023” report, which was published by the industry group SEMI on September 4, 2019. The report compiles data from more than 50 organizations and companies around the world. The report goes very in-depth: Its data is broken down by quarter from the year 2012 through 2023. It also makes certain estimates up through 2030, according to Davis. The report’s data comes from sources such as SEC filings, visits with suppliers, and public announcements.