KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 16): Global semiconductor equipment sales are expected to nominal positive growth in 2016 and increase 1.4% to US$38 billion, according to the US-based Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

In a statement on ite website yesterday, SEMI said global sales will dip 0.6% to US$37.3 billion this year.

It said the SEMI year-end forecast predicts that wafer processing equipment, the largest product segment by dollar value, is anticipated to increase 0.7% in 2015 to total US$29.5 billion.

“The “Other Front End” category (fab facilities, mask/reticle, and wafer manufacturing equipment) is expected to increase 20.6% in 2015.

“The forecast predicts that the market for assembly and packaging equipment will decrease by 16.4% to US$2.6 billion in 2015 and that the market for semiconductor test equipment is forecast to decrease by 7.4%, totaling US$3.3 billion this year.

SEMI said that for 2015, Taiwan, South Korea, North America, remain the largest spending regions, with investments in Japan approaching North American levels. 

SEMI forecasts that in 2016, equipment sales in Europe will climb to US$3.4 billion (63.1% over 2015).

It said after a 13% contraction for Europe in 2015, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Infineon, Intel, and STMicroelectronics are all expected to significantly accelerate fab equipment spending in 2016, resulting in strong growth in the region in 2016.  

“In Rest of World, essentially Southeast Asia, sales will reach US$2.5 billion (25.7% increase), the China market will total US$5.3 billion (9.1% increase), and North America equipment spending will reach US$5.9 billion (6.1% increase).

“The equipment markets in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are expected to contract in 2016,”it said.