ICInsights recently released the latest market research institutions in 2016 ~ 2020 all chip production report, according to global operations in 12 inches (300 mm) fabs number continues to grow, expected to reach 100 in 2016.

Other ICInsights report about 12 inch fabs mainly include:

There are several scheduled 2013 opening fabs delay in 2014; And with the Taiwan industry ProMOS (ProMOS) two large 12 inch plant closed in 2013, lead to the number of 12 inch fabs in operating in 2013 for the first time to reduce.

By the end of 2015, there are 95 production level of the world's IC factory USES the 12-inch wafer (there is a lot of research and development studio and a few production of IC products, such as volume production of CMOS image sensor fabs, but is not included in the statistics).

Worldwide have eight 12-inch fabs are expected to be opened in 2017, is likely to make the year since 2014, there are nine fabs began operating, the second highest number fabs began operating.

22 again by the end of 2020, the world is expected to have a 12-inch wafer plant operation, let the world used in IC production 12-inch wafer plant a total of 117 seats. 18 inches (450 mm) and if the wafer into mass production, 12-inch fabs peak number can be up to around 125 seats; And 8 inches (200 mm) in operating production the highest number of fabs is 210 (in December 2015, 148).

12-inch fabs number continues to grow

12-inch wafer factory today can be quite large, but they are in the form of a kind of modularization and equipment; Each "modules" usually have 25 k to 45 k a month wafer production capacity, and with the closest fabs module closely linked; Semiconductor manufacturing co (TSMC) has taken this modularization scheme optimization, its Fab12 stronghold, 14 and 15 are expanding in stages.

And 18 inch wafer technology continues to mass production, although the pace not best not fire; And because of the lithography technology is transferred to one of the biggest challenges of 18-inch wafers, equipment providers ASML in March 2014, announced it would temporarily delay 18-inch wafers equipment development, industry experts think this is a signs of department of 18-inch wafers may never happen.

ASML also pointed out that the delay 18-inch wafers equipment development decision is based on the customer's requirements. ICInsights don't think it means 18-inch wafers will be stillborn, but the size of the pilot production of wafers is likely to happen after 2019, while mass production is more 2 ~ 3 years.

Different size of silicon market situation and development forecast around the world

(different size of silicon markets around the world outlook)

300 mm silicon wafers 12-inch wafers, since 2009 to become the mainstream of the global demand for silicon wafers (greater than 50%), in 2017 is expected to account for silicon wafer market demand is greater than 75%. 12 inches of flow process is a very important process in semiconductor manufacturing, so now we can see, the mainland's new foundries, mostly in the form of 12 inches of factories, there are some using second-hand equipment 8 inches of factories, but new foundries under 6 inch almost none.

By 2014, the world's 2014 mm silicon wafers out actual amount already accounts for some 65% of the amount of various wafers out, an average of about 4.5 million pieces per month. 1 ~ 2015 second quarter average demand about 5 million pieces per month. At present, the 12-inch wafer mainly for the production of 90 nm - 28 nm and below feature sizes (16 nm and 14 nm) memory chip, digital circuit chip and mixed signal circuits.

In 2014, the demand in the top 10 300 mm wafer manufacturers, usage, the largest is the samsung, is used mainly for memory and logic chips, the second is the light, only do memory, the third is Toshiba and SanDisk company, also basically is the logical product, the fourth-largest consumer is hynix, almost all the memory, and Taiwan's TSMC's fifth-biggest user (TSMC), almost all used as logic chips, Intel is the sixth largest usage. In the top ten usage, TSMC and UMC (ucm), such as Powerchip, 12 inch wafer foundry and memory, their Chinese is very good. And our domestic demand to 12-inch wafers, and also start up, from the perspective of the demand of the semiconductor market, probably starting in 2004, the demand of China has surpassed the United States as the largest country in the global demand for semiconductors, around 2010, China accounted for 50% of global demand for semiconductor, in 2016, the basic account for 60% of global demand.

Mainland semiconductor demand is very big, our own IC (integrated circuit) industry production is not enough, so now the IC (integrated circuit) has become China's mainland imports most of single project, several years in a row over the oil imports. China as the use of IC (integrated circuit) power, production quantity can not enough however, too much dependence on imports, therefore, at present the country the establishment of the integrated circuit industry investment funds (funds) and the local government set up special fund of integrated circuits, purpose is to accelerate the development of IC industry and ascend.

Around 2000, domestic production of IC (integrated circuit) can supply about 6-8% of domestic demand, which is more than 90% dependent on imports. Combined with other peers, after the establishment to smic domestic whole can supply 15% of the domestic demand of IC (integrated circuit). But since about 2006, although supply increased a lot, but also to increase demand, the percentage of domestic IC self supply remain at around 15%. Government is also more care about the development of IC industry, hope that in 2025 years ago, the domestic IC industry rate can reach at least 50%.

And integrated circuit manufacturing at present basically is 12 inches, and the process is under 40 nm, around 2025 should be able to do it under 10 nm even more advanced technology production (size). Among them, 28 nm in 2017-2018 will be the main force, increase the proportion of 20 nm, and 16 nm and 14 nm difficulty is very big, the number of mass production is not too much, but it is supposed that the 2019 nm 16 and 14 nm will mass production, product technology of 28 nm will get the 16 nm or 14 nm process line, 28 nm process production will gradually decline. But because 28 nm is long life technology, after 2019, 28 nm process demand remains high, country and therefore hope to accelerate the research and development and production of 28 nm wafers (300 mm silicon wafers), it is a good chance.

The present question is that the upstream is a design company, this development in our country now is quite good, there are several companies can design to 16 nm, 14 nm; But the production side, the upstream materials IC grade polysilicon is not yet, but soon there will be, there have been several enterprises in the project. Polycrystalline silicon raw materials, high purity quartz, are now known to the world's reserves, China the most, quality is best, but we were the quartz before low-cost export after reduction of silicon metal, high-priced imported polycrystalline silicon, and quartz back into silicon metal phase is highly contaminated. But before the solar industry lead to the development of the domestic polysilicon industry, the current solar grade polysilicon, the output of our country is the world's first.

Solar grade polysilicon purity of 99.9999%, a total of 6 "9", are doing better in 7-8 "9" and semiconductor grade 11 "9", the current domestic laboratory can do a small amount of semiconductor, but to do a few tons of single crystal, at present also cannot do it. So countries also attaches great importance to, 02 special is in the semiconductor grade polysilicon production project to solve the problem, is expected in about two or three years can be 11 "9" of polysilicon production, can be roughly satisfy the demand of the domestic industry chain.

But in the IC industry chain, polycrystalline silicon downstream link: make crystal ingots and wafers that IC level, or missing an important part of the current our country IC industry chain.

At present, in the industrial chain backend, domestic ICWaferFabrication already, encapsulation testing is already the world's first across the Taiwan straits, the continent's progress faster than Taiwan; In addition, is the world's first product assembly, such as the iPhone; End - userconsumers also is the world's first. Domestic IC industry chain backend is very strong, the front-end rather weak.

Now 300 mm semiconductor grade silicon wafers, domestic demand about 45-500000 a month, and the current domestic production of almost zero, this is the most shortage on the industrial chain link. And the ring, Japanese production of the world's most, Japan's letter and earn more, the sum of the two production capacity and actual supply more than two-thirds of the world. 300 mm semiconductor grade silicon wafers, is not only one of the most important aspects of the lack of industry chain, is also the needs of the development of national security strategy.

Countries in 2012-2013, the ministry of science and 02 special, the existing large silicon project budget preparation, but can't send project, the reason is that although there is a research and development of domestic institutions did 12 inches large wafers, research and development success, but the yield is not high also not energy production. In 2014, the ministry of science and technology 02 special also communicated with us, the leadership of the requirement is not only developed, more to measure success. The concept of mass production is not thousands of pieces, is the delivery of more than 100000 pieces per month for six months for delivery is more than 100000 customers, in order to be complete the project.