News briefing
According to information released by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SMEI) in March, the global semiconductor industry is striding towards a rare record of much higher expenditures in wafer equipment for the next three years. During the 2020-2022 period, global wafer plants' equipment expenditures will increase by approximately US$10 billion every year, eventually reaching the threshold of $80 billion in 2022.
 

Impact analysis

Since wafer manufacturing is upstream of the semiconductor industry, the amount of capital expenditures within manufacturers will be closely watched to see how significant referential values will impact future prosperity and demand for end products. Judging from the estimated data released by SEMI, the wafer industry will achieve a double-digit growth rate for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, with the cumulative growth rate reaching 150.7%. Such figures show that the electronics industry is in a rapid expansion stage at present, believed to continue as such into the next two years, both globally and in Taiwan. The near-future looks bright for the PCB industry.
In addition, output value growth rates in 2020, compared to the PCB industry in Taiwan, reached 10.2% when calculated in US dollars. The growth rate of substrates, a product highly interlocked with semiconductors, is believed to have reached as high as 21.6%. In addition to demonstrating competitive advantages with regard to semiconductor applications, this wave of upward development will provide an excellent platform for Taiwan's PCB industry.
 

Growth rate of equipment investment by global wafer plants