On March 16, the latest report from IC Insights pointed out that there will be nine new 12-inch (300mm) fabs open in the world in 2019, five of which are from China.
IC Insights' global wafer capacity report shows that as early as 2008, 12-inch wafers became the industry's main wafer size. Since then, the number of 12-inch fabs has continued to increase. With the opening of nine new 12-inch fabs this year, it is expected that by the end of this year, the number of 12-inch fabs operating globally will increase to 121, and by 2023 it will reach 138.
At the end of 2018, a total of 112 IC manufacturing companies used 12-inch wafers. A total of seven 12-inch fabs were opened in 2018, and nine 12-inch fabs will be added this year, five of which are located in China. According to IC Insights, six 12-inch fabs will be added to the world in 2020, and these new plants will be used for DRAM and NAND Flash or foundry this year and next year.
IC Insighs reports that by the end of 2023, the number of 12-inch fabs worldwide will increase by 26 from 2018, bringing the total to 138. In contrast, at the end of 2018, only 150 wafer fabs that produced 8-inch wafers were put into operation worldwide. The peak of the 8-inch fab was 210, and now it has been reduced by 60.
