November 07, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Global silicon wafer shipments reached 3.313 billion square inches in the third quarter, down 0.4% from Q2 but up 3.1% year-on-year, according to SEMI. Market participants describe the recovery as uneven, with the bulk of momentum tied to advanced-node investments for AI.

SEMI noted that 12-inch wafers remained the primary growth driver this year as AI-related logic and high-bandwidth memory projects continued to command capital spending. The association previously forecast that total wafer shipments could rise 5.4% in 2025 to 12.824 billion square inches.

Market participants generally expect wafer growth over the next two years to track AI-related node migration, rather than broad swings in consumer electronics.