August 24, 2026 / SemiMedia / — Semiconductor silicon wafer suppliers are entering a new round of price negotiations covering 300mm, 200mm and 150mm products as AI-related demand and industry inventory conditions improve.

Some 300mm polished wafer contracts negotiated every six months have begun adopting new prices with double-digit percentage increases, according to a report by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. Negotiations remain at different stages, and actual adjustments vary by product specification, contract and customer.

Pricing for 200mm wafers is generally negotiated annually. Suppliers are expected to begin discussing 2027 contracts with customers in the fourth quarter, with proposed increases also targeting double-digit percentages.

Negotiations for 150mm wafers are underway, with potential increases of approximately 10%. The reported changes represent the first broad upward movement in semiconductor silicon wafer pricing in more than three years.

GlobalWafers said demand in some end markets has begun to improve and supply-chain inventories are healthier than last year. The company declined to comment on individual product prices but said overall market signals have become considerably more positive.

Formosa Sumco Technology said it has started communicating price adjustment mechanisms to customers as cost pressure is met by stronger demand. The company expects its operating performance in the second half of 2026 to exceed that of the first half.

Wafer Works is also negotiating silicon wafer price adjustments with customers. In addition to its existing wafer portfolio, the company is expanding into advanced packaging and optical interconnect applications, with square wafer samples currently undergoing customer qualification.

AI demand is supporting advanced logic and memory production while gradually increasing utilization for power management, interconnect and other peripheral chips manufactured on mature processes. This expansion is improving demand across multiple silicon wafer diameters.

Global silicon wafer shipments reached 3.573 billion square inches in the second quarter of 2026, rising 9.1% sequentially and 7.4% year on year, according to SEMI data. The combination of higher shipments and firmer pricing indicates that the silicon wafer market is moving into a broader recovery.