Fab equipment spending is expected to reach more than $46 billion in 2017 and $50 billion mark in 2018.
SEMI’s World Fab Forecast report provides updates to 282 facilities and lines equipping in 2017, 11 of which are expected to spend over $1 billion each in 2017.
In 2018, SEMI’s data reflect 270 fabs to equip, with 12 facilities spending over $1 billion each. The spending is mainly directed towards memory (3D NAND and DRAM), Foundry and MPU. Other strong product segments are Discretes (with LED and Power), Logic, MEMS (with MEMS/RF), and Analog/Mixed Signal.
SEMI forecasts that China will be third for regional spending in 2017, though China’s annual growth is about 1 percent, as many of the new fab projects are in the construction phase.
China is constructing 14 new fabs in 2017 and these fabs will be equipping in 2018. China’s annual spending growth rate in 2018 will be over 55 percent to more than $10 billion, ranking in second place for worldwide spending in 2018.
China is equipping 48 fabs, with equipment spending of $6.7 billion in 2017. SEMI predicts that 49 fabs will be equipped, with spending of about $10 billion in 2018.
