The sale of new semiconductor manufacturing equipment will grow at 35.6 percent in 2017 to $55.9 billion and at 7.5 percent in 2018 to $60.1 billion, according to SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing supply chain.
Wafer processing equipment revenue will grow at 37.5 percent to $45.0 billion.
The other front-end segment, which consists of fab facilities equipment, wafer manufacturing, and mask/reticle equipment, is expected to increase 45.8 percent to $2.6 billion.
The assembly and packaging equipment segment will grow by 25.8 percent to $3.8 billion in 2017.
Semiconductor test equipment is forecast to increase by 22 percent to $4.5 billion this year.
South Korea will be the largest equipment market in 2017.
Taiwan, which has maintained the top spot for five years, will be in second place.
China will be third.
South Korea will lead in growth with 132.6 percent, followed by Europe at 57.2 percent, and Japan at 29.9 percent.
Semiconductor equipment sales in China will increase by 17.5 percent in 2017 and by 49.3 percent in 2018 to $11.3 billion.
The report said that South Korea, China and Taiwan will be the top three semiconductor equipment markets in 2018. South Korea will be maintaining the top spot at $16.9 billion. China will become the second largest market at $11.3 billion. Semiconductor equipment sales to Taiwan are expected to approach $11.3 billion.
