Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment edged down 1.3% to US$106.3 billion in 2023, from an all-time high of US$107.6 billion in 2022, according to SEMI.
China, South Korea, and Taiwan – the top three areas in chip equipment spending in 2023 – accounted for 72% of the worldwide equipment market. China maintained the largest semiconductor equipment market, SEMI said.
The pace of investments in China accelerated 29% year-over-year, reaching US$36.6 billion in billings last year, SEMI indicated. Equipment spending in Korea, the second-largest equipment market, fell 7% to US$19.9 billion on softer demand and the memory market inventory correction. After posting four straight years of growth, equipment sales to Taiwan also contracted 27% to US$19.6 billion.
Annual semiconductor equipment investments in North America rose 15%, largely on the strength of CHIPS and Science Act investments. Europe logged a 3% increase. Sales to Japan and the Rest of World decreased 5% and 39% year-over-year, respectively, according to SEMI.
"Despite a slight dip in global equipment sales, the semiconductor industry continues to show strength, with strategic investments fueling growths in key regions," said Ajit Manocha, SEMI President and CEO. "The overall results for the year were better than anticipated by most industry followers."
In 2023, global wafer processing equipment sales rose 1%, while other front-end segment billings increased by 10%. After contracting in 2022, assembly and packaging equipment sales fell 30% in 2023, while overall test equipment billings declined 17% year on year.
