KUALA LUMPUR (March 18): Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment rose 18% year-on-year in 2014 to US$37.50 billion, according to the US-based Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

In a statement on its website March 16, SEMI said total bookings last year were 8% higher than in 2013.

It said the data were available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

The report, which is compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the Worldwide SEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings and bookings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry.

The report, which includes data for seven major semiconductor producing regions and 24 product categories, showed worldwide billings totaled US$37.50 billion in 2014, compared to US$31.79 billion in sales posted in 2013.

The categories cover wafer processing, assembly and packaging, test, and other front-end equipment. Other front-end includes mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, and fab facilities equipment.

SEMI said the spending rates increased for all the regions tracked in the WWSEMS report, except for Taiwan.

It said that even with the annual decrease, Taiwan remained the largest market for new semiconductor equipment for the third year in a row with US$9.41 billion in equipment sales.

“The North American market held onto the second place with $8.16 billion in sales; South Korea maintained its third position with total sales of $6.84 billion. China moved up in the rankings, surpassing Japan with $4.37 billion in sales,” said SEMI.

SEMI said the global assembly and packaging segment increased 33%; total test equipment sales increased 31%; other front end equipment segment increased 15%; and the wafer processing equipment market segment increased 15%, said the report.