The global thin wafer market size is estimated to be USD 7.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach 10.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The market has a promising growth potential due to several factors, including the increased demand for connected devices owning to advancements in IoT, rising adoption of MEMS technology in portable health monitoring devices, increasing utilization of thin wafers in automotive communication and safety systems, miniaturization of electronic devices, and high amount of material saving.

COVID-19 sent both demand-side and supply-side shocks across the global economy. Leading thin wafer providers, such as GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. (Taiwan) and Siltronic (Germany), have incurred significant losses owing to the pandemic. Both companies have reported a decline of approximately 10% and 6% respectively in their half-year revenue as compared to the previous year. Also, devices such as MEMS, CIS, memory, RF devices, LEDs, interposers, and logic have experienced a decline in demand from end-user industries such as consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, and medical. This has resulted in a decline in the demand for thin wafers, further weakening the financial position of most of the key manufacturers.

“Polishing: The fastest growing technology segment of the thin wafer market.”
The wafer polishing process creates thinner wafers than back-grinding alone and evens out any irregular topography and prevents warping that causes the wafers to weaken. The integration of RFIDs into various consumer electronic devices and identity solutions, such as smart cards and identification tags, demands thinner wafers with smooth surfaces to be able to be incorporated seamlessly into these devices. This is expected to boost the demand for wafer polishing equipment during the forecast period.

“Memory: The largest growing segment of thin wafer market, by application.”
Memory segment accounted for the largest market share of the thin wafer market, by application and is dominated by smartphone manufacturers. New memory technologies such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory (NAND) have replaced traditional technologies. Moreover, memory devices require high-precision bonding, and packaging for the best performance. This shift in the memory market has created a demand for thinner wafers to integrate memory chips easily into various consumer electronic devices.

“APAC is projected to be the fastest geographical market between 2020 and 2025”
APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2025. The high growth rate of APAC is attributed to the growing adoption of connected devices and increasing demand for wearable electronics during the forecast period. The rising number of users of smartphones and consumer devices due to growing disposable incomes is likely to stimulate the thin wafer market growth in APAC. Additionally, an increasing number of IDMs in the region is expected to boost the demand for thin wafers in the region.

Breakdown of profiles of primary participants:

  • By Company: Tier 1 = 30%, Tier 2 = 45%, and Tier 3 = 25%
  • By Designation: C-level Executives = 55% and Managers = 45%
  • By Region: Americas – 45%, EMEA– 30%, and APAC – 25%


Major players profiled in this report:
The thin wafer market is dominated by a few globally established players such as Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan), SUMCO Corporation (Japan), GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Siltronic (Germany), and SK Siltron (South Korea).

Research coverage

This research report segments the global thin wafer market based on Wafer Size (125 mm, 200 mm, and 300 mm), Process (Temporary Bonding & Debonding and Carrier-less/Taiko Process), Technology (Grinding, Polishing, and Dicing), Application (MEMS, CIS, Memory, RF Devices, LED, Interposer, Logic and Others), and Geography (Americas, EMEA, and APAC).
The report also provides a comprehensive review of market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to the thin wafer market and also includes value chain. The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies.


Key Benefits of Buying the Report

  • The report will help market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall thin wafer market and the sub-segments.
  • This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies.
  • The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.