April 11, 2026 – Driven by the booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and third-generation semiconductors, the global polished circular wafer market is ushering in a strong recovery and steady growth. According to the latest industry reports and data from SEMI, the global polished silicon wafer shipment area is expected to reach 132 billion square inches in 2026, with a year-on-year growth of 3.1%, and the market size is projected to rebound to $138 billion, reversing the downward trend in 2023 and 2024. As the core substrate for chip manufacturing, polished circular wafers have become a key driver of the global semiconductor industry’s recovery, with technological innovations continuously breaking through industry bottlenecks.
Industry insiders point out that the rapid development of AI and HPC has become the primary driving force for the growth of the polished circular wafer market. The surge in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced logic devices has significantly boosted the demand for large-size polished wafers, especially 12-inch products. It is estimated that the monthly shipment of 12-inch polished wafers will reach 848 million pieces in 2026, a year-on-year increase of about 16%, accounting for more than 80% of the total shipment area of global silicon wafers. Meanwhile, the stable recovery of automotive and industrial electronics sectors has also driven the steady demand for 8-inch polished wafers, which are expected to grow by 30% in 2026.
Technological innovation has become a core competitiveness in the polished circular wafer industry, with breakthroughs emerging in ultra-precision polishing processes and equipment. A research team from Soochow University has developed the world’s first electrochemical mechanical polishing (ECMP) equipment, which integrates electric fields into traditional chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processes, achieving damage-free, high-precision and high-efficiency polishing of semiconductor wafers. This technology reduces the surface roughness of third-generation semiconductor materials to below 0.22nm, increases polishing efficiency by 5 times compared with existing CMP technologies, and cuts the cost of polishing fluid by more than 70%. Additionally, a team from Huaqiao University has developed a soft-hard composite resin polishing wheel, realizing the integration of wafer grinding and polishing, which shortens the overall processing time to 8-15 minutes and increases the yield rate by about 10%.
“The polished circular wafer is the foundation of chip manufacturing, and its surface flatness, cleanliness and defect control directly determine the performance and reliability of chips,” said Guo Jianyue, former general manager of Zhongxin Wafer. “With the advancement of process nodes to 7nm and below, the requirements for polished wafers are becoming more stringent, and the industry is focusing on developing defect-free (COP-free) and ultra-flat products.” He added that as AI and autonomous driving technologies continue to penetrate, the demand for high-quality polished wafers will maintain a strong growth momentum, and the market is expected to shift to a supply-demand imbalance in 2026.
In terms of regional development, the Asia-Pacific region has become the global core market for polished circular wafers, driven by the rapid development of the semiconductor manufacturing industry in China, South Korea and Japan. China, in particular, is accelerating the localization of polished wafers, with domestic enterprises such as Changxin Memory, Yangtze Memory and Zhongxin Wafer continuously expanding production capacity and improving product quality. Zhongxin Wafer’s 12-inch polished wafer project in Lishui is expected to reach a monthly capacity of 300,000 pieces in 2026, further boosting the domestic supply capacity. North America and Europe, meanwhile, remain important markets, with strong demand for high-end polished wafers for advanced process chips, supported by strict quality standards and mature industrial chains.
The industry is also witnessing a shift in development focus towards environmental protection and cost control. Traditional CMP processes face problems such as high consumption of polishing fluid and heavy metal pollution, prompting manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly polishing technologies. The ECMP technology developed by the Soochow University team increases abrasive utilization by 32%, significantly reducing environmental pollution and production costs. In addition, the soft-hard composite resin polishing wheel developed by Huaqiao University can directly replace existing consumables without additional equipment investment, helping enterprises reduce equipment transformation costs.
Looking ahead, with the continuous penetration of 5G, edge computing and AI technologies, the demand for polished circular wafers will continue to grow. SEMI predicts that the global silicon wafer shipment area will reach a record high of 154.85 billion square inches by 2028, driven by sustained demand for AI-related products. Industry experts believe that the future of polished circular wafers lies in the integration of multi-field composite polishing technologies and the development of customized products for different application scenarios, which will continue to support the innovation and development of the global semiconductor industry.