North America led the world in growth of wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending in Q1, posting a 50% increase year-over-year as multiple chipmakers began to pay for equipment for their new fabs in the U.S., according to a SEMI report. Meanwhile, Taiwan remained the global leader in WFE spending as TSMC continued procuring leading-edge tools for its fabs in the country.
SEMI announced this week that worldwide spending on semiconductor equipment has risen to $26.8 billion — up 9% year-over-year — in the first quarter of 2023. Taiwan led the pack with $6.93 billion, up 42% YoY; China followed with $5.86 billion, down 23% when compared to the same period a year ago; South Korea was third with $5.62 billion, up 9% from Q1 2022; and the U.S. was the rather distant fourth with $3.93 billion — but that was still up 50% YoY.
