Fueled by Samsung and SK hynix, Semiconductor Equipment Market Sales Rise 12%

Global Semiconductor Equipment Sales Reach $143 Billion
Surging Demand for HBM, Advanced Process, and Packaging Equipment
Top Five Companies See 14% Sales Growth, Upcycle Continues

Investments by foundries such as TSMC to respond to artificial intelligence (AI) demand, combined with expanded memory investments by Samsung and SK hynix, are driving double-digit growth in the global semiconductor equipment market. The expansion of investments focused on advanced process technology and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) amid the AI-driven supercycle is analyzed as the main factor fueling equipment demand.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on April 28, the total sales of global semiconductor manufacturing equipment suppliers reached $143 billion (KRW 210.782 trillion), up 12% from the previous year. This growth is attributed to the expansion of AI infrastructure, which has led to a significant increase in demand for advanced logic semiconductors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and advanced packaging equipment.

In particular, the combined sales of the top five semiconductor equipment companies reached $114 billion (KRW 168.036 trillion), a 14% increase from the previous year. These top five companies are Applied Materials, ASML, Tokyo Electron, Lam Research, and KLA Corporation. Given this momentum, the equipment industry is also expected to remain in an upcycle this year, with revenues forecast to grow by approximately 11%.

Counterpoint Research

Sales in the foundry and logic segment grew by 8% year-on-year last year, accounting for 65% of total system sales. This was driven by foundry customers significantly increasing equipment investments to expand the production of advanced chips for AI accelerators and high-performance computing (HPC).

The global foundry market recorded $320 billion in revenue last year, up 16% from the previous year. Semiconductor equipment sales are also expected to continue their growth trajectory over the next several years. Such changes are the result of a combination of factors: the growth of advanced process-focused foundries based on expanding AI demand, the stable expansion of production capacity by regionally based companies, and the surge in advanced packaging demand. In particular, leading-edge foundry companies such as TSMC are driving demand for AI semiconductors, while regionally based companies like SMIC are also showing gradual growth centered on domestic demand.

The memory segment recorded a 16% year-on-year increase in sales last year. This is the result of expanded NAND flash and DRAM production capacity, as well as increased investment to meet rising demand for ASICs and HBM for AI servers. HBM4 represents the first transition from a conventional DRAM-based to a logic process-based product, and global memory companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have begun full-scale mass production this year. This shift is leading to the expansion of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process adoption and an increase in lithography steps, which in turn will drive up demand for deposition, etching, and process control equipment. Additionally, increasing process complexity is expected to further boost semiconductor equipment demand.

Over the past decade, investments in semiconductor equipment have continued to grow. The top five equipment companies posted a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% in sales from 2015 to 2025. As capital intensity structurally increases across semiconductor manufacturing, the industry is expected to secure a foundation for continuous growth over the next several years, with a focus on 2nm process technology, advanced packaging, and AI infrastructure investments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.