Asian Tech Press (Feb 10) -- Tokyo-based SUMCO Corp, a key supplier of silicon wafers for the semiconductor industry, said it has now sold out its production capacity through 2026.

The Japanese company said after its earnings report Wednesday that all output of its 300mm wafers for the next five years has been ordered. For 150mm and 200mm wafers, no such long-term orders have been taken, but demand is likely to continue to outstrip supply in the coming years.

It can be seen that the industry's supply shortage will continue to exist and may not be alleviated for many years.

In an environment where supply exceeds demand, wafer prices rose 10% in 2021 compared to the previous year. In response, Sumco anticipated that the rise would continue at least through 2024.

It also said that although customers have strong demand for long-term supply, the company simply could not expand production this year. And the wafer maker has done all it can in terms of optimizing existing production lines, and there is a supply-demand imbalance for all products, including 200mm and 300mm wafers.

Last April, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that global chip shortage is expected to remain until at least the end of 2023.