Semiconductor Polishing Pads Market - Forecasts from 2023 to 2028

The global semiconductor polishing pads market was valued at US$0.983 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.42% to reach US$1.423 billion by 2028.

The semiconductor polishing pads market is projected to grow at a considerable pace during the forecast period. These pads refer to consumable products used in the chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of semiconductor materials. They are vital in determining the performance and quality level of the process and are made from several materials such as metal oxide, ceramic, polyurethane, etc. The semiconductor polishing pads market can be classified in the following ways: by type, application, and geographic region. The major drivers for the growth of this market include increased demand for semiconductors in several booming industries, such as electronics and automotive.

Market Drivers:

• Miniaturization of electronic devices

A major factor driving the growth of the semiconductor polishing pads industry is the rising trend of miniaturization of electronic devices. As this trend grows, the need for advanced packaging will also increase as it improves thermal efficiency and provides better reliability, in addition to helping in reducing device sizes. Polishing pads are necessary for the advanced semiconductor packaging process, and, therefore, their demand will grow in tandem with the need for advanced packaging due to the miniaturization of electronic devices.

Further, the electronics industry has been experiencing growth due to investments by private players and government institutions in research and development efforts. For instance, the electronics production industry in India has grown by over double in size from 2015 to 2021, as per research from the India Brand Equity Foundation. The demand for consumer electronics such as air conditioners, televisions, and smartphones is growing, and their manufacturing involves using semiconductors to control and manage the flow of electric current. Therefore, as the demand for consumer electronics grows, the semiconductor polishing pads market size will increase too.

• Demand for semiconductors by the automotive industry.

Semiconductors also find uses in growing industries such as automotive, which helps further boost the semiconductor polishing pads industry size. Semiconductors are used extensively in modern automobiles for advanced driver assistance system technologies and other smart features such as autopilot driving and parking assistance. For instance, the production of motor vehicles in the U.S. has grown by 10% from 2021 to 2022, as per the International Organization for Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Therefore, as the production and sale of automobiles grow, the demand for semiconductor polishing pads for CMP of semiconductor wafers will continue to grow steadily.

Restraints to the industry’s expansion.

Technical complexities and semiconductor shortage.

Key challenge to the industry's growth is the need for technically skilled and competent labor to manufacture semiconductor polishing pads. The lack of professional operators can act as a barrier to growth, and hiring skilled labor adds to the overall cost of the product, further reducing its affordability. There is also a shortage of semiconductor chips in the market due, which is further aggravated by supply chain disruptions due to the coronavirus and the Russia-Ukraine war. This impacts the demand for polishing pads directly related to the need for semiconductors.

Products Offered by key players.

• DuPont’s Optivision Pro range offers polishing pads for chemical mechanical planarization by facilitating advanced polishing and design improvements. This is the company’s third generation of CMP pads manufactured to ease customers' ownership costs. The product features enable endpointing options and offer increased removal rates, improved lifetimes, and reduced defectivity compared to previous ranges of its products.
• Fujibo’s Ehime ultra-high precision polishing pads allow for the precise polishing of semiconductor devices. Developed with the help of the research and development capabilities of the company, the products are designed to meet the needs of the customers. The POLYPAS (Suede series) polishing pads help in the final polishing of semiconductor wafers and are available in different variants for multiple needs.
• 3M’s Trizact CMP Pads are used in semiconductor fabrication to provide uniformity in the CMP process. The product offers stability through its usable life and reduced erosion and uses microreplication technology to provide precise control for consistent pad performance.

The Asia-Pacific region semiconductor polishing pads market.

Asia Pacific is expected to constitute a significant share of the semiconductor polishing pads industry, and similar trends are expected to be followed in the forecast period. This market share is owed to the growth in electronics and automotive sectors in the region's major economies, such as China and India, as well as the growing electronics industry bases in countries like China, South Korea, and Japan.

Chinese and Indian markets.

China holds one of the largest electronics production bases in the world and is also considered one of the largest manufacturing hubs globally. These are two key factors that will continue to increase the demand for semiconductors in Chinese markets as growing industries such as electronics, healthcare, defense, automotive, etc., will continue to demand more semiconductors which will help in the growth of semiconductor polishing pads market size. In India, the focus on domestic production has led to increased industrial growth in all sectors, which is proportionately driving the demand for semiconductors.

Forecast for the Rest of the World.

It is anticipated that North American and European markets will experience moderate growth too. The market for semiconductor polishing pads in the United States is expected to see a surge in demand due to the presence of large semiconductor manufacturers such as 3M, Cabot Microelectronics, etc., that are heavily investing in the semiconductor business and its further research, as well as demand from growing industries such as automotive, healthcare, etc. for semiconductors.

Key Developments.

• In July 2021, in collaboration with F&S Tech, Samsung Electronics announced the launch of reusable pads for semiconductor wafer polishing. These pads are made of polyurethane and allow for the flattening of semiconductor wafer surfaces by chemical and mechanical polishing. The CMP pads are reused by separating them, recharging the worn-out parts, and re-hardening them using their patented technology.
• In January 2023, Amtech Systems announced the acquisition of Entrepix, Inc. for US$35 million. The acquisition is expected to enhance Amtech’s market share in the front-end wafer processing market by adding substrate processing solutions and utilizing the synergies between both companies’ customer bases.

Market Segmentation:

By Type

• Hard CMP Pads
• Soft CMP Pads

By Application

• 300m Wafer
• 200mm Wafer
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Israel
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• Japan
• India
• South Korea
• Indonesia
• Taiwan
• Others