Korea claimed the largest market for new semiconductor equipment for the first time, shattering all previous regional spending records with $17.95 billion in equipment sales. Taiwan fell to the second position with sales of $11.49 billion. Annual spending rates increased for South Korea, Europe, China, Japan and North America. However, new equipment markets in Taiwan and Rest of World (primarily Southeast Asia) contracted.

Equipment sales to China increased 27 percent as the region maintained the third largest market position for the second year in a row. The 2017 equipment markets in Japan and North America held onto fourth and fifth places, respectively, while the Europe market rose in the rankings to the sixth spot. The global other front-end segment increased 40 percent; the wafer processing equipment market segment rose 39 percent; the assembly and packaging segment jumped 29 percent; and total test equipment sales increased 27 percent.

Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the Worldwide SEMS Report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. Categories cover wafer processing, assembly and packaging, test, and other front-end equipment. Other front-end includes mask/reticle manufacturing, wafer manufacturing, and fab facilities equipment.