Gartner has said that semiconductor wafer demand dived 36.3% in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the industry felt the full force of the global slowdown in electronics demand as a consequence of the global recession. The lack of demand for wafers was compounded by the rapid increase in semiconductor inventory, which is expected to rise toward the mid-2001 level, the worst the industry had experienced.
The market research firm is forecasting that silicon wafer demand from the semiconductor industry will rebound in the second half of 2009, albeit temporarily, with overall demand declining by 35.3% in 2009.