GlobalWafers Co
Corporate brand
UnclaimedTaiwan-based silicon wafer manufacturer and one of the world's largest suppliers of semiconductor-grade silicon wafers.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. (环球晶圆) is a Taiwanese manufacturer of silicon wafers — the polished, epitaxial and annealed substrates from which the overwhelming majority of the world's semiconductor chips are built. The company was carved out of Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), a Taiwanese silicon materials group, and spun off as an independent listed entity in 2011, listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 6488. It is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan's semiconductor heartland, and is widely counted among the top few silicon wafer suppliers globally alongside Japan's Shin-Etsu and SUMCO. GlobalWafers sells 150mm, 200mm and 300mm wafers in polished, epitaxial, and specialty (e.g., annealed, SOI, and compound semiconductor) forms, serving foundries, memory makers, and discrete/power device manufacturers. Its customer base spans the major global chipmakers, and its product lines extend to silicon-on-insulator wafers, gallium arsenide and other compound substrates, and reclaimed/test wafers. The company has grown substantially through acquisition: it absorbed the semiconductor wafer businesses of Toshiba Ceramics and Covalent Materials in Japan, acquired SunEdison Semiconductor (formerly MEMC) in 2016, and pursued a high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful bid to acquire Germany's Siltronic AG, which was terminated in 2022 after failing to secure German regulatory approval. GlobalWafers operates manufacturing sites in Taiwan, Japan, the United States, South Korea, China, Denmark, Italy, and Malaysia, giving it a genuinely global footprint. It is a key supplier to the semiconductor supply chain and has benefited from long-term wafer supply agreements with major chipmakers. The company remains part of the broader SAS group ecosystem, with SAS as a major shareholder. Its strategic importance has risen as governments push for semiconductor supply-chain resilience, and GlobalWafers has announced capacity expansions in the US and other locations in response to chip-industry incentives.
History
GlobalWafers' history is closely tied to Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), a Taiwanese silicon materials company founded in 1981 that originally produced silicon wafers for the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. As SAS's semiconductor wafer business grew, the group decided to separate it into a dedicated entity to sharpen focus on the semiconductor market and to give the unit direct access to capital markets. GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. was therefore established in 2011 as a spin-off of SAS's semiconductor wafer operations and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 6488. From its base in Hsinchu, GlobalWafers expanded through a series of acquisitions that transformed it from a regional supplier into a global player. It acquired the semiconductor wafer businesses of Toshiba Ceramics and Covalent Materials in Japan, adding Japanese manufacturing capacity and technology. In 2016 it completed the acquisition of SunEdison Semiconductor (formerly MEMC Electronic Materials), a major US-based wafer maker, which significantly expanded its 300mm capacity and its customer base in the United States and Europe. The deal also brought additional manufacturing sites in the US, Italy, and Malaysia into the group. The company's most high-profile corporate move was its attempt to acquire Germany's Siltronic AG, announced in 2020. The combination would have created one of the largest silicon wafer suppliers in the world. However, the deal required German regulatory approval, which was not granted, and GlobalWafers terminated the transaction in 2022. Despite the setback, GlobalWafers continued to invest in capacity, announcing expansions in the United States and elsewhere as governments introduced semiconductor manufacturing incentives. The company remains a key supplier to the global chip industry and a central part of the SAS group.
GlobalWafers is spun off from Sino-American Silicon Products and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (ticker 6488).
Completes acquisition of SunEdison Semiconductor, expanding 300mm capacity and global footprint.
Announces planned acquisition of Germany's Siltronic AG.
Terminates the Siltronic acquisition after German regulatory approval is not granted.
Products and positioning
One of the world's leading merchant suppliers of semiconductor-grade silicon wafers, positioned as a global, multi-site strategic partner to foundries, memory makers and power/discrete device manufacturers.
300mm polished and epitaxial silicon wafers
200mm and 150mm silicon wafers
SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafers
Compound semiconductor substrates
Reclaimed and test wafers
Recent events
Reported
SEMI Taiwan launches semiconductor materials alliance[2]
SEMI Taiwan launched the SEMI Taiwan Materials Alliance on August 21, 2026, to strengthen semiconductor materials supply chain resilience. More than 30 firms joined, including ASE Technology Holding, GlobalWafers, LCY Chemical Corp and Advanced Echem Materials Co.
Sources3 sources
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