Semiconductor Metrology and Inspection Market Report 2026

The semiconductor metrology and inspection market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $8.34 billion in 2025 to $8.88 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing need for precision inspection in lithography, rising complexity of semiconductor device geometries, growing demand for wafer defect detection, expansion of thin-film metrology applications, evolution of e-beam inspection platforms.

The semiconductor metrology and inspection market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $11.47 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising production of advanced nodes below 5nm, growing need for automated high-throughput metrology, expansion of 3d packaging inspection requirements, increased reliance on ai-based inspection analytics, rising investment in semiconductor fabs worldwide. Major trends in the forecast period include advancement of AI-driven defect detection, adoption of intelligent semiconductor manufacturing, growth of cloud-enabled inspection systems, expansion of connected metrology platforms, development of autonomous wafer inspection solutions.

The increase in consumer electronics is expected to drive the growth of the semiconductor metrology and inspection market going forward. Rising demand for semiconductors in devices such as smartphones and IoT gadgets requires highly precise manufacturing processes. Strict quality standards in consumer electronics further accelerate the adoption of advanced metrology tools to detect defects. Additionally, ongoing miniaturization in electronics necessitates accurate measurement techniques, while continuous innovation in consumer electronics depends on advancements in semiconductor manufacturing technologies. For example, in May 2023, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, a Japan-based trade association, total electronic equipment production in Japan reached 771,457 units. Consumer electronics production also increased to 32,099 units in May 2023, compared to 25,268 units in May 2022. Therefore, the growth of consumer electronics is contributing to the expansion of the semiconductor metrology and inspection market.

Major companies in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market are focusing on developing innovative technologies to enhance inspection processes and ensure semiconductor device quality. In March 2024, Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, a Japan-based advanced technology equipment manufacturer, introduced the LS9300AD wafer inspection system. This system features a built-in Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) optical system for high-sensitivity detection of microscopic defects, a DIC-compatible data processing system that enables simultaneous dark-field laser scattering and DIC inspection mapping, and a true wafer-edge-grip method that allows inspection of both surfaces of non-patterned wafers. This innovation enhances Hitachi High-Tech’s capabilities in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market.

In September 2023, Camtek Ltd., an Israel-based provider of automated inspection and metrology equipment for semiconductor wafers and advanced packaging, acquired FRT Metrology GmbH for US$100 million in cash. Through this acquisition, Camtek aimed to strengthen its metrology and inspection product portfolio by integrating FRT’s high-precision solutions for advanced packaging and silicon carbide wafers, thereby enhancing its technological capabilities and market presence. FRT Metrology GmbH is a Germany-based provider of high-precision metrology systems for advanced semiconductor packaging, silicon carbide wafers, and three-dimensional integrated circuit applications.

Major companies operating in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market are KLA Corporation, Applied Materials Inc., Onto Innovation Inc. (Rudolph Technologies Corporation), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd., ASML Holding NV, Lasertec Corporation, JEOL Ltd., Nikon Metrology NV, Camtek Limited, Bruker Corporation, Nanometrics Incorporated, Horiba Ltd., Carl Zeiss AG, SENTECH Instruments GmbH, Keyence Corporation, Accurion GmbH, Alicona Imaging GmbH, Veeco Instruments Inc., FormFactor Inc.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs have increased the cost of specialized optics, e-beam components, and precision motion systems used in semiconductor metrology and inspection, particularly affecting equipment imports into East Asia, North America, and Europe. Supply chain restrictions create delays in acquiring high-end lenses, detectors, and computational hardware essential for advanced inspection systems. However, tariffs are motivating regional manufacturing of semiconductor equipment and accelerating innovation in localized metrology technologies designed to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.

The semiconductor metrology and inspection market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides semiconductor metrology and inspection market statistics, including semiconductor metrology and inspection industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a semiconductor metrology and inspection market share, detailed semiconductor metrology and inspection market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the semiconductor metrology and inspection industry. This semiconductor metrology and inspection market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The critical role of semiconductor metrology and inspection lies in ensuring the highest quality standards throughout the semiconductor production process. Inspection techniques detect surface particles, pattern errors, and other potential issues that could impact the performance of the final semiconductor device. Simultaneously, metrology methods verify that the desired physical and electrical parameters of the devices meet the required specifications at each stage of production.

Semiconductor metrology and inspection primarily consist of optical and e-beam methods. Optical inspection utilizes light and its reflections to take measurements. Within optical inspection, brightfield and darkfield are the two primary categories. Darkfield inspection measures light reflections at a reduced angle, whereas brightfield inspection focuses on light from a higher angle. Lithography metrology encompasses overlay, dimension equipment, mask inspection, and metrology. These techniques are extensively used in various aspects of semiconductor production, including lithography metrology, wafer inspection, and thin film metrology.Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the semiconductor metrology and inspection market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The semiconductor metrology and inspection market includes revenues earned by lithography metrology and wafer inspection. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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