It's not just RAM getting more expensive - the tools to make chips are set to explode in cost too, experts warn

• WFE, NAND and DRAM sales all rose more sharply than previous expected this year
• China, Taiwan and Korea remain the epicenter of chipmaking
• The semiconductor market has surpassed $200 billion in quarterly revenue

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales are forecast to hit $133 billion in 2025, marking a 13.7% year-over-year increase, with figures expected to climb to $145 billion by 2026 and $156 billion by 2027.

The figures come from a new SEMI report, which warns semiconductor manufacturing tools could be entering a period of rapid cost inflation driven by AI tool and cloud computing workloads.

According to the data, Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) costs are rising "as the industry moves toward high-volume manufacturing at the 2nm gate-all-around (GAA) node."