Wafer average selling price, or wafer ASP, measures the average revenue a semiconductor foundry earns per wafer sold under its reporting definition.
A simplified calculation is:
wafer ASP = applicable wafer revenue ÷ wafer shipments
Some issuers disclose the dollar ASP directly or discuss its sequential or year-over-year change instead of publishing the full numerator and denominator.
Why wafer ASP matters
Foundry revenue can move because of both shipment volume and pricing or mix.
GlobalFoundries attributed part of its second-quarter 2026 revenue change to higher wafer shipments, partly offset by a decline in blended corporate ASP. UMC separately guides investors on wafer shipments and ASP.
That split helps investors see whether growth is coming from more wafers, richer economics per wafer, or both.
Wafer ASP is heavily influenced by mix
A higher ASP does not necessarily mean the company raised price on identical products.
ASP can move because of:
- wafer diameter;
- process node;
- specialty technology;
- product complexity;
- customer mix;
- geographic mix; and
- contractual pricing.
UMC, for example, said a decline in blended ASP in early 2026 partly reflected a higher share of 8-inch wafer shipments.
Wafer ASP is narrower than generic ASP
The existing Average Selling Price page explains the broad pricing concept across industries.
Wafer ASP owns the semiconductor-foundry use case, where wafer size, node mix, and technology mix can materially change the economics behind the average.
Revenue per wafer is not profit per wafer
A higher wafer ASP can come with higher manufacturing cost.
Advanced process technologies may require more process steps, more expensive equipment, lower early-stage yields, or higher depreciation.
Investors should therefore connect wafer ASP with Semiconductor Manufacturing Yield, utilization, and gross margin.
Primary-source examples
Wafer ASP is most useful as the price-and-mix leg of the foundry revenue bridge.
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