SAN JOSE, Calif., June 6 -- Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) said that worldwide silicon wafer area shipments declined by 14 percent during the first quarter of 2001 when compared with last year's fourth quarter area shipments. In its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry, SEMI found that silicon wafer area shipments totaled 1.25 billion square inches during the most recent quarter, down from the 1.45 billion square inches shipped during the fourth quarter 2000 and down 2 percent from the first quarter of 2000. "The wafer manufacturers are experiencing the effects of the chip inventory overhang impacting their customers and the general slowing in the overall macroeconomic conditions," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. 2001 will prove to be a challenging year for the electronic material suppliers, particularly if there is a reduction in semiconductor unit output."