SEMI Survey Forecasts Growth

CHIBA, Japan, Dec. 4 -- The world's leading manufacturers of semiconductor equipment expect sales to increase this year to $21.4 billion, more than eight percent above the $19.8 billion in sales posted in 2002, according to the year-end edition of the SEMI Capital Equipment Consensus Forecast, released here this week at the annual SEMICON Japan exposition.

SEMI is an industry association for companies that develop manufacturing technology and materials to the global semiconductor, flat-panel display, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and other microelectronics industries.

Survey respondents revealed they expect the industry to sell $21.4 billion of new chip manufacturing, testing and assembly equipment in 2003 and to experience a robust recovery in 2004, rising 39% to $29.6 billion, continuing into 2005, with 18% growth to $35 billion. In 2006, as new capacity goes into production, the industry cycle is expected to contract 6.6 percent, SEMI said.

"Recent improvements in bookings and global economic indicators are giving equipment companies reason to be more optimistic about the short-term prospects for a robust recovery in the equipment market," said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "Recovery in the global semiconductor market, coupled with increased capacity utilization, the introduction of new technologies and improving sales of electronics, support the view that 2004 and 2005 should be strong years for the capital equipment market."

SEMI said the forecast is based on interviews conducted between October and November 2003 with North American and European companies representing a majority of the total sales volume for the global semiconductor equipment industry.

For more information, visit: www.semi.org