News Article
Equipment market will contract for six quarters claims analyst
The semiconductor equipment market will not return to growth for the next six quarters, according to a new report from market analyst The Information Network.
The semiconductor equipment market will not return to growth for the next six quarters, according to a new report from market analyst The Information Network.
The company also believes that the recovery in the semiconductor market will take place no sooner than the third quarter of 2005.
The only good news in what is one of the gloomiest assessments of the industry we have seen is that the company is forecasting growth in the 300mm equipment sector.
According to The Information Network’s figures, almost three-quarters of all front-end equipment purchases in 2005 will be for 300mm processes.
"In 2004 we saw an 83.1% growth in the 300mm market, which increased from $7.4 billion in 2003 to $13.6 billion in 2004, while at the same time the total market value of the front-end sector of processing equipment increased 52.7%," says The Information Network president Dr Robert Castellano. 藼mm revenues increased to represent 60.4% of the front-end market in 2004."
This growth is set to continue in 2005, with 300mm purchases set to make up 70.5% of all front-end tool purchases in 2005 and 82% in 2006, according to The Information Network.
The expansion in 300mm equipment purchases will be led by lithography tool sales, which are forecast to contribute 22.8% of 300mm equipment revenues in 2005.
The Information Network is also predicting that the 300mm equipment market will grow 5.6% to US$14.4 billion in 2005 despite the overall equipment market contracting by 9.6% as a result of the inventory correction.
The forecast provides further evidence that 300mm wafer technology is rapidly taking over from the older 200mm systems.
The company also believes that the recovery in the semiconductor market will take place no sooner than the third quarter of 2005.
The only good news in what is one of the gloomiest assessments of the industry we have seen is that the company is forecasting growth in the 300mm equipment sector.
According to The Information Network’s figures, almost three-quarters of all front-end equipment purchases in 2005 will be for 300mm processes.
"In 2004 we saw an 83.1% growth in the 300mm market, which increased from $7.4 billion in 2003 to $13.6 billion in 2004, while at the same time the total market value of the front-end sector of processing equipment increased 52.7%," says The Information Network president Dr Robert Castellano. 藼mm revenues increased to represent 60.4% of the front-end market in 2004."
This growth is set to continue in 2005, with 300mm purchases set to make up 70.5% of all front-end tool purchases in 2005 and 82% in 2006, according to The Information Network.
The expansion in 300mm equipment purchases will be led by lithography tool sales, which are forecast to contribute 22.8% of 300mm equipment revenues in 2005.
The Information Network is also predicting that the 300mm equipment market will grow 5.6% to US$14.4 billion in 2005 despite the overall equipment market contracting by 9.6% as a result of the inventory correction.
The forecast provides further evidence that 300mm wafer technology is rapidly taking over from the older 200mm systems.
