News Article
2005 top10 semiconductor industry equipment suppliers
2005 proved to be a mixed year for semiconductor equipment suppliers. The combined sales of the Top 10 IC equipment suppliers fell 6%, after growing a whopping 68% in 2004.
2005 proved to be a mixed year for semiconductor equipment suppliers. The combined sales of the Top 10 IC equipment suppliers fell 6%, after growing a whopping 68% in 2004. The decline of the Top 10 companies was slightly lower than that of the overall industry, where sales fell 7% to $43.3B in 2005.
There were very few surprises in the ranking among the Top 10 IC equipment suppliers for 2005. KLA-Tencor reclaimed the number four spot after losing it to Advantest in 2004. The other eight equipment suppliers retained their respective ranks from the prior year. However, only half of the companies in the Top 10 recorded revenue growth in 2005. Nikon posted the highest sales growth, and was the only company in the Top 10 to grow at a double-digit rate.
Wafer process equipment suppliers continued to dominate the Top 10 list, claiming nine of the ten positions. They accounted for 96% of overall sales for the Top 10, up half a percentage point from the prior year. Lithography was the brightest segment within the wafer fab, with the top three suppliers finishing the year in positive territory. Their combined sales increased 5% to nearly six billion dollars in 2005.
On a regional basis, Japanese suppliers held their lead for yet another year, claiming five positions in the Top 10 list. Their combined sales declined 3%, but their market share rose from 42% of total sales in the Top 10 list in 2004 to 43% in 2005. It came at the expense of U.S. suppliers whose share fell 2 percentage points to 44%. This is a continuation of the declining trend in market share for U.S. suppliers, which has tumbled nearly 10 percentage points since 2002. Europe’s share of the Top 10, represented by ASML, increased to 13% from 12% a year ago.
There were very few surprises in the ranking among the Top 10 IC equipment suppliers for 2005. KLA-Tencor reclaimed the number four spot after losing it to Advantest in 2004. The other eight equipment suppliers retained their respective ranks from the prior year. However, only half of the companies in the Top 10 recorded revenue growth in 2005. Nikon posted the highest sales growth, and was the only company in the Top 10 to grow at a double-digit rate.
Wafer process equipment suppliers continued to dominate the Top 10 list, claiming nine of the ten positions. They accounted for 96% of overall sales for the Top 10, up half a percentage point from the prior year. Lithography was the brightest segment within the wafer fab, with the top three suppliers finishing the year in positive territory. Their combined sales increased 5% to nearly six billion dollars in 2005.
On a regional basis, Japanese suppliers held their lead for yet another year, claiming five positions in the Top 10 list. Their combined sales declined 3%, but their market share rose from 42% of total sales in the Top 10 list in 2004 to 43% in 2005. It came at the expense of U.S. suppliers whose share fell 2 percentage points to 44%. This is a continuation of the declining trend in market share for U.S. suppliers, which has tumbled nearly 10 percentage points since 2002. Europe’s share of the Top 10, represented by ASML, increased to 13% from 12% a year ago.
