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News Article

Metrology still underperforms

News
New report suggests that metrology/inspection equipment is not growing at the same rate of the industry
The Semiconductor Metrology/Inspection Equipment Market grew 98% in 2010 while overall semiconductor equipment grew 143%, according to the report “Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control in VLSI Manufacturing”, recently published by The Information Network, (www.theinformationnet.com) a New Tripoli, PA-based market research company.
For 2010, the Semiconductor Metrology/Inspection market underperformed the overall semiconductor equipment market, as it did in 2006 and 2007, growing only 98%, compared to an overall growth rate of 143% for the front-end equipment market,” noted Dr. Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network.
Historically, sales of process control tools have mirrored sales of the entire front-end equipment market, with the average spread only 2.4% for the previous 12 years. The sector started diverging from this norm in 2006.  
In 2006, metrology/inspection revenues grew 15.1% compared to 24.5% for the total front-end equipment sector.  In 2007, metrology/inspection revenues grew 7.6% compared to 9.5% for the total front-end equipment sector.  In 2008, metrology/inspection revenues decreased 23.8% while the total front-end equipment sector decreased 32.8%. In 2009, metrology/inspection revenues decreased 37.6% while the total front-end equipment sector decreased 42.0%.
Semiconductor yields reached a level that sampling of wafers was relaxed in 2006, as end users (semiconductor manufacturers) found ways to minimize capital expenditures. For 2010, KLA-Tencor was the market leader with a 45.2% share, up from a 43.4% share in 2009.  Hitachi and Applied Materials followed. We expect the metrology/inspection market to grow 13.5% in 2011.
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