SAN FRANCISCO, July 14 -- The leading manufacturers of semiconductor equipment expect sales to increase 63 percent this year from the $22.2 billion posted in 2003, according to the mid-year edition of the SEMI Capital Equipment Consensus Forecast. The report was released by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) at the annual SEMICON West exposition, which is being held here this week.
Survey respondents anticipate the industry to sell $36.2 billion of new chip manufacturing, testing and assembly equipment in 2004. The forecast indicates that as the semiconductor upturn is sustained, the equipment market will grow 24 percent in 2005 to reach $44.8 billion. Survey respondents see the cyclic market growth contracting slightly in 2006 before resuming low double-digit growth in 2007 to reach $48 billion.
"SEMI members are anticipating a strong year driven by sales of both 200-mm and 300-mm equipment," said Stanley Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "The outlook is for growth to be sustained next year, although not at levels as high as this year. SEMI members generally believe the peak of this market cycle will occur in the second quarter of 2005."
The SEMI Mid-Year Consensus Forecast projects broad-based strength across the major equipment product segments in 2004. Wafer processing equipment, the largest segment by dollar value, is expected to grow 61 percent to $23.7 billion. Assembly and packaging equipment market growth of 77 percent to $2.9 billion is anticipated. The market for equipment to test semiconductors is expected to increase 66 percent to reach $6.9 billion this year.
The market regions of China and Taiwan are expected to see the strongest overall increases, with growth rates in 2004 of 152 percent and 140 percent, respectively.
The forecast is based on interviews conducted between May and June 2004 with companies representing a majority of the total sales volume for the global semiconductor equipment industry.
SEMI is a global industry association for companies participating in the microelectronics and display industries.
For more information, visit: www.semi.org