"Sharing Expertise, Making Innovation" is the theme for Semicon Japan 2006, the world’s largest exposition for semiconductor manufacturing. The show will feature the latest technologies, business opportunities and a number of co-organized events in conjunction with the exposition, including the SEMI Technology Symposium, Market Seminar, Microsystem/MEMS Seminar, Photovoltaic Symposium, as well as a wide range of international standards and Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) programs. Semicon Japan will be held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Dec. 6-8. The annual exposition, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is organized by SEMI, a global industry association serving companies that provide equipment, materials and services used to manufacture semiconductors, displays, nanoscaled structures, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and related technologies. The first Semicon Japan exhibition had only 157 exhibitors, but through the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry it has grown significantly. With nearly 55,000 visitors, including participants at collocated events, Semicon Japan has become the industry's largest trade show and exposition. SEMI said it expects approximately 1600 exhibiting companies will occupy over 4450 booths for Semicon Japan 2006. "For 30 years, Semicon Japan has been an industry-leading and highly relevant forum for global equipment and materials providers to showcase the latest and most innovative technologies,” said Takashi Kumagai, president of SEMI Japan. “This longevity is a testament to Japan’s leadership in, and commitment to, the global semiconductor equipment and materials industry as a whole.” 2006 semiconductor equipment sales are forecast to reach $40.64 billion, according to the year-end edition of the SEMI Capital Equipment Consensus Forecast, released yesterday by the association. The forecast indicates that, following a 12 percent market decline in 2005, the equipment market will grow 24 percent in 2006. Survey respondents see the market growing at a single-digit rate in 2007, double digits in 2008 and then back to single digits to reach $50.42 billion in 2009. "For most of the past year, our industry has experienced a significant increase in demand for semiconductor devices, as well as strong economic conditions," said SEMI President and CEO Stanley T. Myers. "SEMI members have experienced strong overall sales of chip manufacturing equipment in 2006, and anticipate a 50 billion dollar market within the next three years." Wafer processing equipment, the largest product segment by dollar value, is expected to grow over 26 percent in 2006 to $28.84 billion. Survey respondents anticipate that the market for assembly and packaging equipment will expand 13 percent to $2.40 billion in 2006. The market for equipment to test semiconductors is expected to increase by about 22 percent to $6.45 billion this year. The Japanese market, which is projected to grow 11 percent this year, remains the largest market region for worldwide equipment sales with $9.11 billion of new equipment sold into the region in 2006. South Korea continues its expansion in 2006, with projected growth of 20 percent. Sales of new equipment in China and the Rest-of-World market regions will grow 80 percent and 31 percent respectively. The SEMI Year-End Consensus Forecast is based on interviews conducted between late October and November 2005 with companies representing a majority of the total sales volume for the global semiconductor equipment industry. As a prelude to the start of the exposition, SEMI held the Semicon Japan 30th Anniversary Gala on Monday night, Dec. 4, at the Imperial Hotel in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Proceeds from the gala will be used to support the High Tech U program in the Japan region. High Tech U is a global initiative designed to increase student interest and awareness of opportunities in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The Semicon Japan 30th Anniversary Gala was seen as a celebration of the evolution and development of electronics technology and the growth of the semiconductor industry, as well as an expression of hope for the future. Commemorative speeches were given by Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corp.; and Ryoji Noyori, president of Riken and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Inamori spoke on Kyocera's role in the early development of US semiconductor industry and Noyori’s talk was titled "Science and Technology for Future Generations." Also presented at the gala was the 2006 Akira Inoue Award for outstanding achievement in environment, health and safety (EHS) in the semiconductor industry, sponsored by the EHS Div. of SEMI. This year's honor went to Chang-Gyu Hwang, president and CEO of the semiconductor business of Samsung Electronics and business director of the Memory Div. Hwang was recognized for his contributions to decisive and visionary EHS leadership at Samsung Electronics which has resulted in the introduction of innovative environmentally-friendly products and processes and operational excellence in health and safety for employees, SEMI said. Hwang is the sixth recipient of the industry award named after the late Akira Inoue, past president of Tokyo Electron Ltd. and a SEMI board member and a strong advocate of EHS practices. "Dr. Hwang has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in both business and environmentally friendly/benign manufacturing. His numerous contributions to improving EHS performance such as development of processes that consume less resources and the use of environmentally friendly materials in manufacturing, have helped make Samsung one of the most respected semiconductor electronics companies," Myers said. Hwang began his career with Samsung Electronics in 1989 as general manager in charge of DVC development. He received his BS and MS degrees from Seoul National University, and his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1985. Amongst his many technical accomplishments, Dr. Hwang developed the world's first 256M DRAM, for which he received the Samsung Special Prize Award. Dr. Hwang's many honors include election as a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; recognition as one of "25 Stars" by Business Week in 2003, selection as "CEO of Asia" by Asia Money in 2005, and recognition in 2005 as "Technology Leader" by the Electronics Industry Association. For more information, visit: www.semi.org/sj06