I'm not sure how to interpret this article Sparky - good or bad for FSII?
Copyright 1997 COMLINE News Service
COMLINE Daily News Electronics
August 28, 1997
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Sales Recovering?
According to world sales statistics compiled by the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan and the International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Association, sales of such equipment in June were 6.1% lower than in June, 1996, the tenth consecutive month showing a decline.
However, sales showed a significant improvement in the US, and an increasing number of equipment sectors showed positive rather than negative changes over the previous year, reflecting an optimistic undercurrent. American investment in equipment for logic ICs and next-generation processes is brisk, showing a 12.3% gain at $ 875 million.
Taiwan and other nations with similar trends showed 1.3% gain at $ 530 million of purchases. Japan and Korea, which buy more memory fabrication equipment, showed reductions of 18% at $ 610 million and 34.1% at $228 million, respectively. European purchases were down 5.2% at $ 296 million.
Ref: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, 08/26/97, p. 1 |
