Canon raises 2004 chip stepper target
Thu Oct 28, 2004 02:28 AM ET
TOKYO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc. (7751.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday raised its target for shipments of semiconductor steppers in 2004 to 160 units from 150, compared with the 80 chip steppers it shipped last year.
Steppers are used to etch circuitry onto semiconductors and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Canon ranks third in chip steppers behind industry leaders Nikon Corp. (7731.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and ASML Holding NV (ASML.AS: Quote, Profile, Research) (ASML.O: Quote, Profile, Research) of the Netherlands.
Canon lowered its shipment target for LCD steppers in 2004 to 104 units from a previous estimate for 125.
Canon shipped 95 LCD steppers in 2003.
Steppers account for less than 10 percent of total sales at Canon, but it has earmarked around $1 billion in investment through the end of 2005 to boost its market share. |
