Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Fred Levine who wrote (35395)	5/28/2000 4:28:00 PM
From: Dr. Mitchell R. White	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Hi Fred! I don't know exactly how this relates in any direct sense. AMAT tools use large quantities (relatively speaking) of the specialty gases in fabs worldwide. From pad and purge gas (on all systems) to dopant gases in implanters, and on to "nasty gases" for CVD; AMAT tools ultimately see them all, because AMAT has the broadest installed base in the world. However, I mostly meant this to show that the industry is still strengthening in a fundamental way. Even weak "components" such as gas suppliers, who have been beaten to a pulp in recent years when compared to their tool-supplier counterparts, are now finding ways to ask for, and get, higher prices. These prices are always tolled through to the consumer in the cost of chips in electronic goods. The fact that they're sticking, and more can be expected, can only bolster chip prices. Which bolsters tool prices, provided that costs don't rise so quickly that tool orders are reduced. Such a rise is unlikely due to gas costs, in my opinion. The time cost of $$ is more likely to have a dampening effect, and that's Greenspan's field. A whole other sort of gas.... =8-> Mitch