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Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: robert b furman who wrote (16340)	10/19/2005 8:04:09 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 25522

Chip equipment demand continues to rise - survey Wed Oct 19, 2005 05:04 AM ET AMSTERDAM, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Sales and bookings of microchip-making equipment rose in September from August, continuing a recovery from second-quarter weakness, a global survey found on Wednesday. The comparison of new orders and sales, known as the book-to-bill ratio, was above 1 for the third consecutive month, meaning more new orders came in than shipments went out, according to U.S.-based research group VLSI. Worldwide billings of equipment rose almost 14 percent to $4.49 billion from August, though they remained 13 percent below those of September 2004. Bookings of new equipment, an indicator of future sales, grew 9 percent to $4.61 billion from August, and also surpassed the year-earlier level by 19 percent. The resulting book-to-bill ratio was 1.03, versus an upwardly revised 1.07 in August and 1.01 in July. "High utilisation rates, driven by the seasonal demand surge for chips, are stimulating the growth in equipment bookings," VLSI said. Chip production in the run-up to Christmas when demand for electronics goods is biggest, rose faster than the manufacturing plant expansions. This has led to high capacity utilisation of well over 90 percent, which is seen as a "buy point" and usually triggers a surge in demand for chip production machines. Front-end utilisation rates, where electronic circuits are etched onto silicon wafers, reached 96 percent in September, up 2 percentage points from a month earlier. The Test and Assembly factories were used even more intensively, running at near full capacity of 98 percent. But VLSI forecast utilisation rates will not rise further in October, and has warned that chip demand may wane in January, as it usually does, and that chip makers are more cautious this year about adding capacity that could turn to oversupply early next year. Utilisation rates have been steadily climbing since bottoming out in December 2004 on stronger-than-expected sales of computers and mobile phones. As a result, orders of new equipment started to pick up after the second quarter. Utilisation rate of production machines from the likes of Netherlands-based ASML (ASML.AS: Quote, Profile, Research) (ASML.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and U.S.-based Applied Materials (AMAT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) was only around 87 percent three months ago. ASML and Japanese rival Nikon (7731.T: Quote, Profile, Research) are the world's two biggest makers of lithography machines which map out electronic circuits on silicon wafers. ASML, in its third-quarter results statement last week, said it was anticipating a strong first half of 2006. Intel (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world's biggest chip maker and an ASML customer, said in its third-quarter report on Tuesday it had supply constraints and could not meet demand.

To: robert b furman who wrote (16340)	10/19/2005 9:27:15 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

Worldwide tool book-to-bill falls Mark LaPedus EE Times (10/18/2005 9:15 PM EDT) SAN JOSE, Calif. — The worldwide semiconductor-equipment book-to-bill ratio hit 1.03 in September, down from 1.07 in August, according to VLSI Research Inc. Worldwide bookings were $4.6 billion and billings hit $4.5 billion in September, according to the research firm. Worldwide billings rose almost 14 percent from August, but remained 13 percent below those of September 2004. Booking grew 9 percent sequentially and they’ve finally surpassed the previous year’s level by 19 percent. High utilization rates, driven by the seasonal demand surge for chips, are stimulating the growth in equipment bookings. Wafer fab utilization reached 96 percent in September, while test and assembly were at the 98 percent level. Still, the fab-tool industry appears to have stalled. North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted a book-to-bill ratio of 1.02 in September, down from 1.05 in August, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) trade group (see Oct. 18 story).

To: robert b furman who wrote (16340)	10/19/2005 3:00:46 PM
From: Ian@SI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

OT: Big LCDs FPD International highlights diversity in large-size TV panel segments Calvin Shao, Yokohama; Carrie Yu, DigiTimes.com [Wednesday 19 October 2005] With display makers showing various large-size LCD TV panels at FPD International 2005 in Yokohama, Japan (October 19-21), it is clear that no unique size will become a standard for the over-40-inch segment. Samsung Electronics will highlight LCD TV panels in sizes ranging from 32 to 82 inches, and it will also exhibit a 40-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV panel. Affiliated Samsung SDI will introduce a variety of PDPs (plasma display panels) and flat CRTs. LG.Philips LCD is highlighting its IPS wide viewing angle technology and display LCD TV panels sized at 26-55 inches that support high-definition TV (HDTV) standards. Sharp will also showcase 45-, 57- and 65-inch LCD TV panels. AU Optronics (AUO) will highlight LCD TV panels in sizes from 32 to 46 inches while Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO)’s LCD TV panel lineup at the show will cover sizes from 20.1 to 56 inches. Sharp to display a series of LCD TV panels larger than 40 inches Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes Nippon Electric Glass (NEG) to display a 9G glass substrate (2,450x3,050) frame Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes Samsung booth still in equipment move-in phase Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes Samsung to show the world’s largest LCD TV panel (82-inches, cut from its first 7G line.) Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes AUO’s booth adopts a white tone Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes CMO 56-inch LCD TV panel, which it claims has the world’s highest screen resolution; the panel can be used for home, media, satellite screening and flat-panel trade shows. The panel will be volume produced in 3Q06. Photo: Calvin Shao, DigiTimes If you want to see the pictures, you can view them for the next day here: digitimes.com