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.

Technology Stocks : ASML Holding NV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: niek who wrote (1187)	7/28/2006 6:58:41 AM
From: niek	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42814

Canon falls short of litho tool sales forecast in Q2, but boosts 2006 units forecast The Semiconductor Reporter July 27, 2006, 11:50 p.m. EDT TOKYO -- Canon Inc. today boosted its forecast for the number of semiconductor lithography systems it expects to sell in the current year (Canon's fiscal year coincides with the calendar year), from a previous estimate of 165 IC steppers to 180. The number of LCD lithography systems it expects to sell this year was unchanged at 66. In yen sales terms, however, the full-year forecast is essentially unchanged, at about ¥222 billion; with the unit sales projection up, a mix shift towards less expensive systems is indicated, or a lower overall average selling price. Sales for the company's "Optical and Other" business segment, which includes the lithography equipment, was reported as ¥105.3 billion ($920 million) for the second quarter. Of this, about 52%, or ¥54.8 billion ($478 million), was for lithography equipment (both semiconductor and LCD), the company said. This represents about a 5% sequential increase from 1Q06 in yen terms, short of the 16% increase the company had forecast three months ago. The comparison to the year-ago quarter is down 8% in yen terms, and down 13% in dollar terms. Canon reported selling 41 IC steppers in the second quarter, two more than expected; it sold 20 LCD aligners, three less than expected. That brings the total for the first half to 85 IC steppers and 31 LCD aligners. Canon's boosted projection for the second half calls for sales of 95 IC steppers and 35 LCD litho tools. The company did not report selling any IC steppers using 193-nm argon fluoride laser light sources in the second quarter, although two were sold in the first quarter. The second-half forecast calls for another two ArF systems to be sold. From a units perspective, most of Canon's IC stepper business is in mature i-line tools. Some 54% of units sold in the first half of the year and 56% of units sold in the second quarter were i-line systems. Systems using 248-nm krypton fluoride light sources made up 44% of unit sales in both the first half and the second quarter. In the second half, i-line tool sales are expected to be 61% of IC stepper units, and KrF tools 37% of the 95 units Canon expects to sell. First half total lithography equipment sales (IC and LCD) came to about ¥107 billion ($923 million), and second-half sales are projected to be up about 8% to ¥116 billion, with about ¥61 billion coming in the third quarter.