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 : Cymer (CYMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rob C. who wrote (19638)	9/17/1998 2:02:00 PM
From: BillyG	Respond to of 25960

Orders for Japanese chip equipment fall 66% (veiled good news) TOKYO -- Global orders for Japanese chip-production equipment fell 66% to $410 million (55 billion yen) in July from the same month a year ago, according to the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan. The steep drop in orders was a foreboding sign that shipments of chip gear will decline in the near future. Sales in July were also down 38% to $478 million (64 billion yen) from the year-ago month. Shipments haven't fallen as sharply as orders, however, as companies were working off previous backlogs. The association reported that the decline in sales was about the same in Japan, where chip makers are suffering major losses, as in the rest of the world. SEAJ reported that wafer-processing equipment orders in July fell 49%, and assembly-equipment orders were off 46%. Inpsection-gear orders were down 53%. Bucking the trend was the photomask category, which actually had a 1% order increase in July over a year ago. Sources said that small gain was likely due to accelerated die shrinks as device makers use advanced photomasks to get smaller feature sizes on chips to increase the number of chips produced on a wafer. [And we know this means more action in DUV processing.] A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc. Story posted 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT, 9/17/98