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

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (26692)	11/24/1998 6:57:00 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 70976

Story posted 2:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. PST, 11/24/98 Tool orders for 300-mm fabs to start next year, says researcher NEW TRIPOLI, Pa. -- Expect orders to equip 300-mm wafer production fabs to begin in 1999, said The Information Network. One major 300-mm facility is expected to start early next year and order a total of $2 billion in tools, according to the semiconductor equipment industry market research company here "While the next five to seven years will not meet the original expectations in terms of overall 300-mm tool sales, the transition is inevitable," said Robert N. Castellano, president of The Information Network. "Orders will be taken for a 300-mm production facility in 1999, whose production will go online in late 2000." Another thre will be in production by the end of 2001, he added. Castellano figured the fourth quarter of 1998 would be the turning point, after the chip gear market plunged 32.9% in the third quarter (see Oct. 13 story). With revenues essentially flat, real growth will begin in the first quarter of 1999, he said, moving the equipment market up 10% for the year. "The dramatic uptick in the equipment book-to-bill and semiconductor sales validates our analysis," says Castellano. IC manufacturers, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and knowing that all 300-mm tools are now available, will reaffirm their 1997 plans to move to smaller line widths and larger wafers in concert." Castelleno's report takes note of this trend by covering the convergence of 300-mm and copper/low-k technologies. "DRAM manufacturers are particularly fearful of losing market share to Micron Technology after its acquisition of the TI fabs," Castellano added. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------