SAN JOSE, CA – In 2010, worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased 40% to 9.37 billion in2 compared to 2009, says SEMI. Revenues improved 45% year-over-year to $9.7 billion.
“Given current market forecasts, we are expecting solid demand for silicon wafers in 2011, although at a much more modest post-recovery rate,” said Dr. Volker Braetsch, chairman of SEMI SMG and corporate VP of Siltronic.
Wafer shipments are considered a leading indicator for future printed circuit board and electronics assembly orders.
The data include polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.
SANTA CLARA, CA – Momentum behind tablet (slate) PC shipments is growing, with a year-over-year increase of nearly 200% to 55.7 million units expected in 2011, according to DisplaySearch.
Though growth rates will slow during the forecast period, the slate PC share of the overall mobile PC market, which also includes notebooks and mini-notes, will rise to nearly 35%, or 172.4 million units, by 2014, says the firm. Total shipments of the mobile PC market are expected to reach 503.8 million units by 2014.
DisplaySearch expects 7" wide, 10" standard, and 10" wide to be the dominant screen sizes used by new products in the coming years.
Mobile PC shipment growth is expected to be in the double-digit range throughout the forecast period, peaking in 2011, at 30.4% year-over-year, and gradually declining to 17.7% growth in 2014.
TEMPE, AZ – Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in January for the 18th consecutive month, says the Institute for Supply Management. The PMI was 60.8%, up 2.3 percentage points sequentially. A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding.
New orders hit 67.8%, up 5.8 points, while production registered 63.5%, up a slight 0.5 points. Inventories in January were 52.4%, up 0.6 points, and customer inventories grew 5.5 points to 45.5%. Backlogs went up 11 percentage points to reach 58%.
“The manufacturing sector grew at a faster rate in January, as the PMI registered 60.8%, which is its highest level since May 2004 when the index registered 61.4%. The continuing strong performance is highlighted as January is also the sixth consecutive month of month-over-month growth in the sector. New orders and production continue to be strong, and employment rose above 60% for the first time since May 2004. Global demand is driving commodity prices higher, particularly for energy, metals and chemicals,” said ISM spokesperson Norbert J. Ore.
The overall economy grew for the 20th consecutive month, according to the firm.
WASHINGTON -- National Association of Manufacturers president and CEO Jay Timmons applauded President Obama’s emphasis on competing in the global marketplace, but said government must pull back on regulation and taxes.
TOYKO -- The first-day crowds at InterNepcon Japan, held at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center last week, were enough to make getting through the aisles difficult. The following two days, navigation was even more demanding. The electronics industry in Japan is back in gear again.
Read more: InterNepcon Japan Shows a Recovering Industry
SAN JOSE – The 90-day moving average orders among North America-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers rose 1.4% sequentially in December. Orders were up 68% from a year ago, the SEMI trade group said.
Read more: Semi Gear Bookings Up 1.4% Sequentially
