Date: 16/06/2011
Gartner: Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending to grow 10.2 % in 2011
Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending is on track to reach $44.8 billion in 2011, a 10.2 percent increase from 2010 spending of $40.6 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. However, analysts warned that a looming semiconductor inventory correction, combined with oversupply in foundry, will lead to a slight spending decline in 2012.
"Capital spending and the equipment picture have changed little since our last forecast in the first quarter of 2011, in spite of the disastrous earthquake in Japan, which threatened to disrupt the electronics supply chain," said Klaus Rinnen, managing vice president at Gartner. "Thanks to herculean efforts by Japanese vendors, the effects of the quake were minimized."
All segments of the semiconductor capital equipment market are expected to experience growth in 2011 (see Table 1). Gartner analysts said 2011 spending is being driven by aggressive foundry spending, integrated device manufacturer (IDM) logic capacity ramping up at the leading edge, and memory companies gearing up for double patterning. Semiconductor capital equipment spending in 2012 will see a 2.6 percent decline, followed by 8.9 percent growth in 2013. The next cyclical decline should begin in late 2013, as the impact of memory oversupply takes its toll.
Worldwide Semiconductor Capital Equipment Spending Forecast, 2009-2015 (Millions of Dollars)
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Semiconductor Capital Spending
25,876.3
56,154.3
62,838.0
61,178.1
66,605.3
56,532.8
64,257.8
Growth (%)
-41.2
117.0
11.9
-2.6
8.9
-15.1
13.7
Capital Equipment
16,742.5
40,639.1
44,765.1
42,052.3
46,477.4
38,925.5
45,675.9
Growth (%)
-45.4
142.7
10.2
-6.1
10.5
-16.2
17.3
Wafer Fab Equipment
12,884.2
31,624.7
35,332.6
34,180.0
37,097.5
31,188.7
35,780.6
Growth (%)
-46.8
145.5
11.7
-3.3
8.5
-15.9
14.7
Packaging and Assembly Equipment
2,708.5
6,154.6
6,373.9
5,386.5
6,333.3
5,422.7
6,827.2
Growth (%)
-32.3
127.2
3.6
-15.5
17.6
-14.4
25.9
Automated Test Equipment
1,149.8
2,859.8
3,058.6
2,485.9
3,046.5
2,314.1
3,068.0
Growth (%)
-53.0
148.7
6.9
-18.7
22.6
-24.0
32.6
Other Spending
9,133.7
15,515.1
18,072.9
19,125.8
20,128.0
17,607.2
18,581.9
Growth (%)
-31.8
69.9
16.5
5.8
5.2
-12.5
5.5