2010 top wafer fab equipment suppliers

SANTA CLARA, USA: VLSI Research announced the 2010 rankings for the leading wafer fab equipment suppliers. Among the leading suppliers, Applied Materials easily held its top position. The company’s excellent performance was driven by market share gains in a number of its products. ASML moved up to second, while Lam Research took fourth position.

Both ASML and Lam Research grew systems sales by over 200 percent, proving the companies’ product capabilities and the growing importance of lithography and etch for chip makers. Varian Semiconductor moved up to ninth position in 2010, growing 187 percent. Overall, the Top 10 WFE suppliers grew over 140 percent, an exceptional recovery from the 2008 and 2009 recession.

“Wafer fab equipment suppliers grew at record rates and profitability in 2010”, commented Risto Puhakka, president of VLSI Research. “The 2010 results present an industry wide recovery from the recession, well beyond general expectations at the beginning 2010,” continued Puhakka.

The total wafer fab equipment market grew 126.4 percent reaching $29.7 billion in 2010, a record growth and the fourth highest year in the history of the equipment industry. VLSI expects the wafer fab equipment sales to grow 20 percent, reaching $35 billion in 2011.Source: VLSI Research Inc. CHIP MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES.