Semiconductor equipment orders see 1st monthly rise since Feb 2007

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Orders for Japanese-made semiconductor-manufacturing equipment placed by domestic and overseas chipmakers in October logged the first rise since February 2007, as chipmakers began updating their facilities in view of recovering demand. The value of the orders climbed 66% in the reporting month from a year earlier. Sales of the equipment also increased about 8%, marking the first rise in 23 months.

After slacking due to oversupply in the chip market and the global financial crisis, demand for semiconductors has recovered due to the spread of digital electronics appliances to emerging economies and increased shipments for new personal computers, which was partly stimulated by the release of Microsoft Corp’s new Windows 7 operating system.