Chip equipment market grows

According to the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) global sales of microchip-making equipment in December rose 27.7 percent from a year earlier on computer memory demand, boosting sales for 2006 to a six-year high, an industry group in Japan said on Wednesday. Sales of tools used to make chips rose to $4.12 billion in December, and the uptrend is likely to continue. "Orders in December were particularly strong, so sales will probably grow for at least a few more months," SEAJ spokesman Toshihisa Kuno said. "The one worry is that orders for tester equipment remain weak, and tester trends usually anticipate industry trends further ahead", he added.