Milpitas, California–Nanometrics Inc. is expecting to report lower than anticipated revenues for its fourth quarter (Q4), which ended December 31, 2000. The company says that it now expects revenues of approximately $20 million, and attributes the shortfall to shipment rescheduling by a large customer that resulted in a mismatch of available material.

“Our business this year has clearly benefited from semiconductor capital spending, but recent customer uncertainty warrants a cautious approach to quarterly shipments in the near-term,” says John D. Heaton, president and chief executive officer of Nanometrics. “However, we remain confident in our long-term strategy and outlook for the industry. We expect growth to resume once the uncertainty in the global economy resides.”