(December 1, 2003) San Jose, Calif.—Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $15.4 billion in October 2003, a 6.8 percent increase from the $14.4 billion recorded in September, and a 23.3 percent rise from October of 2002. With the October 2003 gain, the strongest since 1990, industry revenue has grown 16.4 percent in the year to date, reports the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).