“The addition of Small Times magazine brings yet another leading technology and applications publication to PennWell’s portfolio of prominent technology and energy magazines such as Laser Focus World, Lightwave and Oil & Gas Journal,” said Robert F. Biolchini, PennWell President and CEO

(October 12, 2005) San Jose, Calif. &#8212 Leading silicon wafer suppliers predict that 2005’s year-end wafer shipments will be 2% higher than 2004’s. Also, total wafer shipments will increase by about 7% in 2006, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group
(SMG) Consensus Forecast. By surveying SMG members, the Consensus Forecast provides a silicon wafer shipment outlook for 2005 through 2008. The survey results forecast silicon shipments to reach 6,385 million sq. in. in 2005, 6,862 million sq. in. in 2006, 7,287 million sq. in. in 2007, and 8,192 million sq. in. in 2008.

“While 2004 was a record year for silicon shipments, volumes decreased significantly in the fourth quarter of last year. Now, we are seeing a recovery from that slowdown and we expect to see incremental year-on-year growth continuing to 2007, with anticipated growth in 2008 reaching double digits,” says Makoto Tsukada, SEMI SMG’s chairman and general manager of Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. “This strong growth will be driven by 300 mm, which by 2006 could represent 25% of total volume of silicon shipments.”