September 18, 2001 – Tokyo, Japan – Domestic orders for semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, including imports, fell 72.3% on the year to 39.91 billion yen in July, the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan said.

Order declines in Japan have been less severe than those experienced in foreign markets, but July’s drop was still the steepest since the trade group began compiling figures in 1993.

July was the sixth consecutive month that orders in Japan have shown a year-on-year decline.

Steppers and other equipment for wafer-processing equipment sank 73% to 31.96 billion yen, while testers and other testing equipment plunged 67.8% to 3.92 billion yen.

Including exports, July orders received by Japanese semiconductor-manufacturing equipment makers fell 71.9% to 54.35 billion yen, a year-on-year decline for the seventh consecutive month. The figure was about the same level as June, which saw the largest drop on record.