October 20, 2004 – Orders for chipmaking devices manufactured in Japan in September, including those for export, declined 3% to about 110.7 billion yen ($1.02 billion), marking their first drop in 16 months, according to data released Tuesday by the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan, said the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

Demand for chipmaking devices, which started growing last year, has entered an adjustment phase. Domestic orders, which have remained high since fall 2003, dropped on the year, and orders from Taiwan were sluggish, the data showed.

September sales of chipmaking devices produced in Japan, including for export, rose 53.5% on the year to 145.86 billion yen.