March 15, 2012 — VLSIresearch released its 2011 Top Semiconductor Equipment suppliers rankings, noting important acquisitions and strong spending in lithography tools in 2011. Semiconductor equipment spending was driven by aggressive capacity expansion in the foundry and logic sectors, mostly driven by mobile device production.
Also read: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales rose 9% in 2011
Capacity expansions in the memory sector were limited; strong pricing pressure reduced profitability for memory suppliers, prohibiting expansion.
| Table. 2011 top semiconductor equipment suppliers (Worldwide sales, semiconductor equipment and service, $M). SOURCE: VLSIresearch inc Chip Market Research Services. | |||
| 2011 rank |
Location | Company | 2011 sales |
| 1 | EU | ASML | 7877.1 |
| 2 | NA | Applied Materials* | 7437.8 |
| 3 | JA | Tokyo Electron | 6203.3 |
| 4 | NA | KLA-Tencor | 3106.2 |
| 5 | NA | Lam Research | 2804.1 |
| 6 | JA | Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co. | 2104.9 |
| 7 | JA | Nikon Corporation | 1645.5 |
| 8 | JA | Advantest** | 1446.7 |
| 9 | EU | ASM International | 1443.0 |
| 10 | NA | Novellus Systems | 1318.7 |
| 11 | JA | Hitachi High-Technologies | 1138.7 |
| 12 | NA | Teradyne | 1106.2 |
| 13 | NA | Varian Semiconductor Equipment*** | 1096.3 |
| 14 | JA | Hitachi Kokusai Electric | 838.4 |
| 15 | NA | Kulicke & Soffa | 780.9 |
| Total top 15 | 40347.7 | ||
| Year-over-year growth |
13% | ||
| * Applied Materials (AMAT) includes Varian revenues for Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2011. | |||
| ** Advantest includes Verigy’s revenues from July 1 to Dec 31, 2011. | |||
| *** Varian includes revenues as an independent company from Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2011. (2011 Exchange rates). |
|||
Lithography spending enabled ASML to become the largest equipment supplier. ASML and fellow lithography equipment supplier Nikon grew 27% combined. Overall, the top 15 semiconductor equipment suppliers grew 13% in 2011.
Mergers & acqusitions: Advantest closed the Verigy acquisition in July; Applied Materials acquired Varian Semiconductor in November.
Japanese equipment suppliers recorded higher than average growth rates, with Advantest out front with 28% sales increase in 2011. Advantest saw the large increase thanks to its Verigy acquisition, and strong SOC test equipment sales in North America.
VLSIresearch inc provides market research and economic analysis on the technical, business, and economic aspects within nanotechnology and related industries. Website: http://www.vlsiresearch.com.