Recovery allows chipmakers to invest

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE As semiconductor factories hum at nearly full capacity, equipment makers will profit as their sales are expected to grow 39 percent next year

BY Bill Heaney / STAFF REPORTER

The news comes as the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) trumpeted a full recovery in the semiconductor market on Monday, saying that worldwide chip sales have risen 16.4 percent this year to date, with October showing the strongest gain since 1990.

SIA predicted last month that the industry will grow 19.4 percent next year, while Gartner Dataquest has called for a more optimistic 21.4 percent.