The global semiconductor sector is expected to recover in the second quarter of this year after a decline in the first quarter, a research report released yesterday said.
Market researcher iSuppli said the global IC business would benefit from solid demand for logic, analog and NAND flash chips for use in smartphones and tablet computers.
Chips used in industrial devices and automobiles are also expected to drive sales growth in the global semiconductor industry, iSuppli said.
With the global economy improving, world semiconductor sales are expected to grow 4 percent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, after dropping 3 percent sequentially in the first quarter, iSuppli said.
Sales will further pick up in the third quarter, rising 9 percent from the second quarter, it added.
The researcher said that global semiconductor inventory hit a new high at the end of last year as demand for Ultrabook computers and other high-tech devices failed to meet expectations.
As a result, sales of electronic devices during the Christmas season last year grew by just 0.7 percent, which was the worst performance since 2008, iSuppli said.
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