Global chip equipment market may jump in 2010

By Tarmo Virki, European technology correspondent

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Global sales of semiconductor equipment are expected to almost double next year, after a 56 percent fall in 2009, industry association SEMI said on Wednesday.

SEMI said spending on chip plant construction projects has seen a consistent quarterly decline since 2008 and is at its lowest level in 10 years, despite increasing investments in the Americas, mainly stemming from Intel (INTC.O).

"The latest data ... suggest an increase in investments for both fab construction projects and fab (chip plant) equipping in the second half of 2009, with the trend continuing into 2010," SEMI said, adding equipment spending could rise as much as 90 percent next year.

On Wednesday TSMC (2330.TW) (TSM.N), the world's top contract chip maker, booked its biggest monthly sales in seven months thanks to a pick-up in demand for chips used in computers and other consumer gadgets.

TSMC Chairman Morris Chang said the worst for the semiconductor market has gone.

Worldwide installed capacity for 2009 is expected to decline about three percent, SEMI said, with memory and logic plants taking the biggest hit, with a decline in installed capacity of five to seven percent each due to plant closures.

SEMI said latest data shows that installed capacity for 2010 could increase about six percent.

(Reporting by Tarmo Virki; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)