Some 17 chip makers are expected to join the $1 billion club in terms of semiconductor capital spending in 2006, according to market researcher Gartner.

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In total, capital spending is expected to hit $55.5 billion in 2006, up 17 percent over 2005, according to the firm. Wafer fab equipment is expected to jump 25 percent in 2006.

Market researcher IC Insights has also increased its semiconductor capital spending forecast for 2006. Worldwide capital spending is expected to hit $51.3 billion in 2006, up 12 percent over 2005. However on a quarter-by-quarter basis, capital spending is expected to decelerate. Capital spending is projected to grow 8 percent in Q1 to $11.7 billion, 7 percent in Q2 to $12.5 billion, 6 percent in Q3 to $13.3 billion and 4 percent in Q4 to $13.8 billion.

IC Insights does not change its overall semiconductor forecast, which calls for 8 to 10 percent growth in 2006. And according to Reuters, Gartner projected the IC industry to grow 10.6 percent in 2006 over 2005. Chip sales will grow 14 percent in 2008, before falling to less than 1 percent growth in 2009. Gartner analyst Jim Tully said 35 percent of existing chip makers — about 350 companies — will be driven out of business or acquired by larger rivals.

The worldwide market for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) was $5.1 billion in 2005 and is set to grow to $6.0 billion in 2006 (+17,6%) and to $9.7 billion in 2010, according to Yole Developpement (Lyon, France). Due to MEMS growth now moving to consumer applications where there is low pricing, competition and price erosion, and the diminishing significance of industrial applications, the growth rate at 15% is lower than the previous years in term of revenue. However, with consumer electronics come large numbers and the MEMS market’s unit growth will be higher, close to 20 percent over the same period.

Yole says that all 50 of the top 50 semiconductor companies are now involved in MEMS manufacturing or development.

The largest application area at present is the inkjet print head which is already being rivaled by optical MEMS (MOEMS), used for optical multiplexing. Both sectors were worth over $1 billion in 2005 and while inkjet heads will enjoy steady growth to $2 billion in 2010, MOEMS will grow even faster to approach $3 billion in annual sales in 2010, according to Yole. RF MEMS and silicon microphones should enjoy strong growth, each getting close to $1 billion in annual market in 2010.

North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.65 billion in orders in May 2006 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.12 according to SEMI. The three-month average of worldwide bookings in May 2006 was $1.65 billion. The bookings figure is three percent higher than the final April 2006 level of $1.60 billion and over 62 percent higher than the $1.02 billion in orders posted in May 2005. The three-month average of worldwide billings in May 2006 was $1.48 billion. The billings figure is about three percent above the final April 2006 level of $1.44 billion and over 22 percent above the May 2005 billings level of $1.21 billion.

Manufacturers will begin shipping Ultrawideband (UWB) chipsets in 2H06 and shipments are expected to ramp up with a total of 289 million chipsets shipping in the year 2010, reports In-Stat. PCs will be the initial and largest volume market for UWB wireless chipsets, with PC vendors shipping over 125 million desktop and laptop PCs with UWB capability by 2010.

Strategy Analytics' latest study, "Gallium Nitride Markets: Commercial Markets Drive Power Electronics," concludes that military and high power electronic applications will be the catalysts for the development of a Gallium Nitride (GaN) device market through to 2010. Commercial wireless infrastructure applications will also drive demand in the future and the study forecasts that the total market for GaN microelectronic devices will grow at a CAGR of 151 percent through 2010.