Amid signs of recovery in the pressure sensor market, attention is being focused on new demands.

On July 14th this year, the SEMI headquarters gave a forecast for sales in semiconductor fabrication devices, such as wafer process treatment devices, testing devices, and assembling and packaging devices.

It predicted that compared to 2008, when there was a decrease over the previous year of 31%, with sales amounting to $29.52bn, 2009 would show a further, major decrease of 52%, with sales amounting to $14.14bn.

Of this, wafer process treatment devices account for 73.7%, being forecasted to drop by 53% over the previous year, and come to $10.42bn.

As a forecast for next year, 2010, they indicated that there should be an increase in the entire device market of 47% compared to 2009.

Wafer process treatment devices should increase by 48%, amounting to $15.42bn. Although this figure still doesn’t reach the level of 2008 by a long shot, it does show signs of a steady recovery.

In Japan as well, while the focal point of the demand does include the export market, the demand has apparently begun to move towards semiconductor fabrication devices as well as gas and gas related equipment for use in liquid crystal fabrication.

For the gas related equipment producers, who have been forced to put up with a long sluggish period, now is the time for a turning point in policy, involving development of customers with new demands as well as new products.