The Big Three, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and ASML, held the top three spots for the fifth consecutive year, according to analysts VLSI research.

Apart from Lam Research, which moved from seventh place in 2005 and 2004 to fifth place, the rankings stayed the same as in 2005. 

1. Applied $8.4bn
2. Tokyo Electron $5.1bn
3. ASML   $4.5bn
4. KLA-Tencor  $2.4bn
5. Lam Research  $2.2bn
6. Advantest  $1.9bn
7. Nikon   $1.9bn
8. Novellus  $1.6bn
9. Dainippon  $1.3bn
10. Canon   $1.3bn

The equipment covered is equipment to manufacture semiconductors, thin film heads, and MEMS.  In 2006, the value of all these sectors totalled $53.5bn, representing a 23 per cent growth from 2005.

Sales of wafer fabrication equipment grew 28 per cent in 2006, an above average figure which may not signal good news for the supply/demand balance, while sales of Test and related equipment increased 14 per cent , and sales of assembly equipment  rose 8 per cent.

The combined revenue growth of the Top Ten IC equipment suppliers outpaced that of the overall industry at 26 per cent.
Six companies had sales increases of 20 per cent or more, led by Lam Research at 59 per cent, followed by ASML at 44 per cent, Applied Materials at 34 per cent,  Dainippon Screen at 32 per cent,  Novellus at 26 per cent, and Nikon at 21 per cent. Most of the others had double digit growth.

Hitachi High-Technologies, Teradyne, ASM International, Varian, and ACCRETECH–Tokyo Seimitsu rounded up the next five spots to make up the Top 15.

Verigy is ‘unofficially’ ranked 14th. Verigy did not exist until June 2006 when it was  spun off from Agilent.  Verigy’s revenues from the first half of 2006 when they were still a part of Agilent Technologies are taken into account, they make the No. 14 slot.