Photronics posts flat results for second quarter

Second quarter sales were $108.3 million, essentially flat sequentially and down 12 percent compared with last year, at Photronics Inc., the semiconductor photomask manufacturer based in Brookfield.

Sales of integrated circuits photomasks were $82.6 million, down 4 percent sequentially and down 9 percent compared with last year, while sales of flat-panel display photomasks were $25.7 million, up 10 percent sequentially but down 20 percent compared with last year.

Photronics CEO Peter Kirlin said much of the sales decline stemmed from weak demand in Taiwan, one of the manufacturer’s key markets. Strategically, he noted, the company is installing the first of two planned writing tools to add flat-panel display capacity and has begun construction on a new integrated circuit facility in China.

Photronics also announced it has entered into a second joint venture with Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., focused on serving semiconductor manufacturers in China.