Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose by 4.5 percent in may from April, to 24,700 million dollars (about 19,700 euros), thanks to strong sales of personal computers, mobile phones, corporate computing, industrial applications and automobiles, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) of on July 05, 2010. SIA expects sales of personal computers to grow by 20 percent and those of mobile at 10 percent, up to 12 percent this year. Sales of chips rose a 47.6 percent in May compared with the previous year, representing a slight decline with respect to the rate of growth of April. Processors industry began to rise in the second half of 2009, gaining momentum from the minimum point that had been reached. As a result, SIA estimates that the industry’s growth rates will continue slowing down during the second half of 2010. Growing fears over issues such as the Government debt, a decline in consumer confidence, and pressures on government spending do not appear to have affected to date worldwide sales of semiconductors, said George Scalise, SIA President. Continue reading By Leonel Morales.