Advantest Corporation · Tokyo Japan ·(NYSE: ATE)(Tokyo: 6857)

Chip makers and others in need of advanced test equipment often turn to Advantest. The company is a top maker of automated test equipment (ATE) used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Most of Advantest's operations center around its semiconductor production equipment, including its extensive line of specialized ATE gear, as well as electron-beam lithography equipment. The balance of the company's sales come from a variety of measuring instruments used by manufacturers of consumer electronics, telecommunications equipment, and other high-tech goods to test their wares. Customers outside Japan, primarily in Asia, account for about two-thirds of Advantest's sales. To read the full description, subscribe now.