Aug. 4--Clark County chipmakers got a boost last quarter from the rise in worldwide semiconductor sales.

Chip sales increased 17 percent to $51.7 billion in the quarter ending June 28, from $44.2 billion in the previous quarter, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported Monday.

The uptick comes with the improved market outlook for personal computers and cell phones, said SIA president George Scalise. PC unit sales have fallen 5 percent since last year compared to industry analyst forecasts of 9 percent to 12 percent. Cell phones, too, did better than expected with a 7 percent to 9 percent decline compared to a forecasted 15 percent drop.

The Clark County semiconductor industry, which employs about 3,000 people at companies such as WaferTech and Linear Technology, also reported improved earnings this quarter in line with global chip sales.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which operates the WaferTech chip foundry in Camas, in July reported an 87.9 percent increase in second quarter revenue from the first quarter this year. The company's revenue was down 15.8 percent, however, in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.

Linear Technology, which manufactures chips in Camas, also saw a large loss in revenues last year but announced a 4 percent increase in revenue to $208 million for the quarter ending June 28, from $200.9 million the previous quarter. And the company predicts revenues will continue to rise 2 percent to 5 percent in the September quarter.

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., owner of SEH America Inc. in Vancouver and a major silicon wafer supplier to chip producers such as Intel Corp. and Texas Instruments, announced a 54 percent drop in electronics materials sales in the last quarter. Globally, sales in June were up 3.7 percent to $17.2 billion, and represented the fourth consecutive monthly increase in sales.

"The increase ... is one indicator the industry is returning to normal seasonal growth patterns," said Scalise. "Inventories have been closely managed, encouraging us to believe that the sequential increase in quarterly sales represents a gradual recovery of demand."

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