What is the forecast and the potential growth drivers?

Jim Feldhan, president of Semico Research Corp., predicts the IC market will fall 12 percent in 2009, but the business will rebound and grow 18 percent in 2010.

Feldhan dismissed some projections that the market will see a dreaded ''double dip.'' In other words, the market will see another quick down cycle, followed by a recovery.

''Is there going to be a 'W'? We believe it is not,'' he said.

All of the indicators ''point to a strong 2010,'' he said at a presentation at the GSA Expo here. During the presentation, he listed the traditional and emerging growth drivers for ICs.

In terms of order of growth, here are the traditional drivers for ICs: netbooks, portable navigation devices, notebooks, DVD video recorders, DTV, VOIP PBX and video consoles.

Here are the emerging drivers for ICs: 3-D games, 3-D TV, Project Natal smart grids, bio mechanical, social networking, E-paper, photomask via DNA and pico displays. (Project Natal is the code name for a controller-free gaming system for Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game platform.)