EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Offline semiconductor facilities in Japan cannot ramp to full production until the aftershocks cease, a leading analyst asserts.

"Earthquakes ranging from 4 to 7 on the Richter scale will make it impossible to fully restart these fabs until the earthquakes stop happening with such frequency," IHS iSuppli said, adding that when a quake tops 5, equipment automatically shuts down. Furthermore, blackouts and power disruptions endanger personnel working with combustible gases and other hazardous or sensitive materials.

There are 130 production semiconductor fab lines located in 53 locations in Japan, iSuppli notes. Japan chip makers produce about 20% in terms of revenue of the worldwide market.

The silver lining is that the large inventory buildup -- stocks were at their highest point in nearly three years -- will help sustain the market through the disruption.

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