21.   Chip companies in Europe, although hurt somewhat by the slowing of the PC industry, are being helped by the strong growth in the telecommunications equipment market.

22.   Chip-making is a delicate process, requiring chip companies to install special equipment and ultra-pure gases to eliminate contamination of the chips.

23.   Chip companies and other equipment makers also rose.

24.   Chip companies continued to lose on concern lower prices and burgeoning inventories will stunt their profits.

25.   Chip companies ranging from National Semiconductor and Intel Corp. to upstart Transmeta Corp. are designing new low-power chips designed specifically for wireless devices.

26.   Competition drives chip companies just as it does lemonade stands and football players.

27.   Electronic devices increasingly depend on chips to make them work, providing strong demand that has pushed chip companies to increase production.

28.   Electronic devices have increasingly come to depend on chips to make them work, providing strong demand that has pushed chip companies to increase production.

29.   Equipment makers had reported lower earnings in the past several quarters as chip companies scaled back plans to build new plants in light of falling prices and weak demand.

30.   Few chip companies are big borrowers, and signs of economic strength ease concern that demand for personal computers is weakening.