Anadigics commands impressive incremental operating margins partly because its cutting-edge six-inch wafer fab in Warren, N.

FORBES: Anadigics Powers Up

Expansion was limited by engineering manpower, capital equipment availability , and the wafer fab ecosystem.

FORBES: Is the Semiconductor Cycle Dead?

Gartner sees wafer fab equipment revenue up 9.8% this year, but down 22.9% next year, with a 23.7% rebound in 2013.

FORBES: Semi Equipment Sales To Drop 19.5% In 2012, Gartner Says

Micron Technology runs a wafer fab originally built by Texas Instruments in Avezzano (see photo), in the poorer eastern part of the country.

FORBES: Semiconductors and the Mafia

Gartner contends wafer fab manufacturing capacity utilization will decline below 80 percent by the end of 2012 before slowly increasing to about 85 percent by the end of 2013.

FORBES: Connect