Worldwide sales of semiconductors for May 2015 came to US$28.2 billion, an increase of 5.1% from a year ago when sales were US$26.8 billion, according to SIA. Compared to the US$27.6 billion posted in April, May sales represented a 2.1% increase.

"The global semiconductor industry overcame lingering macroeconomic uncertainty to post solid year-to-year growth in May," said SIA president and CEO John Neuffer, in a statement. "Year-to-year sales have now increased for 25 straight months, month-to-month sales increased for the first time in six months, and we expect modest growth to continue for the remainder of 2015 and beyond."

Regionally, chip sales in the Americas registered an on-year increase of 11.4% in May 2015, while sales in China and Asia Pacific/All Other grew 9.5% and 8%, respectively. Chip sales in Europe and Japan saw on-year decreases of 7.8% and 11.8%, respectively, during the same period, SIA said.

Compared to the previous month, chip sales in China, Asia Pacific/All Other and the Americas increased 4%, 3.3% and 0.2%, respectively, in May, while sales dropped 0.6% in Europe and held flat in Japan, SIA disclosed.