Sales Increase

International Rectifier Corp. said it expects an increase of more than 60% in fiscal 2000 sales of its chips, which are used to protect cellular phones and computers from damage caused by electrical surges. Sales are being spurred by the growing use of cellular phones and concerns by companies about malfunctions caused by power glitches, said Shelly Wagers, the company’s vice president of communications. International Rectifier, based in El Segundo, expects to have shipped about $400 million of its chips when its fiscal year ends this month. The company shipped about $245 million of the chips in fiscal 1999. International Rectifier customers include Motorola Corp., the world’s No. 2 cell phone maker, and Intel Corp., the world’s largest computer chip maker, Wagers said. Shares of International Rectifier rose $5 to close at $46.25 in New York Stock Exchange trading.