Chipmaker Microsemi's announcement this week that it will buy Vitesse Semiconductor is expected to be an early step in the consolidation process in the industry. The acquisition follows Microsemi's purchase of Ireland's Mingoa last year and Symmetricom in 2013. Now, the spotlight is widened on Atmel and Silicon Laboratories, two chipmakers that The Deal reporter Jaewon Kang says are expected to be potential M&A targets in the industry. Kang details how Atmel has positioned itself well within the semiconductor space and why a potential buyer may also consider Silicon Laboratories. She explains how, regardless of whether Atmel and Silicon Labs agree to a merger or buyout, consolidation in the group is only expected to pick up.