Infineon, STMicro and NXP said Wednesday they were among several chip makers raided by EU antitrust investigators seeking evidence of a cartel that fixed the prices of chips for bank and identity smart cards.

Semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies AG said Monday it will seek shareholders' permission to raise as much as euro450 million ($625 million) in capital by issuing new shares — a move that caused its stock to surge.

The semiconductor industry, notoriously volatile even without the shock of a global economic downturn, was badly hurt in 2008 as prices for memory chips continued their dizzyingly rapid fall and demand for PC microprocessors dropped off amid weaker demand.

Chipmaker Infineon said it would cut staff by 10 percent amid continuing tough market conditions even as it beat market expectations with a 97 percent rise in third-quarter core operating profit.