Many chipmakers' profit and sales have been sluggish -- though a few have enjoyed strong growth, including highly rated Cirrus Logic (CRUS), a maker of analog and mixed-signal chips for mobile devices; and Mellanox Technologies (MLNX), an Israeli maker of chips for Internet servers and storage devices. However, a new report says the number of deals in the sector is up dramatically from last year, potentially a positive sign for future growth. The