North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted USD 278.9 million in orders in March 2009 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.61 according to the March 2009 B…
North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted USD 278.9 million in orders in March 2009 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.61 according to the March 2009 Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 0.61 means that USD 61 worth of orders were received for every USD 100 of product billed for the month. The three-month average of worldwide bookings in March 2009 was USD 278.9 million. The bookings figure is about eight percent greater than the final February 2009 level of USD 258.4 million, and about 76% less than the USD 1.17 billion in orders posted in March 2008. The three-month average of worldwide billings in March 2009 was USD 455.3 million. The billings figure is about 13% less than the final February 2009 level of USD 525.5 million, and about 66% less than the March 2008 billings level of USD 1.34 billion. The sharp decline in bookings levels has abated, said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. However, the improvement in the March book to bill ratio is primarily attributed to reduced billings, and semiconductor equipment bookings remain at levels below that needed to support a healthy supply chain. The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of US dollars. SEMI is the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Bangalore, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, ShanghaiSingapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.