Semicon book-to-bill ratio 0.48 in Feb. 2009

SAN JOSE, USA: North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $263.5 million in orders in February 2009 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.48 according to the February 2009 Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of 0.48 means that $48 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in February 2009 was $263.5 million. The bookings figure is about 5 percent less than the final January 2009 level of $277.2 million, and about 78 percent less than the $1.21 billion in orders posted in February 2008.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in February 2009 was $546.1 million. The billings figure is about seven percent less than the final January 2009 level of $584.2 million, and about 58 percent less than the February 2008 billings level of $1.31 billion.

“These are the lowest bookings levels we’ve seen since SEMI began compiling data for the book-to-bill program in 1991,” said Dan Tracy, senior director of Industry Research and Statistics at SEMI. “Spending and investments remain at minimal levels as the semiconductor industry waits for clearer signals indicating improvement in end market demand.”

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.