Chip-Equipment Orders: All-Time Low

North America-based semiconductor manufacturers saw billings and bookings drop considerably in the first two months of 2009 to the worst levels in 18 years, according to information collected by a trade organization.

The Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, or SEMI, said in its report that semiconductor-equipment makers posted a three-month average of $263.5 million in bookings in February, down 5% from $277.2 million in January and 78% from $579.1 million in the final month of 2008. The three-month average of billings in February was $546.1 million, down 7% sequentially and about 58% from a year ago.

The book-to-bill ratio, which measures the worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers, dropped to 0.48 in February, up slightly from January's rate of 0.47 but down sharply from 0.86 in December. ...