The three-month average of semiconductor equipment billings in May increased 15.1% compared to May 2013, according to trade association SEMI.
Worldwide equipment billings in May 2014 totaled $1.41 billion, up from $1.22 billion in May 2013. The May 2014 billings total also increased 0.3% from April 2014 when billings were $1.40 billion, according to SEMI.
The double-digit increase in billings in May indicates that chip equipment sales growth reported in the first quarter appears to have continued in the second quarter. SEMI said that semiconductor equipment billings in the first quarter grew 9% from the fourth quarter and 39% from the first quarter of 2013.
New orders (bookings) totaled $1.41 billion in May, down 2.4% from April when bookings were $1.44 billion. However, bookings in May were 6.6% higher than May 2013 when new orders totaled $1.32 billion, the association said.
The semiconductor equipment book-to-bill ratio was 1.00 in May, down slightly from 1.03 in May. A ratio of 1.00 means chip equipment manufacturers received $100 in new orders for every $100 of equipment that they shipped in May. The ratio has been 1.00 or higher all year.
The book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. When the ratio is higher than 1.00 it is an indication that demand for equipment is rising.
“Semiconductor equipment bookings and billings maintain a consistent pace approaching the end of the second quarter,” said Denny McGuirk, SEMI CEO and president. “Like other trends reported across the industry, semiconductor process equipment sales demonstrate positive year-over-year performance,” he said.
