08 quarter global semiconductor equipment shipments amounted to $10 billion 560 million

According to the international semiconductor equipment and Materials Industry Association (SEMI) the latest Book-to-Bill order shipment report, the first quarter of 2008 the global semiconductor equipment shipments amounted to US $10 billion 560 million, growth of 7% over the fourth quarter of 2007 than the same period last year growth of 2%. And in 2008 the North American semiconductor equipment manufacturers three months average order amount was $1 billion 30 million, the order to delivery ratio (B/B Ratio, Book-to-Bill Ratio) was 0.79.

The report notes that the first quarter of 2008, the global semiconductor equipment orders amounted to $8 billion 80 million, a decrease of 11% compared to the fourth quarter of 2007, also lower than the same period last year, a decrease of 23%. North American semiconductor equipment manufacturers in May for three months, the average global order is expected to amount to $1 billion 30 million, compared with the final order amount of $1 billion 90 million in April to reduce the $5%, more than the same period in 2007 fell $37% to $1 billion 640 million.

In the shipment performance, the average monthly shipments of three months in May was $1 billion 310 million, compared with $1 billion 340 million in April, a small stack of 2%, compared with the same period last year, a decrease of 21%.

SEMI global president and chief executive officer Stanley T. Myers pointed out: after experiencing the semiconductor recession in 2005, this year, the amount of semiconductor equipment orders once again fell to the level of 2005. From the data, this situation will continue until the next season."

SEMI B/B Ratio is based on the average order amount of North American semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the past three months, divided by the average monthly shipments of the past three months, the resulting ratio.