Semiconductor equipment book-to-bill nears parity, says report
Semiconductor Business News
(03/17/03 06:12 p.m. EST)
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The semiconductor equipment book-to-bill ratio improved increased to 0.98 in February from 0.95 in January, according market research firm VLSI Research Inc. The company predicted that the ratio would rise to 1.05 in March 2003.
Worldwide bookings were $2032 million in February, while billings were at $2070 million. Of the total billings, $1240 million were for wafer processing equipment, $475 million for test and related equipment, $109 million for assembly, and $245 million for service and spares. The book-to-bill has been reported at parity before only to slip back (see January 16 story).
However, for chips themselves the rolling three-month average of the book-to-bill ratio fell below parity to 0.96 in February from 1.10 inJanuary 2003. Worldwide bookings were at $9.7 billion while billings were at $10.1 billion. The chip book-to-bill ratio is expected to hit 1.26 in March, when bookings are forecasted to be at $13.5 billion and billings at $10.7 billion.
Front-end manufacturing capacity utilization showed no increase in February remaining at 73.9 percent. VLSI Research predicts it will rise in March to 78.8 percent.
The company commented that a large difference is building up between demand for leading-edge manufacturing and mainstream and trailing-edge manufacturing. While utilization remains below 70 percent for 0.25-micron and earlier process nodes, capacity is tight at 130-nm process node and below, with utilization approaching the 90 percent level.
Based on the latest findings, equipment revenues for 2003 are now expected to reach $31.6 billion, up 6.7% from 2002. |
