June 17, 2011 – North-America based manufacturers of chipmaking tools exhibited slight growth in May from the prior month, staying in line for full-year projections of double-digit growth, according to SEMI.

The three-month averages of bookings ($1.62B, 1.1% M/M) and billings ($1.67B, 2.0%) show slight improvements; both were given ~$4M-$5M boosts from preliminary tallies. The book-to-bill ratio, an indicator of how much business is coming into the pipeline vs. going out, is still hovering just below the 1.0 parity mark, now at 0.97. Nevertheless, approaching the year’s halfway point the numbers still indicate "expectations for double-digit growth this year," noted SEMI president/CEO Stanley T. Myers, in a statement.

SEMI also has updated its global numbers for 1Q11 chip tool demand, which similarly inched up from the prior quarter (1% to $12B). Bookings were down, though, -11% to $11.08B. Note the solid growth continues in the US and Europe, while Taiwan, China, and ROW pull back slightly.

Quarterly billings data by region in US $B. Figures may not add due to rounding. (Source: SEMI/SEAJ)