SEMI: Chip equipment sales up

The three-month average of worldwide orders in October was $871.1 mil, 12% above the revised September figure of $778.8 mil, and 12% above October 2002 orders of $775 mil, said Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

The three-month average of equipment billings, or the value of chip-making gear accepted by customers and booked as revenue, was $873.4 mil, or 8% above the revised September level of $811 mil, and 13% below October 2002 billings of $1 bil. The figures indicate a ratio of orders to billings, known as the book-to-bill ratio, of 1.00, meaning that $100 worth of new orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month, according to the San Jose, California-based group.