Chip equipment billings fall 19% in the second quarter
Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached $7.58 billion in the second quarter of 2005, according to the latest figures from chip trade body SEMI.
The billings figure is 19% below the first quarter of 2005 and 21% below the same quarter a year ago.
Worldwide sales of new semiconductor manufacturing equipment reached $16.9 billion in the first half of 2005, which is about 10% below the billings level posted for the first half of 2004.
"The year-to-date performance is consistent with the recent SEMI member consensus survey that indicated expectations for worldwide equipment sales to reach about US$33 billion this year following the very strong equipment sales in 2004," said Stanley T Myers, president and CEO of SEMI."
Europe experienced a 12% quarter-on-quarter fall and a 9% year-on-year in tool billings to US$799 million in the second quarter. It suffered less than most other regions, including China, which experienced a whopping 27% sequential and 74% year-on-year fall in billings to US$236 million.
The only region to experience sequential growth was Taiwan, billings rising 14% to $1.62 billion in the second quarter. Taiwan is now the biggest semiconductor equipment market, having superseded Japan, where Q2 equipment sales fell 25% sequentially and 19% year-on-year to $1.584 billion.
The US was the third largest market in the second quarter, reporting billings of $1.4 billion, down 10% sequentially and 1% year-on-year. Korea is the other major market with billings of $1.24 billion in the second quarter, down 46% sequentially and up 12% year-on-year.