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The North America-based semiconductor equipment company SEMI 's Book-to-Bill Report published posted $1.07 billion in orders in April 2008 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.81, which follows a strong decline since the February 2008 figure of 0.92.

“Relatively flat bookings and billings for North American semiconductor equipment reflect the continued conservative mood of the industry,” said Stanley T. Myers, President and CEO of SEMI. "A number of fab projects have been put on-hold or delayed until 2009, and the current 2008 equipment data reflect this trend."

The April book-to-bill ratio is the second lowest in over three years. However, the first-half-year sales have become the strongest in recent years due to memory manufacturers' heavy spending plans in that period, in anticipation of year-end demand cycles.

With DRAM manufacturers drastically cutting capital spending in 2008 and slower investments in NAND flash, the book-to-bill ratio is expected to continue its downward path in coming months. The final March 2008 book-to-bill ratio was characteristically lowered from 0.89 to 0.87, SEMI reported.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in April 2008 was $1.07 billion. The bookings figure is about eight percent less than the final March 2008 level of $1.17 billion, and almost 32 percent less than the $1.57 billion in orders posted in April 2007.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in April 2008 was $1.32 billion. The billings figure is about two percent less than the final March 2008 level of $1.34 billion, and about 17 percent less than the April 2007 billings level of $1.59 billion.