Equipment Industry Update

-- Semiconductor International, 9/1/2000

Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Sales	Shipments Trends for U.S.-Based Manufacturers
Shares of Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Sales by Product Type	Book-to-Bill Ratios by Equipment Type

Book-to-bill ratios for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers fell for a third straight month in June, according to data compiled by SEMI. But the ratio is coming off a record-high 1.46 in March, so the June number ($1.26 in orders received for every $1.00 shipped) remains strong.

Equipment orders rose 1.1% from May to June, following average gains of 8.1% for January-May. Orders now have increased for nine straight months. Shipments rose at a healthier 3.3% rate in June, yielding the lower book-to-bill ratio.

June shipments were up 72.8% above June 1999. For the first half of 2000, the value of equipment shipped by North American manufacturers was 80.1% above the $6.28B for January-June 1999. At $2.80B in June 2000, orders were almost 70% above the peak of the last cyclical upturn in Fall of 1997.

Worldwide sales for January-May 2000 were 109.7% above the same 1999 period. Growth was impressive across all regions: up 59.1% to North American manufacturers; 86.2% to Japan; 154.0% to Europe; and 155.9% to the rest of the world (mostly to other Asia-Pacific nations). .