KUALA LUMPUR (March 18): North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted US$1.26 billion in orders worldwide in February 2016 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.05, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

A book-to-bill of 1.05 means that US$105 worth of orders were received for every US$100 of product billed for the month.

In a statetement on its website on March 17, SEMI said the bookings figure was 1.3% lower than the final January 2016 level of US$1.31 billion, and is 3.9% lower than the February 2015 order level of US$1.31 billion.

SEMI president and CEO Denny McGuirk said the book-to-bill ratio has remained at or above parity for three months in a row.

“The data indicate an improved spending trend in the second half of the year, driven by 3D NAND and 10nm investments,” he said.