Chip Equipment Billings Rose 19% in May

Billings for North American tool vendors reached $2.7 billion in May, up from $2.27 billion in May 2017, according to the SEMI trade organization. Billings also increased on a sequential basis, rising 0.6 percent compared to $2.69 billion in April, SEMI said.

“May 2018 monthly global billings of North American equipment manufacturers exceeded last month's level to set yet another record,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO, in a press statement. “Demand for semiconductor equipment remains strong on the back of smart, data-centric applications such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data and edge computing.”