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Merger gives C Sixty stability, CNI access to medical markets

12/23/2004  Nanomaterial and biotech companies usually make for unlikely bedfellows. But on Tuesday, a manufacturer of carbon nanotubes and a startup that uses a relative of nanotubes for drug applications announced that they had merged. The merger will give carbon nanotube manufacturer Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc. an avenue for developing drugs or other medical products. C Sixty Inc., which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CNI, will get financial security as well as business support.

Sony to spend 60 billion yen to boost semiconductor production

12/22/2004  December 22, 2004 - Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will invest 60 billion yen (US$575 million) in fiscal 2005 and 2006 to boost production of semiconductors at Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Corp, according to Kyodo News International.

Renesas Tech to merge subsidiary unit Trecenti

12/22/2004  December 22, 2004 - Renesas Technologies Corp., the world's fifth-largest chipmaker, said Tuesday it will merge its wholly-owned unit, Trecenti Technologies Inc., into its parent entity in March 2005, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun America.

Shin-Etsu Handotai to double 300mm wafer production

12/22/2004  December 22, 2004 - Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. plans to invest more than 200 billion yen to more than double capacity for production of 300mm silicon wafers in Japan and the US, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported today.

Simmons remakes bed with nano-enhanced fabric

12/22/2004  In June, Nano-Tex Chief Executive Donn Tice said his firm would pursue new markets like home furnishings. He recently made good on the promise with the unveiling of Simmons Bedding Co.'s new HealthSmart bed. The bed, which features a zip-off mattress top, is intended to appeal to consumers who want a cleaner mattress.

ASML, Micronic ink maskless litho deal

12/21/2004  December 21, 2004 - Micronic Laser Systems AB, Taby, Sweden, has agreed to license its patents relating to spatial light modulator (SLM) and datapath technologies to ASML Netherlands BV for use in optical maskless lithography for semiconductor applications.

Packaging & Assembly Equipment Market to Decline 22% in 2005

12/21/2004  (December 21, 2004) Stamford, Conn.—Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending is on pace to increase 61% in 2004, but spending in 2005 is projected to decline 15%, according to Gartner Inc. The packaging and assembly equipment market will experience a 22% decline in 2005, with revenue of approximately $3.5 billion.

Chinese foundries gain 0.18-micron support

12/21/2004  December 20, 2004 - Artisan Components Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, has agreed to support 0.18-micron process technologies from a pair of Chinese foundries: Shanghai Hua Hong NEC Electronics Co. Ltd. (HHNEC), and HeJian Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd.

UMC enhances 90nm manufacturability using Synopsys technology

12/21/2004  December 21, 2004 - Synopsys Inc. and UMC have announced that UMC is using Synopsys' alternating aperture phase-shift mask (AA-PSM) technology to enhance manufacturability for its 90nm process.

SEMATECH North reduces defects in mask blanks at 80nm

12/21/2004  December 21, 2004 - Researchers at SEMATECH North have reached a milestone in reducing deposition tool-generated defects in mask blanks used for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). They have deposited EUV multilayers with as few as one defect/mask at 80nm resolution, which translates into 0.005 defects/square centimeter.

CNI merges with C Sixty

12/21/2004  Two companies in Houston announced today that they merged in order to share their resources and expertise in carbon nanomaterials – Carbon Nanotechnologies, a manufacturer of single-wall carbon nanotubes, and C Sixty, a company developing fullerene-based drugs.

Glove project aims to protect soldiers

12/20/2004  InMat is showing success at designing a better protective glove for soldiers who handle hazardous chemicals. In October, the company sealed a deal with a distributor that could expand InMat's reach to manufacturers of worker-safety products in the chemical industry.

SEMI's November Book-to-bill: 1.00

12/17/2004  (December 17, 2004) San Jose, Calif.—As expected, North America-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers' orders and billings were down in November 2004. The book-to-bill for the month was 1.00, SEMI reports.

NA semi equipment industry posts November B-to-B ratio of 1.00

12/17/2004  December 17, 2004 - North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.35 billion in orders in November (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.00 according to the SEMI's November 2004 Book-to-Bill Report.