06/05/2008 by Debra Vogler, Senior Technical Editor, Solid State Technology
June 5, 2008 - With almost all major R&D lithography efforts reporting at SEMATECH's Litho Forum (May 12-14, Bolton Landing, NY), the common theme resonating throughout a debrief with forum co-chair Mike Lercel and program chair Bernie Roman was one of great progress made on many fronts, with a growing interest in maskless/e-beam lithography.
06/05/2008 Replisaurus Technologies, Inc., pioneer in nanoscale electrodeposition of metal patterns, has acquired S.E.T. SAS to establish a production site for its integrated and fully automated high-volume manufacturing tools for its proprietary ElectroChemical Pattern Replication (ECPR) technology.
06/04/2008 June 4, 2008—Nantero Inc., a nanotechnology company using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the development of next-generation semiconductor devices, is collaborating with SVTC Technology, an R&D semiconductor fab. SVTC will install Nantero's "CMOS-friendly" proprietary CNT process at its development fabs. In an exclusive interview, the partners told Small Times that the move will enable semiconductor and MEMS developers to easily create and test nanotube-based electronics.
06/04/2008 June 3, 2008 -- Calando Pharmaceuticals says it has dosed the first patient with CALAA-01, a targeted nanoparticle therapeutic. This represents the first siRNA therapeutic to enter the clinic in oncology and the first targeted delivery of any RNA interference, or RNAi product.
06/04/2008 As part of its Masdar Initiative, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. will purchase three SunFab Thin Film Lines for producing solar modules from nanomanufacuturing technology solution provider, Applied Materials. The SunFab lines are expected to annually produce modules with a targeted capacity of up to 210 megawatts (MW), or enough energy to power approximately 70,000 homes.
06/04/2008 June 3, 2008 -- Toshiba has optimized for MEMS two packaging technologies that promise significant cost reductions. The company says it will further develop them for practical use.
06/04/2008 June 3, 2008 -- Veeco, provider of instrumentation for nanoscience, has launched HarmoniX, a powerful new atomic force microscope (AFM) technique for high-resolution nanoscale imaging and analysis.
06/03/2008 June 3, 2008 - European R&D consortium IMEC and Aixtron say they achieved a "milestone" of growing AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on 200mm silicon wafers, a step toward fabricating low-cost GaN power devices for high-efficiency/high-power systems beyond silicon limits.
06/03/2008 by Ed Korczynski, senior technical editor, Solid State Technology
The 11th International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC) is now underway in Burlingame, CA, presenting the leading-edge of on-chip interconnect technology developments with details on new materials, processes, and structures. 3D interconnects and through-silicon vias are being discussed in serious detail, while work continues on air-gap dielectrics and carbon nanotubes along with new copper barrier materials.
06/03/2008 BioForce Nanosciences Holdings, Inc., a producer of integrated biological and mechanical systems at the micro and nano scales, has signed a distribution agreement with NanoAndMore USA, Inc., the North and South American distribution arm of NanoWorld Holding AG. NanoAndMore GmbH, is also a distributor of BioForce Nanosciences' products in Europe.
06/03/2008 June 2, 2008 - Novellus Systems execs last week laid out their midquarter business views in an analyst presentation, saying business hasn't really changed much in the past two months, still "weak" but not as bad as historically worst-case. In general, signs still point to a rebound in foundry and memory investments later this year or 2009.
06/03/2008 June 2, 2008 - As global flat-panel displays become ubiquitous, sales of display driver ICs are about to decelerate due to pricing pressures and technology advancements, according to a report from iSuppli.
06/02/2008 June 2, 2008 - Sales of array processing equipment for TFT-LCD manufacturing are expected to more than double between now and 2010 to more than $7.0B, rebounding from significant declines in the past two years -- creating a nice boost to suppliers who turned their sights to brighter prospects in the solar market, according to a report from analyst firm The Information Network.
06/02/2008 June 2, 2008 -- MEMS contract manufacturer/foundry partner Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) announced today that it is expanding its efforts and personnel in the BioMEMS arena. The company told Small Times that medical applications now comprise about 30% of its work.
06/02/2008 June 2, 2008 - Worldwide semiconductor sales were about flat in April vs. March levels, at $21.2B (+0.4%), and up 5.9% from a year ago, results that "are in line with historical industry patterns," noted the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in a statement.
06/02/2008 June 2, 2008 -- The Roger H. Grace fellowship in nanomanufacturing will be awarded today to Cihan Yilmaz by Northeastern University's NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing.
06/01/2008 Semiconductor tool makers might switch some U.S. production to equipment that manufactures photovoltaics, which convert sunlight into electricity.
06/01/2008 We often focus on the importance of keeping products contamination-free, but protecting workers from the risk of contamination by products and keeping them safe while performing tasks is an equally important goal in the cleanroom.
06/01/2008 According to The Freedonia Group’s recently released “Food Safety Products” report, U.S. demand for food safety products will increase 6.5 percent per year to $3.2 billion in 2012. Rising concerns prompted by several well-publicized food-borne illness outbreaks, food product recalls, and cases of contamination in imported food products will lead to increased spending on food safety initiatives, says the market researcher.
June 3, 2008 -- Veeco, provider of instrumentation for nanoscience, has launched HarmoniX, a powerful new atomic force microscope (AFM) technique for high-resolution nanoscale imaging and analysis.