05/20/2008 by Bob Haavind, Editorial Director, Solid State Technology
May 20, 2008 - In his presentation during a "Fab Lite" session at the ConFab, Giichi Inoue of Toshiba Semiconductor explained how IT plays multiple supporting roles in marketing and manufacturing, interlinking many intricate tasks and strategies to allow smooth global operation across many markets with fast response to customer needs. Plus: why Japanese firms are "agrarian" and US firms are "hunters."
05/20/2008 May 20, 2008 -- Qualcomm MEMS Technologies has demonstrated the first reflective Interferometric Modulation (IMOD) color mirasol display. Freestyle Audio will feature the first 0.9-inch low-power, MEMS-based display, which is viewable even in direct sunlight, in its next-gen MP3 players, designed for rugged sports use.
05/19/2008 May 19, 2008 - ASM International's US subsidiary, ASM America, says it has a new atomic layer deposition (ALD) process targeting 32nm-node chip manufacturing with lanthanum oxide (LaOx) and aluminum oxide (AlOx) high-k cap layers that enable high-k metal gate stacks using a single metal, instead of two different metals required previously for CMOS.
05/19/2008 by Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief, Solid State Technology
May 19, 2008 - Cascade Microtech says its new Edge test system measures flicker noise in ICs, seen as a barrier to lowering device operating voltages as geometries shrink. The company also is launching an initiative to integrate measurements systems to provide users with measurement accuracy assurance.
05/19/2008 Cost Pressure Switches from Consumer to Automotive Applications By Andreas Nagy, Multitest
For every semiconductor company, final test and quality control adds cost without adding additional functional value to their product. That is why cost of test is constantly under pressure. In the early days of MEMS, cost-per-unit were not considered that critical, as MEMS prices were sometimes lower then traditional sensor prices by a factor of 100.
05/19/2008 By Steve Lerner, CEO, Alchimer
It seems hard to believe that in just half a century the semiconductor industry has emerged from obscurity to become a key indicator for global economic prosperity. In that time it has developed a cyclic nature; periods of high growth followed by periods of low (or even negative) growth that, due to our overriding dependency on semiconductors, now impacts greatly on the developed world.
05/19/2008 May 19, 2008 -- Uni-Pixel Inc. is making its first public demonstration of Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter (TMOS) flat panel color display prototypes this week. TMOS technology leverages polymer MEMS, and also uses Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR) to transmit light to the display viewer.
05/19/2008 May 19, 2008 -- EoPlex Technologies is building its first full-scale plant for production of cell phone antennas enabled by nanomanufacturing. The company uses nanodeposition techniques and proprietary "inks" that carry ceramic, metallic, or polymer materials.
05/19/2008 The Pyramax 75A reflow oven from BTU International was developed for situations where footprint is an issue, or where high volumes are not required. It features 75? of heated length and six zones, 350
05/19/2008 The XF3 lead-free solder paste from Balver Zinn was reportedly developed to accommodate extended reflow profiles without the use of nitrogen. It completes the family of Cobar products based on Nihon Superior's patented SN100C-alloy.
05/19/2008 Kyzen introduces AQUANOX A4241 stencil cleaner, and AQUANOX A4651US for use in ultrasonic immersion cleaners. Both products provide brilliant solder joints with no sump side additives and consistent cleaning results with minimal bath monitoring; are non-hazardous, biodegradable aqueous solution free of CFCs and HAPs; are multi-metal safe; and have been proven compatible with all materials commonly used in electronics assembly manufacturing and cleaning processes.
05/19/2008 The National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) and TWI will hold the third in a series of annual one-day seminars addressing System-in-Package (SiP) trends, technologies, and applications at TWI, Granta Park, Cambridge, June 3, 2008. The program focuses on Design for SiP, a topic that has been long recognized as one of the key barriers to SiP adoption. Jan Vardemann, of Techsearch International, will deliver the keynote in SiP design and applications.
05/19/2008 Designed to solve excessive programming times in current in-system, JTAG, and in-circuit programming production methods, the 3000FS automated handler from BPM is modeled from the current BPM 3710 handler and contains four Flashstream programming sites. Rated at 1100 devices per hour, It is flexible enough to handle parts in tray, tube, or tape for device input or output.
05/19/2008 The 8800 CHAMEO Multi Flip Chip Bonder from Datacon was developed for high-volume, high-throughput MCM / SiP assembly. Based on the same high-precision, dual-head architecture of its predecessor, the 8800 FC Quantum, it adds multi-flip-chip/MCM/SiP assembly and wafer handling capabilities as required in today's advanced manufacturing environments.
05/16/2008 May 16, 2008 - Comments from Japanese chip equipment execs echo comments from Applied Materials earlier this week suggesting chip industry capex will be soft well into 2H08 and maybe not rebound until early 2009. Not everyone is optimistic yet, though.
05/16/2008 Nanophase Technologies, developer of nanomaterials and advanced nanoengineered solutions, has been independently recertified to meet the standards of ISO9001, the international Quality Management Standard and ISO14001, the international Environmental Management Standard. In addition, the nanotechnology company has set a new safety record, having surpassed 880,000 hours worked (over 400 man years), without a lost-time accident.
05/16/2008 CVD Equipment Corporation -- designer, manufacturer and supplier of equipment for use in manufacturing nanotechnology such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires, as well as semiconductors and solar cells, and for surface mounting of components onto printed circuit boards -- has announced record first quarter revenues and its fourteenth consecutive profitable quarter.
05/16/2008 May 16, 2008 -- Researchers at the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) at Northeastern University say they have discovered "an innovative technology that will have a tremendous impact on the nanotechnology industry." And they plan to demonstrate a prototype next month.
