04/18/2008 by Debra Vogler, Senior Technical Editor, Solid State Technology
April 18, 2008 - MEMS foundry and LETI spinoff Tronics Microsystems says its 2007 sales were nearly double the sector's CAGR for the year. WaferNEWS talked with them to find out how this custom component manufacturer is getting it done, what it feels is its key differentiator, and what it's working on next.
04/18/2008 Apr. 18, 2008 - Even the quarterly-ending month couldn't muster enough strength to give the industry a positive boost, as demand continues to show softness in the semiconductor equipment sector, according to the latest data from SEMI.
04/18/2008 IPC as announced the release of IPC-7095B, "Design and Assembly Process Implementation for BGAs". Implementing ball grid array (BGA) and fine-pitch ball grid array (FBGA) technology presents unique challenges for design, assembly, inspection and repair personnel, especially in light of recent changes in alloys and surface finishes.
04/18/2008 Luke P. Lee, Ph.D., from the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley has been selected as keynote speaker for MEPTEC's 6th Annual MEMS Packaging symposium titled "MEMS Market Evolution: From Technology Push to Market Pull" on May 22, 2008. This one-day event will take place at the Wyndham Hotel, San Jose, CA.
04/18/2008 University of Pittsburgh scientists have claimed a nanotechnology breakthrough: The newfound ability of organic molecules to conduct electricity opens door to smaller, cheaper, and more powerful technologies.
04/17/2008 The U.S. House of Representatives' Science and Technology Committee held a hearing yesterday, April 16, to review the National Nanotechnology Initiative -- which is up for reauthorization -- as well as proposed draft legislation.
04/17/2008 by Katherine Derbyshire, Contributing Editor, Solid State Technology
April 17, 2008 - Though the vast majority of photovoltaic installations capture photons emitted by the sun, many other sources of electromagnetic radiation exist. Waste heat produced by diesel generators, internal combustion engines, and industrial processes offers a potential source of radiation for, and thus increased interest in, thermophotovoltaic devices.
04/17/2008 StratEdge, provider of semiconductor packages for microwave, millimeter wave, and high speed digital devices, announces the introduction of a family of small outline thermally enhanced molded ceramic packages for power semiconductors that can be used for silicon, silicon carbide, gallium nitride, and other compound semiconductors in power integrated circuit applications.
04/17/2008 April 16, 2008 -- /PRNewswire/ -- ATLANTA, GA -- Murray's Chicken, a family-run poultry processor based in southern Fallsburg, New York, is switching to electrolyzed water as its primary processing cleaning agent.
04/17/2008 Teradyne, Inc. announced that their FLEX Test Platform has been selected by Bosch to equip their automotive test facilities for future projects. The selection, spanning multiple years, was the result of a 10-month evaluation process that examined all automatic test equipment (ATE) suppliers. The evaluation reportedly included a variety of functions within each company as well as tester performance.
04/16/2008 In its quest for fuel efficiency, Ford Motor Company is developing nanotechnology-based paints, plastics, light metals, and catalysts to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy without sacrificing quality. Analysts predict that nanomaterials will reach 70% usage in auto apps by 2015.
04/16/2008 by M. David Levenson, Editor-in-Chief, Microlithography World
April 16, 2008 - With aerial images now having simpler geometry than OPC mask designs, it may be time for aerial image inspection to replace microscopic mask measurement. If it performs as advertised, Applied Materials' reentrance into the mask inspection tool market, the Aera2, could enable more aggressive RET strategies, lower reticle costs, and help make chip yield more predictable at 45nm and 32nm.
04/16/2008 Jordan Valley Semiconductors LTD, a provider of semiconductor metrology solutions, has acquired the business of Bede, effective Monday April 14th. Bede is a supplier of high-resolution XRD (HRXRD) metrology for the semiconductor and compound industries with revenues of $11.6M in 2007. Bede entered into the UK's Administration phase, their equivalent of Chapter 11, on March 31.
04/15/2008 April 15, 2008 -- /SARATOGA, CA/ -- California Code Compliance, Inc. (CaCCi), a new inspection and compliance service firm, has been formed to help manufacturers and manufacturing operations manage risk and reduce liability with strategic programs that ensure their electronic and heavy machinery complies with global safety and manufacturing standards.
04/15/2008 April 15. 2008 -- /PRIME NEWSWIRE/ -- DANBURY, CT and GOETTINGEN, GERMANY -- ATMI, Inc. and Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA have agreed that Sartorius Stedim will distribute and market ATMI LifeSciences' unique LevTechR levitated mixing system together with Sartorius Stedim's own biopharmaceutical mixing bag technology.
04/15/2008 The Nintendo Wii's motion-sensing remote control and the Apple iPhone's self-orienting display represent the advance wave of what will be a rising tide of new and innovative uses for MEMS accelerometers, according to ABI Research.
04/15/2008 April 15, 2008 -- /PRNewswire/ -- AMSTERDAM -- SynCo Bio Partners B.V., a leading GMP biopharmaceutical manufacturer,has signed a master services agreement with OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, a company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells.
04/15/2008 Nano and micro/MEMS R&D tool suppliers FEI Company and Imago Scientific Instruments have announced a comprehensive collaboration that lets FEI establish an equity position in Imago and opens the door for purchasing Imago in the future.
04/15/2008 April 15, 2008 -- /FDA/ -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces that at least 21 people in 13 states have been diagnosed with salmonellosis that was caused by the same strain of Salmonella that was found in the recently recalled unsweetened puffed rice and unsweetened puffed wheat cereals produced by Malt-O-Meal.
