02/16/2008 ; In January, IC Insights Inc., a Scottsdale-AX based market research firm for the semiconductor industry, gave a seminar in Boston covering global economic trends, their semiconductor industry forecast, technology trends, and evaluations of end-use applications driving demand for ICs. The McClean Report presented at the 2008 seminar predicted that the IC industry, which grew 4% worldwide in 2007, would grow 9% this year.
02/15/2008 Feb. 15, 2008 - After a two-quarter blackout, Hynix Semiconductor is preparing to resume selling DRAM chips on the sport market, likely starting in 2Q08, according to the Korea Times.
02/15/2008 Feb. 15, 2008 - NEC says it has developed a carbon nanotube (CNT) transistor using a new channel-coating process, achieving "extremely high mobility" despite performance variation. Results of the research are being presented at this week's nano tech 2008 International Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference in Tokyo.
02/15/2008 by M. David Levenson, Editor-In-Chief, Microlithography World
Feb. 15, 2008 - An odd thing happened on the way to 65nm chip technology -- perfectly good photomasks started going bad after a few hundred wafer exposures, due to the deposition of crystal-like defects. If detected, they can be cleaned off and the $100k mask re-used. KLA-Tencor says its new suite of tools can requalify masks in the fab, avoiding yield crashes (though occasionally delaying production).
02/15/2008 Feb. 15, 2008 - KLA-Tencor has unveiled three new inspection tools for requalifying masks in a wafer fab and inspect for contaminants, capabilities it says will improve yield and lower production risk in 65nm and 45nm chip manufacturing and 32nm development.
02/15/2008 Feb. 15, 2008 - The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) has published a newly revised "recommended practice" addressing characterization of organic compounds outgassed from materials or components exposed to air or gases in cleanrooms and other controlled environments.
02/15/2008 Feb. 15, 2008 - Facing limits in its ability to expand internal capacity, Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing has bought 100% ownership of Hitachi's Singapore unit, Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore Pte Ltd (HNS), including a local 200mm fab near its existing campus, for ~$233M in cash.
02/15/2008 ; Asymtek, a Nordson company, announces the addition of two new distributors to market its automated fluid dispensing and conformal coating systems throughout Poland and Turkey. AMB Technic, headquartered in Kolo, Poland, and NORANA, headquartered in Izmir, Turkey, will provide Asymtek's customers with sales support, lab testing, on-site equipment service, and training.
02/15/2008 ; Yole Developpement has just released a new report entitled "WLP & Embedded Die Technologies 2008". This report presents the manufacturing challenges faced by the wafer level packaging industry in terms of MEMS, CMOS image sensors and semiconductor ICs.
02/15/2008 ; The X-Tek Group, specialists in microfocus and CT X-ray systems, signed an agreement with Metris for the sale of 100% of the X-Tek stock at the end of 2007. The acquisition will enable Metris to expand X-Tek's CT capabilities into various applications within the metrology industry.
02/15/2008 by Ed Korczynski, Senior Technical Editor, Solid State Technology
There's a strategic shift coming in how the IC industry develops basic manufacturing processes. With increasing manufacturing complexity at the 45nm node occurring at the same time as chip commoditization, the industry now has multiple integration targets to drive the development of new unit processes. Novellus' EVP Tom Caulfield weighs in on this trend.
02/14/2008 February 14, 2008 -- /PRNewswire/ -- NORTHFIELD, MN -- Northfield Automation, a leader in roll-to-roll process equipment for thin-material handling applications, announces the formation of Northfield Medimation, a wholly owned subsidiary that will diversify the company into the medical device market.
02/14/2008 February 14, 2008 -- /SAN JOSE, CA/ -- A recent analysis of SEMI fab database reports shows that spending on fab construction projects and fabs equipping will likely see double digit declines in 2008 as many fab construction projects are put on hold, pushed out to end of the year, or into 2009.
02/14/2008 Since the beginning of February, a number of companies have announced significant shifts in management and personnel. Among them were Amkor, who's COO accepted a CEO position elsewhere; Tessera Technologies, who appointed former CTO of Flextronics to their board; Asymtek, who promoted their European sales and marketing manager to general manager; SUSS MicroTec, who appointed a V.P of sales; and...
02/14/2008 ; Laurier Inc., a division of BE Semiconductor Industries (Besi) and manufacturers of die handling equipment, is now fully integrated into Datacon Technology GmbH die bonding equipment division. The reorganization consolidates Laurier into Datacon, resulting in a single die handling division.
02/14/2008 The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) has appointed John DiLoreto as the new director of its Nanotechnology SME Coalition, created in 2007 to assist startups, small and medium enterprises (SME) in developing, manufacturing, and using nanoscale materials.
02/14/2008 Qingdao Hisense Communication Co. Ltd., has announced the design specifications of the Hisense C108 mobile phone that will become the industry's first handset with Qualcomm MEMS Technologies' mirasol display. MEMS-based mirasol consumes significantly less power than other displays, and promises legibility in bright sunlight.
02/13/2008 ; Inkjet printer heads hold one of the largest shares of the MEMS market. Printer manufacturers generally use thermal bubble jet technology or piezoelectric jet technology. A silicon chip is used as a barrier between the orifice plate, which contains hundreds of nozzles, and the ink reservoir.
02/13/2008 ; SEZ Holding Ltd. announced today that on 12 February 2008 Lam Research Corp. has published the preliminary interim results of the public tender offer for all publicly held shares of SEZ Holding Ltd. and has declared the public tender offer successful.
