01/09/2008 Jan. 9, 2007 - After a five-month search, fabless firm Xilinx has hired Moshe Gavrielov, former EVP/GM at Cadence Design Systems, as its next president/CEO effective immediately, taking over for the retiring Willem Roelandts, who will remain chairman of the board.
01/09/2008 Jan. 9, 2008 - Photon Dynamics and Ultra Clean have forged a partnership to hand over manufacturing and testing of Photon Dynamics' ArrayChecker LCD array test systems, part of the company's plans to better manage costs in the LCD capital equipment market.
01/09/2008 As illustrated by recent news, Ponte Solutions is strategically targeting DFM at the IP level by placing tools in the hands of designers where they are most comfortable: within the "cockpits" of their favorite EDA tools. (The message being sent to fabless companies: you must own the DFM challenge.) Execs also tell WaferNEWS about their new physics-based etch modeling for vias/contacts and poly/metal at 45nm and beyond.
01/08/2008 JPK Instruments AG, developer of nanotech measuring and analytical instruments, has increased to 100% its share in subsidiary nAmbition GmbH. The move extends JPK's product portfolio and significantly boosts its Molecular Analytics division.
01/08/2008 Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM), has announced that KT Freetel, one of Korea's largest operators and the country's first WCDMA wireless operator, has selected Qualcomm's MEMS-based mirasol display technology for its SHOW WCDMA Monitoring Systems.
01/08/2008 T2 Biosystems Inc., which is developing portable medical diagnostic products that combine nanotechnology with miniaturized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has appointed John McDonough as chief executive officer. McDonough will also serve as a member of the company's board of directors.
01/08/2008 By Gail Flower, Editor-in-Chief
At a Global Technology Conference held in December 2007, Amkor, a leading provider of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test services, had lots to say to the industry at large and specifically to investors. The OSAT industry is projected to represent 49% of the total assembly and test market by 2011.
01/08/2008 ; Microsemi Corp. today announced its recent acquisition of substantially all of the assets of TSI Microelectronics Corp. (TSI). TSI's revenue in the last 12 months totaled $1.2M and the company was profitable. Total consideration for TSI was $2.0M in cash, which includes the company's cash position of approximately $0.6M.
01/08/2008 ; Vectron Intl., a manufacturer of frequency control, sensor, and hybrid product solutions, has changed the name of its Sensors & Advanced Packaging (SAP) business unit to SenGenuity. The move represents Vectron's commitment to driving change and innovation in the global sensor market.
01/08/2008 ; Verigy today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Inovys, a provider of solutions for design debug, failure analysis and yield acceleration for complex semiconductor devices and processes. The definitive agreement to acquire Inovys was announced on Dec. 6, 2007.
01/08/2008 ; Asymtek and YESTech have developed a process that helps enable medical device manufacturers to meet regulatory requirements for traceability and validation for placement and accuracy when fluid dots are dispensed.
01/07/2008 By Tom Adams, Sonoscan Inc., and Rex Lee, Texas Instruments
A key feature of high-performance flip chips is their thermal budget. Because of their high current load, these die, usually large in area and often used as microprocessors, need an efficient and reliable method of heat dissipation.
01/07/2008 By Alan Hardy, Specialty Coating Systems
The demand for smaller sizes and lighter weights in consumer electronic devices is feeding the demand for continued package miniaturization. With expanded systems integrated onto ultra-thin wafers, these exotic final assemblies are extremely delicate. Creating complex nano-devices that function is not enough. They must keep working, and to do that, they need protection.
01/07/2008 Jan. 7, 2008 - Worldwide demand for silicon wafers began slowing in 3Q07, and though a demand plunge caused by US economic problems is unlikely, wafer vendors should keep a close eye on progress in new 300mm fab activity, according to a market note from Gartner.
01/07/2008 Jan. 7, 2008 - Electroglas, a supplier of wafer probing systems for semiconductor manufacturing, has received a patent for its proprietary "active vibration cancellation" hardware and software algorithms.
01/07/2008 The Elite 300 300mm wafer probe station for devices with process nodes at 45 nm and below incorporates state-of-the-art electrical and mechanical technology, advanced materials, and leading-edge measurement techniques. The station offers end-to-end productivity improvements through its advanced ergonomic design, measurement capability, and flexibility.
01/07/2008 The SG-MLF-7025 high-performance QFN socket is designed to accommodate 0.5-mm pitch IC packages. Simply attach the socket to the PCB, drop in chip, and place the lid. The open lid allows probing of die or direct injection of heat or cooling air.
01/07/2008 The PowerstrateXtreme Dispensable (PSX-D) phase change material in liquid form offers many of the usability and throughput advantages of thermal greases without the drawbacks inherent with some thermal grease applications. As a paste medium, Henkel's PSX-D alleviates the challenges associated with phase change films and the shortcomings of thermal greases by incorporating phase change performance into a liquid product.
01/07/2008 The Ficoating layering system drastically minimizes the detrimental effects of machine standstill. At the same time, regular cleaning intervals are substantially extended. Ficoating was developed especially for Fico Trim&Form Tools, accurately matching its adhesive force to the specific Trim&Form tool materials, but it can also adhere to other materials as well.
01/07/2008 While several papers at the recent International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) explored high-k/metal gate dielectric concepts to cut leakage currents, there was also some discussion of performance enhancement by using metal for the source and drain. Also, IBM showed a novel implant technique enabling very low leakage SOI CMOS for 65nm and below, and UC-Berkeley researchers have a new concept for optoelectronic tweezers that can trap and move objects down to the nanoscale.
