12/11/2007 December 10, 2007 - Top global foundry TSMC says it has developed a 2Mb SRAM test chip with 32nm process technologies that supports both analog and digital functionality -- and doesn't rely upon high-k gate dielectrics or metal gates.
12/11/2007 December 10, 2007 - In an interview with Japan's Nikkei daily, Advantest president Toshi Maruyama admits the company misjudged the timing of the DRAM price drought, but is optimistic that backend tool orders will pick up by next summer -- as long as midsize manufacturers get back in the game, and the US subprime mortgage debacle doesn't sour consumer spending habits.
12/11/2007 December 10, 2007 - KLA-Tencor and Nikon say they have developed a set of fully automated system tools for correcting overlay errors in "mix and match" lithography setups that encompass tools of varying capabilities and from different suppliers.
12/11/2007 December 10, 2007 - Carlsbad, CA-based light source technology manufacturer Goldeneye says it has developed an "epi-only" light-emitting diode (LED), using what it calls an "economical" thick epitaxial layer in a "novel" patent-pending fabrication process.
12/11/2007 December 10, 2007 - Tessera Technologies has filed a new complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging unlawful importation and sale of certain small-format BGA semiconductor packages and products, including DRAM memory chips, memory modules, and the computer systems incorporating them.
12/10/2007 December 10, 2007 - IBM says it has fabricated 32nm chips using a high-k/metal gate (gate-first) process in SRAM chips, which it says shrinks the chips size by up to 50%, and saves about 45% total power. The technology is expected to be available in 2H09.
12/10/2007 December 10, 2007 - IBM and JSR Micro say they will worth together to explore new technologies for emerging semiconductor materials and processes, targeting next-generation lithography as well as self-assembly applications.
12/10/2007 With lithography depth-of-focus specs pushing on other areas of technology, one area that has taken up the slack is the starting silicon wafer's planarity. Another area of concern is minimizing a nanometer scale surface change seen within the outer 5mm of a wafer, termed edge roll-off. Enter KLA-Tencor's upgraded WaferSight2 system, which the company says combines flatness and "nanotopography" in a single integrated tool to enable higher resolution, matching, and precision.
12/10/2007 Following its release last year of a nickel standard stamp for cost-efficient nanoimprint lithography, NIL Technology has introduced stamps in quartz (fused silica) and silicon with features as small as 50 nm.
12/10/2007 Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) has launched the Oligome, a comprehensive database of more than 10 million oligonucleotide probes designed to the latest release of the human genome. The database makes it possible to provide custom-designed oligonucleotide arrays for array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) on request, more quickly and at a lower cost than would normally be expected for a custom array, the company says.
12/10/2007 Intel execs revealed highlights from select papers the company will be presenting at IEDM, including some details about its 45nm HK+MG transistors that incorporate a redistribution layer as part of a 9-layer copper interconnect. Also featured is the company's success in mitigating process variation to the extent that results in variation at 45nm is comparable to that achieved at 130nm. Additionally, quantum well FETs may be ready at ~2015 to extend Moore's Law scaling.
12/10/2007 ; Mentor Graphics Corp. has announced that Walden C. Rhines, chairman and CEO, will present keynotes at two upcoming conferences in India. The first will take place at the joint 21st International Conference on VLSI Design and 7th International Conference on Embedded Systems on January 6, 2008 in Hyderabad, India. Then, on January 9, Rhines will speak at the India Semiconductor Association (ISA) Thought Leadership forum in Bangalore.
12/07/2007 December 7, 2008 - Chip manufacturers are getting serious about buckling down on their capital spending, as profits have just about reached their "pain threshold," and the resulting belt-tightening will "shake the foundation of the IC industry," according to analyst firm IC Insights.
12/07/2007 This year's MEDEA+ annual forum in Budapest, Hungary (Nov. 26-28) reviewed final projects for the eight-year pan-European collaborate program for microelectronics R&D, set to expire in 2008 after overseeing three generations of CMOS technology and making the European industry a world leader in such sectors as automotive electronics, smart card technology, and image sensing.
12/07/2007 ; The Surface and Mount Technology Group at Frost & Sullivan will hold its 2007 Quarterly Analyst Briefing Presentation on the flip chip bonder equipment market on Wednesday, December 12, at 12:00pm CST/1 pm EST.
As the call for higher integration and increased functionality of semiconductor packages continues, various end-user segments will likely become more receptive to flip chip technology, Frost & Sullivan said.
12/07/2007 ; The Board of Directors of Cascade Microtech has named Geoff Wild president and CEO of the company. Wild has most recently been president and CEO of Nikon Precision Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nikon Corp., where he has worked since 2002. He is expected to start at Cascade in January.
12/07/2007 Nanophase Technologies Corp. has announced a new line of nanoengineered dispersions optimized for water-based coatings aimed at increasing scratch resistance and gloss retention for paint and coating manufacturers.
12/07/2007 Xidex Corp.'s project for the Department of Energy aims to significantly improve the imaging resolution, SNR, and processing speed of SEMs and TEMs. "This project will have a huge impact on all areas of electron microscopy," for materials science, nanotech, and other applications, the company says.
12/06/2007 JEOL USA's new high-throughput MultiBeam SEM/FIB combines focused ion beam micro milling with the high-resolution imaging of the JEOL LaB6 electron column. The MultiBeam was designed as a high-productivity tool for IC defect analysis, circuit modification, TEM thin film sample preparation, and mask repair.
12/06/2007 December 6, 2007 - Verigy, a provider of memory and SoC test systems, has agreed to acquire privately held Inovys, which develops design, failure analysis, and yield software, for an undisclosed amount, a deal that enables the companies to better target "the crossroads of design, manufacturing and yield metrology."
Xidex Corp.'s project for the Department of Energy aims to significantly improve the imaging resolution, SNR, and processing speed of SEMs and TEMs. "This project will have a huge impact on all areas of electron microscopy," for materials science, nanotech, and other applications, the company says.
JEOL USA's new high-throughput MultiBeam SEM/FIB combines focused ion beam micro milling with the high-resolution imaging of the JEOL LaB6 electron column. The MultiBeam was designed as a high-productivity tool for IC defect analysis, circuit modification, TEM thin film sample preparation, and mask repair.