07/31/2007 Mobility enhancements in ICs have typically been implemented using strain and mostly the same materials, but the industry is now working with high-k dielectrics and metal-gates (HK+MG). Applied Materials has released an ALD chamber for hafnium-oxide HK dielectric in its Centura platform that appears to be part of an excellent integrated HK+MG solution.
07/31/2007 Not surprisingly, analysts at a SEMICON West Bulls&Bears session found themselves at odds on several fronts, including the outlook for memory, 450mm wafers, and industry consolidation. But they also generally agreed that the semiconductor equipment market is in a pause right now, but it will not be severe and some even see a nice pickup next year; that the wild cycle swings of the past have moderated; and that major equipment buying sectors are not as synchronized as in the past.
07/31/2007 Amid many debates over 45nm- and 32nm manufacturing challenges, photolithography wasn't the hottest topic at this year's SEMICON West, possibly because the first 45nm-capable immersion scanners have been shipped and no one seems to know how 32nm might be achieved economically. There were spirited discussions, though, about potentially radical ways to significantly increase throughputs by the time double-patterning is required, and whether DFM is really ready for the burden being asked of it.
07/31/2007 July 31, 2007 - Sumitomo Chemical Co. has agreed to acquire UK-based Cambridge Display Technology, a developer of polymer-organic LED (P-OLED) technologies seen as future LCD replacements in displays, for about $285 million in cash, nearly a 100% premium on CDT's current stock price.
07/31/2007 The Micromanipulator Company has introduced a new motorized, joystick-controlled probing station that features other major redesigns to enhance precision.
07/31/2007 July 31, 2007 - Intel, Samsung, and TI remain in their familiar positions atop the list of top global semiconductor suppliers in 1H07 from a year ago, but after that the rankings were entirely redrawn, and more shakeups are on the way, according to an upcoming report from IC Insights.
07/31/2007 BPM appointed Kasion Automation Ltd. (KAL), based in Hong Kong, as an authorized BPM distributor in China. KAL will manage device-programmer distribution, after-sales support, and service.
07/30/2007 July 30, 2007 - A roundup of the past week's headlines from Japan center largely on April-June financial results, with Toshiba and NEC improving their profits (though largely due to restructuring and asset sales), while Fujitsu takes a hit for finance missteps.
07/30/2007 To assist the development of a miniaturized dielectrophoresis-based system for particle and cell sorting, CFD Research Corp. is using a custom flowcell devised by ALine. CFD is developing the system under a Phase 1 SBIR contract for biodefense and homeland security applications requiring intelligent discrimination of target particles from a complex liquid matrix.
07/30/2007 Once regarded as a golden child in the nanotechnology field, optical components firm NanoOpto announced on July 23 that it has sold its assets. NanoOpto was started in 2000 to commercialize inexpensive nano-imprint lithography (NIL) methods. But the company's fall is no reflection on NIL, as Small Times' Charles Choi reports.
07/27/2007 CMC Interconnect Technologies promoted Erich Rubel to principal analyst. Rubel is experienced in failure analysis (FA), focused on advanced materials and electronic interconnect technologies across device, package, and board levels.
07/27/2007 Coventor has updated its schematic-based MEMS design and simulation software with a 3D visualization tool. The update is geared to provide insight into complex dynamic behavior of MEMS devices as never before seen.
07/27/2007 July 27, 2007 - SUSS MicroTec has carved out its device bonder division through a management buyout initiated by SUSS France president Gael Schmidt, in order to gain independence from the parent company which has little strategic synergies.
07/27/2007 ZyCube Co. developed a chip-sized packaging technology, ZyCSP, for CMOS image sensors used for cell-phone cameras. ZyCube will market the technology and a line of chips it manufactures using ZyCSP globally, reports the Nikkei Business Daily.
07/27/2007 SUSS MicroTec France's president, Gaël Schmidt, used a management buy out (MBO) agreement to acquire SUSS MicroTec's device bonder division. He will rename the company Smart Equipment Technology (S.E.T.); S.E.T. will operate as a simplified joint stock company with about €40,000 ($55,000) capital.
07/26/2007 July 26, 2007 - LSI Corp., the merged entity of LSI Logic and Agere Systems, has agreed to offload its semiconductor assembly and test operations in Thailand, Singapore, and the US, continuing its transition to a fabless manufacturing business model. The overall actions will result in about 2100 layoffs, but will shave about $20-$25 million in annual capex starting next year.
07/26/2007 The North American semiconductor equipment manufacturing book-to-bill ratio fell to 0.94 in June 2007, which the indicator hasn't approached since an October 2006 ratio of 0.95. The dip belies the fact that booking and billing amounts are trending up slightly, and hitting highs for the year, said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO, SEMI.
07/26/2007 July 26, 2007 - The US Securities and Exchange Commission has come down hard on former top execs of two semiconductor equipment suppliers for their participation in the wide-ranging practice of stock options backdating in recent years.
