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LIGA moves into the mainstream

07/01/2007  Newly robust electroforming processes enable rugged, affordable microsystems

Simulation software speeds microfluidics development

07/01/2007  Physical testing will tell you whether your MEMS or NEMS design works-but only after a time-consuming process of prototype creation.

IBM takes chip manufacturing ‘au naturel’

07/01/2007  IBM recently announced the first application of a breakthrough self-assembling nanotechnology to conventional chip manufacturing, borrowing a process from nature to build the next-generation computer chips.

State Rankings Part Six: The all-category summary

07/01/2007  In this summation of the category-specific state rankings that Small Times has produced over the past several issues, we reveal the ultimate all-category standings of U.S. states that lead the nation in small tech.

Small tech needs a louder voice in the patent reform debate

07/01/2007  Congress introduced twin bills in the House and Senate proposing sweeping revisions to patent law on April 18, 2007

New approaches to infection control in hospitals

07/01/2007  For anyone who has ever been admitted to a hospital for an emergency, illness, or scheduled procedure, usually the last thing on their mind is exposure to another, potentially more devastating health problem-infection.

Transparency is key to neighborhood acceptance of biosafety labs

07/01/2007  Despite the highly publicized antics, a poorly attended biolab protest may have done more to illustrate the growing acceptance of Biosafety Level 3 and 4 facilities-even in urban areas-than to rile up residents.

Going for the green

07/01/2007  Semiconductor wafer fabs tend to be one color, but now the industry wants another-green. At one of two back-to-back meetings held in mid-May in Austin, TX, members of the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI) agreed to draft a green fab standard, one designed expressly for semiconductor manufacturing.

Microtest, Texcel link up for combo products

07/01/2007  Microtest Laboratories (Agawam, MA) and Texcel Medical (East Longmeadow, MA) recently announced their strategic alliance to provide pharmaceutical manufacturers and biotech companies with outsourcing services for developing the latest combination products-medical devices with pharmaceutical or biologics components-a growing market that is expected to reach approximately $9.5 billion in 2009.

Hand hygiene compliance helps hospitals reduce infections

07/01/2007  Taking into consideration the statistics on hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), it’s no wonder that the health care industry is looking for simple and cost-effective ways to reduce the number of these infections.

Boy, that guy sure is hairy!

07/01/2007  I guess it must be about 15 years ago now, when I was the editor of a military electronics publication, that I wrote an editorial opining on Japan’s highly ambitious and targeted competition with the U.S. semiconductor industry.

Optimizing the Wire Bond Process

07/01/2007  Demands for continuously smaller IC packages with increased I/O capability are requiring tighter wire-bond loop tolerances.

Pairing ISO standard series with new IEST Recommended Practices

07/01/2007  Following the article titled

Swab applications and market trends

07/01/2007  There are three broad categories of wiping products: woven flat wipers, non-woven flat wipers, and swabs. The main advantage of swabs is the variety of shapes and materials in which they are available.

Does a ‘one-size-fits-all’ pharmacy compounding regulation really work?

07/01/2007  Accepting USP <797>as a robust quality and patient safety regulation is the first step to enforcing it.

SEMICON WEST 2007

07/01/2007  SEMI, the global industry association serving the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, is hosting its 37th annual SEMICON West Conference and Exhibition from July 16-20.

Molecular contamination: The urge to purge

07/01/2007  A combination of minienvironments, thorough particle and chemical filtration systems, close environmental monitoring, and purging around key lithography steps can give operators control over contamination and improvements in yields.

New glovebox designs meet expanding application demands

07/01/2007  Gloveboxes are designed and engineered to provide an enclosed work space for operation under a controlled environment.

UPW contaminant effects and purification for immersion optical lithography

07/01/2007  In response to consumer demand for smaller, faster, and more capable electronics, semiconductor process designers and chip fabricators have adopted optical lithography processes to increase chip capacity by decreasing circuit linewidths.

Hybrid No-flow Underfill for Flip Chip

07/01/2007  Underfills are used in flip chip packaging to help mitigate the effects of the large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the silicon chip and the laminate circuit board.