05/08/2006 Scottsdale, AZ — China is emerging as the epicenter for semiconductor manufacturing and consumption, according to a report by In-Stat, a high-tech market research firm. In 2004, China utilized about 20% of total global semiconductor products — by 2010, In-Stat forecasts one-third consumption, making it the world's largest semiconductor consumer.
05/08/2006 May 8, 2006 - SEMI has announced additional details about its backend technology-themed content pavilion at this year's SEMICON West, developed in conjunction with leading industry associations and companies including FSA, the International Electronic Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), the Microelectronics Packaging and Test Engineering Council (MEPTEC), and TechSearch International.
05/08/2006 Two themes emerging from a Capitol Hill hearing last week on nanotechnology were the need to meet global competition from Europe and Asia, and the opportunities offered by nanotechnology development for smaller states and areas in economic transition.
05/05/2006 By Shang-Chou Chang, Shen Chi Hsieh, Kun Shan U., Taiwan; Tsung Chieh Cheng , Bau Tong Dai, National Nano Device Laboratories, Taiwan
OVERVIEW There is increasing interest in the thick, positive, epoxy-based photoresist made of the material AZ P4620 because of its wide applications in micro-fluidic devices and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The optimization of polymerization for this material under near ultraviolet (UV) lithography...
05/05/2006 May 5, 2006 - Investment firm Mellon HBV Alternative Strategies, a 6% owner of ASM International NV, said it intends to attend the company's shareholders meeting on May 18 with its own agenda -- to come up with an endgame strategy for the company's frontend business, seen as not synergistic with its other areas of business.
05/05/2006 May 5, 2006 - Researchers at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science say they have created three new nanoscale computational architectures using spin waves as the mechanism for multiple interconnections, to achieve low-power device performance and improved scalability.
05/04/2006 May 4, 2006 - Despite some losses caused by price wars, Japan's top seven semiconductor manufacturers are set to spend a record combined 1.01 trillion yen (US $8.91 billion) on facilities and equipment in fiscal 2006, a 7% increase from last year, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
05/04/2006 May 4, 2006 - Philips Research and the U. of Groningen in The Netherlands say they have fabricated arrays of molecular diodes on standard substrates with "high yields," for potential use in plastic electronics requiring low-temperature or low-cost in-line manufacturing processes.
05/04/2006 San Jose, CA — SEMICON West, to take place July 11–13, 2006, in San Francisco, CA, will feature a Test, Assembly, and Packaging TechXPOT exhibit area, located in the Moscone Center's West Hall, Level 2. The Test, Assembly, and Packaging TechXPOT will focus on strides in test, assembly, and packaging, with exhibits, displays, and exhibitor presentations.
05/04/2006 May 4, 2006 - A new type of "thermal Velcro" placed between silicon chips and metal heat sinks could be the answer to enhancing heat transfer in future high-powered microchips to keep them from overheating, according to researchers at Purdue U.
05/04/2006 May 4, 2006 - SEMATECH has appointed Michael Lercel as director of its lithography division, replacing former director Kevin Kemp who is returning to Freescale Semiconductor.
05/04/2006 May 4, 2006 - Applied Materials Inc., Santa Clara, CA, has agreed to acquire Longmont, CO-based Applied Films Corp. for approximately $464 million in stock, giving the semiconductor equipment giant complementary thin-film deposition technologies for its flat-panel display systems as well as inroads into the fast-growing solar market.
05/04/2006 Applied Materials Inc. and Applied Films Corporation announced that they have signed agreement for Applied Materials to acquire Applied Films.
05/04/2006 FEI Co. turned a corner on Wednesday. The Hillsboro, Ore., maker of tools for nanoscale characterization and research announced it had cut its first quarter loss to $5.2 million, compared with a $30.7 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2005.
05/03/2006 May 3, 2006 - Formosa Komatsu Silicon Corp., a silicon-wafer making venture between Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group and Japan's Komatsu Electronic Materials Co. Ltd., reportedly will start pilot production at its first 300mm wafer fab in November.
05/03/2006 San Jose, CA — Worldwide semiconductor sales of $59.1 billion in Q1 2006 showed 7.3% growth over Q1 2005's $55.1 billion, reports the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). However, Q1 sales declined 1.3% from Q4 2005's $59.9 billion in sales, reflecting normal seasonal patterns, according to the SIA.
