World News
08/01/2005
WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS
The first X Architecture-based product publicly announced by a fabless IC supplier, a 0.11µm PCI-Express graphics processor, is planned for volume manufacturing later this year, developed by ATI Technologies Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) with software tools from Cadence Design Systems Inc. Last June, Toshiba Corp. in Japan became the first company to announce a commercial IC using X Architecture layouts.
Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Austin, TX, and ASM International NV, Bilthoven, The Netherlands, have agreed to continue collaboration on process technologies for CMOS IC production, focusing on selective epitaxy for CMOS transistor structures and “recessed source and drain” integration into thin-body SOI wafers.
USA
Apple Computer Inc. plans to transition all of its Macintosh products to Intel Corp. microprocessors from the current PowerPC central processor units supplied by IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. Apple expects to ship its first Macs based on Intel processors by June 2006, and transition all of its computer models to Intel CPUs by the end of 2007.
Integrated Device Technology Inc. (IDT), Santa Clara, CA, a developer of semiconductors for network equipment, and Integrated Circuit Systems Inc. (ICS), a Norristown, PA-based provider of silicon timing devices, have agreed to merge in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $1.7 billion.
Corwil Technology Corp., Milpitas, CA, has integrated 300mm-wafer high-volume dicing capabilities for bumped and nonbumped wafers into its pick-and-place, die inspection, wire-bond, flip-chip assembly, and wafer thinning and polishing services.
ASIAFOCUS
China
Applied Materials Inc. has applied to Chinese authorities to establish a holding company in Shanghai. Pending government approval, the company plans to build a development center in Xi’An to provide global engineering and software support services.
India
Indian IT company Nest Group plans to invest up to $1.0 billion to set up a memory chip foundry in India by 2008, according a report in the local Business Line. The first phase of the project involves setting up a 200-seat VLSI design center by the beginning of 2006, with help from an unidentified Japanese chipmaker. The group indicated that investors for the fab have been identified, although infrastructure problems such as power and water availability remain unresolved.
Japan
Japan’s government funded Millennium Research for Advanced Information Technology (MIRAI) Project, along with NEC Corp. and NEC Electronics Corp., has announced a jointly developed low-k film seen as feasible to be used with ultrafine copper interconnects at the 45nm node, according to Japanese newswire reports. The low-k film, developed with a “molecular-pore stacking” technique involving silica precursor molecules with <1nm pores, achieves k = 2.4, with double the interconnect density compared with 65nm LSIs and 16% less interconnect parasitic capacitance.
Korea
Hynix Semiconductor Inc. has started mass production of 90nm/300mm wafers at its M10 facility in Icheon, south of Seoul, after a conversion from 200mm production, according to the Korea Herald. The company said output would increase throughout the year, indicating it is not yet running at full output capacity of 20,000 wafers/month. Hynix also said it increased the use of domestic-made equipment “by a considerable degree” vs. using tools from overseas suppliers.
Malaysia
Infineon Technologies AG has contracted M+W Zander Holding AG to build a €130 million (~US$170 million) production plant in the Kulim High Tech Park in Malaysia, with opening targeted for spring 2006. The site will produce mainly power and logic chips used in automotive and industrial power applications, complementing other nonmemory products in Germany and France (via Altis Semiconductors).
Singapore
Flextronics International Inc. has agreed to sell its semiconductor business, which focuses on custom mixed-signal products, imaging sensors, and digital ASICs, to AMIS Holdings Inc., parent of AMI Semiconductor Inc., for $135 million. Flextronics also is merging its network services unit with Telavie AS, a company owned by a Nordic private equity firm, for $420 million, and will retain 30% ownership in the combined company. Both transactions are expected to be completed in the September quarter.
Taiwan
Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. said it has started production at its Fab 12B facility, its second 300mm site, with output of 15,000 wafers/month, and has achieved its full overall capacity of 45,000 wafers/month.
EUROFOCUS
Infineon Technologies AG has turned over its wearable electronics activities to a new company, Interactive Wear AG iG division, as part of a management buyout for an undisclosed price. The unit, based in Oberpfaffenhofen (Wessling), focuses on the integration of electronic devices in textiles.
STMicroelectronics NV said 2300 of its 3000-worker cutbacks announced May 16 will come from locations outside Asia, and will take place by mid-2006. Among plans to restructure the company’s European operations are conversion from 150mm to 200mm production tools, optimizing wafer-test activities, consolidating activities outside of manufacturing such as support functions, and disengaging from other unspecified activities.