Electronica 2000 breaks all records
01/01/2001
With an exhibition space of 160,000 m2, 3050 exhibitors, and an additional 580 represented companies, Electronica 2000 broke all records last year. Held November 21-24, the second time at the New Munich Trade Fair Center, Electronica was also more international than ever. Of the 3050 exhibiting companies, 1642 (55%) were from countries other than Germany, including 289 from Taiwan, 260 from the US, and 204 from the UK. This fair accommodated some 90,000 people within its 15 halls, which offered 20,000 m2 more space than the previous Electronica in 1998.
This year, the exhibition was broken into 10 major categories: embedded systems, printed circuit boards, semiconductors, sensors and microsystems, electromechanical components and connector technology, passive components, displays, power supplies, system components, and ED/EDA testing and measurement. One of the many new services at the fair was the Job Exchange, an information and communications platform for companies and potential job applicants.
Three major European chipmakers, STMicroelectronics, Philips, and Infineon Technologies, reported record results. The driving force behind this development is the ongoing digitalization (DVD, MP3, set-top boxes) and the upswing in mobile phones (UMTS), automotive electronics, network technology, and smart cards. These are all market segments where Europe is very strong. In addition, Europe is benefiting from the competitiveness bestowed by the low-valued euro, and the recent crisis in Asia.
In a panel discussion during the fair, all participating heads of chipmakers agreed that system on chip (SOC) will loom very large in the semiconductor industry during the next five years. The CEOs of the three aforementioned European chipmakers, Pasquale Pistorio (STM), Arthur van der Poel (Philips), and Ulrich Schumacher (Infineon), explained that even now, two-thirds of R&D efforts fall into this sector. To integrate several functional blocks on the same chip, the companies need a broad portfolio of technologies, e.g. for memory, logic and analog devices, as well as for sensors. The products will become smaller, lower in cost, and more economical in power consumption — of paramount importance in handphones.
Another major challenge is the software for these multisystem devices. To be competitive in future markets, companies have to invest large sums in intellectual property, and outsourcing to foundries becomes more difficult.
The Chinese External Trade Development Council (CETRA) used the Electronica fair to promote 11 of its leading foundries and test houses during the Taiwan Semiconductor Day. Among them were Macronix, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and United Test Center. With Taiwan's strength in semiconductor manufacturing and PC-related technologies, and Europe's outstanding technology in communications, joint development will bring a promising future, said Miin Wu, president of Macronix.
The worldwide market for electronic devices should grow by more than 25%, to $350 billion, according to Reiner Simson, member of the Board of the Fachverband "Electronic Components in ZVEI." Most in demand this year are flash memories, with a worldwide growth rate of 167%, followed by PLDs (106%), analog and mixed-signal ICs (70%), and optoelectronic devices (65%). According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the optoelectronics market, which includes laser devices and image sensors, is expected to grow 29% to $9.9 billion in 2001, 26% to $12 billion in 2002, and 23% to $15 billion by 2003. The major driving forces behind this development are Internet applications.
Among the exhibitors were Laser 2000, Laser Components, AMS Technologies, Osram Opto Semiconductors, and Vossloh Wustlich Opto from Germany, as well as Agilent Technologies, Vishay, and Methode Electronics from the United States.
EURO BRIEFS
STMicroelectronics (Grenoble, France), Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, CEA/LETI (Grenoble, France), and
AIXTRON (Aachen, Germany) have entered into a joint project related to the development and characterization of dielectric and conductive layers for CMOS, embedded DRAM and MEMS technologies. The project will last a minimum of two years. In conjunction with the project, AIXTRON announced the sale of a Tricent MOCVD system to CEA/LETI. The 200/300mm-bridge tool will be installed in early 2001.
Silicon On Insulator Technologies (SOITEC), Bernin, France, reported a 121% increase in revenue for its 2Q00, from $2.86 million during last year's 2Q to $6.3 million. Additionally, the company has opened a new office in Sunnyvale, CA, with Michael Danylchuk as Western Region Sales Manager. Danylchuk will be responsible for marketing, business development, and customer support in the region.
The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble, France) now has a 200mm and 300mm silicon wafer contamination analysis service. The service exploits the high intensity and energy tunability of the synchrotron x-ray source, achieving high detection sensitivities with rapid acquisition times and allowing fast mapping capabilities. The service, a collaboration with CEA/LETI and France Telecom, is open to all companies.