Particles...

07/01/2001

Goin' clubbin'
In conjunction with the US Department of Commerce, chipmaker Intel Corp. recently opened the first Washington DC-based Computer Clubhouse. The initiative is a part of the GetTech campaign. GetTech educates youth on careers of the 21st-century. "Both [programs] seek to prepare our young people for the future. While the Computer Clubhouse provides a creative environment where underserved youth can use technology to develop skills, GetTech educates youth about exciting career possibilities, and encourages youth to study math and science," notes Jim Jarrett, Intel's VP of worldwide governmental affairs.—MV

Microlab to commercialize magnetic MEMS technology
Microlab (Phoenix, AZ) is commercializing a latching MEMS relay/switch that employs proprietary technologies to maintain itself in an open or closed state without any power consumption. The patent-pending technology, called MagLatch, is designed to bring MEMS into the mainstream. The company recently has completed a $5.5-million round of financing.—LJB

SEMI and SISA merge
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI; San Jose, CA) and the Semiconductor Industry Suppliers Association (SISA) have agreed to merge. Calling the agreement a homecoming, SISA President Edward Graham, Jr. went on to say he was proud of the work SISA had accomplished. "Now, it is a service to our collective membership to reunite the two operations and provide the U.S.-based supplier community with a single, global organization to represent their interests and serve their needs," notes Graham. Of the 120 companies that are SISA members, 103 also belong to SEMI.—MV

Cartridge market grows
The world market for cartridges used in liquid filtration will grow by $250 million this year to exceed $4.5 billion. Thirty-seven percent of these cartridges will be sold into North and South America. Asia will be the next largest purchaser ($1.4 billion) followed by Europe ($1.3 billion) and Africa ($100 million). These forecasts are contained in the McIlvaine report "Cartridge Filters World Market; 2000-2005." The report defines "cartridge" to include membranes, string wound, carbon, non-woven and metal.—LJB

Emcore achieves milestones
The Electronic Materials Division of Emcore Corp. (Somerset, NJ) has reported the shipment of a record 15,000 six-inch HBT and pHEMT transistor wafers in a 12-month period. The division has also earned QS-9000 certification for its wafer manufacturing activities based on its commitment to quality products and services. The transistor wafers, which are the foundation for next-generation wireless products, are grown on the company's Enterprise production platforms.—LJB

Preparing for the future
In an effort to increase the number of engineers it currently has, Singapore announced a new program to produce more than 2,000 engineers, who are trained in the semiconductor industry. The country hopes to achieve that number within the next three years, according to the Agence France Presse. Included in that figure, is 800 engineers with post graduate degrees and an additional 450 that specialize in R&D. "We will need more such highly trained technical manpower as our economy moves up the value ladder into knowledge-intensive activities," says Trade Minister George Yeo. Yeo was speaking at the opening of a $935 million wafer fab plant. —MV

New additions
In a deal valued at approximately $2.6 million, Chelmsford MA-based Brooks Automation has acquired SimCon (Gent, Belgium). With the merger, Brooks hopes to "streamline" sales of its AutoSimulations products in Europe. Brooks currently manufactures tool automation and factory management software for semiconductor, FPD and data storage industries.—MV

IBM invests in nanoelectronics center
IBM will invest more than $100 million to help create a state Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at the State University of New York's Albany campus. According to Gov. George Pataki, the state will contribute $50 million for the center, which is expected initially to employ 100 technicians and 400 scientists. The center reportedly will create the only university-based, 300 mm computer wafer prototype facility in the world, and provide laboratory and cleanroom space for researchers, incubator space for high-tech company spin-off ventures and a workforce development program.—LJB

Barnant achieves certification
Barnant Company (Palatine, IL) announced that its quality system for peristaltic pump manufacturing is certified by DGM to fulfill the requirements of DS/EN 46001:1999. The company custom designs and builds pumps to worldwide medical standards, offering its products to OEMs who develop products for angioscopy, arthroscopy, endoscopy, laparoscopy, irrigation, waste removal and other surgical/patient care procedures.—LJB

Ricca expands pharmaceutical test solutions
Ricca Chemical Company (Arlington, TX) offers an expanded line of chemical testing solutions for use in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The product range consists of premixed and packaged solutions, buffers and standards that have manufactured in accordance with the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and European Pharmacopoeia (EP) protocols.—LJB

Ashland purchases tool-refurbishment business
Ashland Inc. (Dublin, OH) has purchased the assets of Alternative Engineering Resources Inc., a provider of process-maintenance and tool-refurbishment services to the semiconductor-manufacturing industry. The business, located in Chandler, AZ, will operate within the Electronic Chemicals Division of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.—LJB

Cintas manager named to industry post
The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology has named Jan Eudy technical vice president. Eudy, who is corporate quality assurance manager for Cintas Cleanroom Resources (Cincinnati, OH), will be responsible for developing and implementing objectives, technical goals and operating policies for the institute.—LJB

Patent granted for copper seed layer enhancement
Semitool Inc. (Kalispell, MT) has received a patent for copper seed layer enhancement, an advanced in technology that is expected to aid semiconductor device manufacturers in their drive for higher-performance devices, smaller chips and lower cost from copper-interconnect-based semiconductor devices. Additionally, the technology can extend the application of copper to design rules beyond 0.1 micron with current state-of-the-art process technology. According to the company, the new technology enables the reduction of PVD layer thickness by 75 percent, which eliminates overhang.—LJB

Plan to ease meat testing abandoned
The White House has backed off of an Agriculture Department plan to ease salmonella testing requirements on ground meat purchased for school lunches. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman will leave in place current contract procedures for salmonella testing, says White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. Critics of the plan said it would allow contaminated meat to get to schools. But the American School Food Association praised the proposal as a "more science-based approach" to ensure that meat was safe. Instead of salmonella tests, the Agriculture Department proposed to tighten the processing standards that slaughterhouses and processing plants would have to meet to continue selling ground beef, pork or turkey to the government. Plants would be tested for general bacteria counts as an indicator or overall plant cleanliness.—LJB