04/17/2007  StratEdge released "Power Packages," a package series that incorporates beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramic and a copper-composite base to provide thermal management for high-frequency, high-power chips. Package construction directly affects chip performance, said Jerry Carter, senior applications engineer, adding that the series is constructed for design engineers considering performance and reliability of their chips.

04/17/2007  By Meredith Courtemanche, assistant editor

Central to the outsourcing debate is the issue of protection for intellectual property (IP). The U.S. plans to bring copyright and IP violation charges against China to the WTO, highlighting the struggle between industry groups and the outsourcing strategies that maintain the electronics industry.

04/16/2007  April 16, 2007 - Data for semiconductor equipment demand seemed to be holding steady in January and February, according to initial data from SEMI -- but apparently equipment demand was really in line with other slowing trends in the industry, as the group now admits its tool sales & orders data were incorrectly too high.

04/13/2007  April 13, 2007 - Aviza Technology Inc. is touting its suite of low-k patents, including a new one for making low-k dielectric SiOC films, and is "pursuing active licensing programs," the company said today in a statement.

04/13/2007  April 13, 2007 - Wafer processing equipment supplier Semitool Inc. says its fiscal 2Q07 revenues will be down about 7% below prior expectations to a range of $51-$53 million, representing a 22%-25% decline from fiscal 1Q07 ended in December.

04/13/2007  IntelliSense has announced a major new version of its software for small-tech designers. With IntelliSuite v8.2, says company CEO, Sandeep Akkaraju, "we have now entered the nano domain." IntelliSuite v8.2, a standard bearer for MEMS design, promises to facilitate the creation of nanostructures as well as combined MEMS-nanostructure products.

04/12/2007  LITMUS Defense, LLC has entered into a formal agreement with the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD), for the research and development of carbon nanostructures in advanced rocket motors and warheads.

04/11/2007  Bristol, England-based Metryx, Limited, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer specializing in nanotechnology mass measurement techniques, says it has hired two new directors of business development to help the company meet a growing demand for mass metrology.

04/10/2007  April 10, 2007 - NEC Corp. has developed a completely new kind of bioplastic composed of plant-based material and carbon fiber, which realizes heat conductivity higher than that of stainless steel, according to the Japan Electronic News. The innovative bioplastic is expected to make electronic products more environmentally sound, while solving conventional heat release issues.

04/09/2007  Georgia Tech researchers say they've developed a "3D multiphoton" technique, a process involving two-photon absorbing molecules that are sensitive to laser light at short wavelengths, that could be applied to simplify and cut costs for patterning 65nm devices.

04/06/2007  The "Nanotechnology Measurement Handbook," published by Keithley Instruments, provide guides for electrical measurements on nanoscale applications, such as carbon nanotubes (CNT), and references when testing new phenomena in R&D. Practical assistance aids in measuring low-level DC and pulses on nanomaterials and devices, while theoretical and practical considerations are listed for measuring currents, resistances, and voltages typical of nanomaterials.

04/06/2007  April 6, 2007 - "Uneven" investment patterns favoring memory devicemakers over IDM/foundry capacity shook up the final rankings of top semiconductor equipment vendors in 2006, according to Gartner Dataquest, which also gave WaferNEWS its latest take on the sustainability of memory spending.

04/05/2007  Zyvex, which calls itself "the first molecular nanotechnology company," has announced its first company spinout: Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM). The new company leverages Zyvex's nanomaterials patents, proprietary methods, core technologies, and revenue-generating customer base.

04/04/2007  April 4, 2007 - A group claiming to represent 6.5% ownership in wafer processing equipment firm in FSI International is pushing for new leadership and possibly new ownership of the company, laying out in surprisingly candid detail its efforts to discuss its concerns with the company's top management.

04/04/2007  The University of Dayton Research Institute has opened what it calls the "world's first" manufacturing center for product demonstration of nano-enhanced polymer composites, the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites and Devices.

04/02/2007  Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled $40.47 billion in 2006, up 23.1% over 2005. Assembly and packaging sectors grew a total of 14%; test equipment sales increased by 21% over the prior year, according to SEMI's "Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (SEMS) Report."

04/02/2007  Kebaili calls its new CPG-500 Series the first compact current pulse generator designed specifically for electrodeposition applications in MEMS and nanotechnology development. The company says most reverse pulse plating systems and potentiostat/ galvanostat are large and not optimized for cleanrooms, whereas the CPG-500 is ergonomic and compact.

04/01/2007  Two common processes used to attach die to the pad or cavity of the package’s support structure are adhesive and eutectic die attach.

03/30/2007  Korean companies Dongbu Electronics and Dongbu Hannong Chemicals have agreed to merge to form a bio-semiconductor enterprise, Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd. The new company will launch May 1 to provide wafer foundry services and advanced chemicals and materials for agriculture, bioengineering, nanotechnology, and semiconductor processing.

03/29/2007  Oklahoma awards state's first nanotechnology applications competition winners