02/25/2008  Steinmeyer Inc.'s new high precision micro manipulator stage, MT 130-50-DC is geared to nanotechnology, metrology, biomedical, and robotics applications.

02/21/2008  Feb. 21, 2008 - The latest move in metrology industry consolidation has occurred with KLA-Tencor's proposed "friendly" acquisition of Belgium firm ICOS Vision Systems in a proposed €316.9M (US $465.8M) cash transaction.

02/21/2008  ; Rudolph Technologies Inc. and SEMATECH, have announced that Rudolph has become the first semiconductor equipment supplier company to join SEMATECH's Metrology Program headquartered at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany.

02/20/2008  Feb. 20, 2008 - Rudolph Technologies and SEMATECH are establishing an international process characterization program to develop process, analysis, and characterization technology targeting 32nm and beyond semiconductor manufacturing. Work will be headquartered at the U. of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE). Rudolph says it is the first semiconductor equipment supplier to join SEMATECH's metrology program at Albany.

02/20/2008  ; Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), a university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, has announced that the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the U. at Albany will serve as headquarters for a research effort aimed at enabling nanoelectronics advances that are critical for the development of smaller, faster and cheaper computer nanochips.

02/15/2008  ; The X-Tek Group, specialists in microfocus and CT X-ray systems, signed an agreement with Metris for the sale of 100% of the X-Tek stock at the end of 2007. The acquisition will enable Metris to expand X-Tek's CT capabilities into various applications within the metrology industry.

01/28/2008  Veeco says its InSight 3D automated atomic force microscope (AFM) is "the only metrology system available with the accuracy and precision required for non-destructive, high resolution three-dimensional measurements of critical 45nm and 32nm semiconductor features, with the speed to qualify as a true fab tool."

01/10/2008  Jan. 10, 2008 - Coming off a year in which it significantly changed its focus and carved out multiple businesses, Nanometrics is starting the new year where it left off.

01/07/2008  Jan. 7, 2008 - Metrology equipment supplier Metryx Ltd. and IMEC have formed a joint development program centering on evaluating and developing mass metrology at both the application and tool level for sub-32nm process manufacturing.

12/19/2007  December 19, 2007 - In a bid to extend into wafer probing, Rudolph Technologies has acquired the semiconductor business assets of Applied Precision LLC, a provider of wafer probe card metrology systems and wafer probe process management technologies.

12/19/2007  Steinmeyer, Inc. has announced a new high precision XY linear stage model KT 310 - 210 - DC. Manufactured from high strength anodized aluminum, the standard table promises travel of 200 mm in both axes with positioning accuracy of 5 µm (micrometer), straightness/flatness of 3 µm and repeatability of +/- 1µm.

12/18/2007  ; The Dutch rollable display company Polymer Vision has joined the Holst Centre, an initiative of the Flemish and Dutch research centers IMEC and TNO. During the partnership, Polymer Vision will research and develop organic transistor technology and patterning processes in the open-innovation setting of Holst Centre, collaborating with other researchers from other companies joining the program.

12/11/2007  December 10, 2007 - KLA-Tencor and Nikon say they have developed a set of fully automated system tools for correcting overlay errors in "mix and match" lithography setups that encompass tools of varying capabilities and from different suppliers.

12/10/2007  With lithography depth-of-focus specs pushing on other areas of technology, one area that has taken up the slack is the starting silicon wafer's planarity. Another area of concern is minimizing a nanometer scale surface change seen within the outer 5mm of a wafer, termed edge roll-off. Enter KLA-Tencor's upgraded WaferSight2 system, which the company says combines flatness and "nanotopography" in a single integrated tool to enable higher resolution, matching, and precision.

12/06/2007  December 6, 2007 - Verigy, a provider of memory and SoC test systems, has agreed to acquire privately held Inovys, which develops design, failure analysis, and yield software, for an undisclosed amount, a deal that enables the companies to better target "the crossroads of design, manufacturing and yield metrology."

12/05/2007  December 5, 2007 - SEMATECH has laid out general info about its 300mm "next generation factory" program, describing new and updated projects within its efforts to help the industry find ways to lower costs and reduce cycle times for 300mm wafer manufacturing, and establish a "proving ground" for concepts relevant to 450mm wafer-size manufacturing.

11/25/2007  November 14, 2007 -- /PRNewswire/ -- REHOVOT, ISRAEL -- Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. announced earlier this week the opening of a new development and demonstration center in Taiwan, to serve its customers in Taiwan, Korea, China, and Singapore.

11/15/2007  November 15, 2007 - Semilab Co. Ltd., a Budapest, Hungary-based supplier of noncontact wafer mapping metrology systems, has agreed to acquire Pittsburgh, PA-based SSM Inc. for an undisclosed cash amount, and reorg the business as a new division for developing and selling electrical metrology systems for semiconductor manufacturing.

11/14/2007  AMD, Carl Zeiss SMT, and Qimonda are working together on new analytical and characterization methods required for the development of next-generation microchips. The work is being conducted within the framework of the Nanoanalysis Project, which the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has backed with 12 million Euros.

11/08/2007  October 24, 2007 -- /PRNewswire/ -- REHOVOT, ISRAEL -- Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. announced a major integrated metrology win for its CMP process control products at a leading memory manufacturer in Taiwan.