10/19/2012 

In the fifth installment in a series called Process Watch, the authors discuss the need for proper reticle cleaning and inspection. Authored by experts at KLA-Tencor, Process Watch articles focus on novel process control solutions.

10/18/2012 

Fraunhofer IZM's All Silicon System Integration Dresden (ASSID) center will add SPTS' etch and PECVD process capabilities to investigate low-temperature dielectric films for through-silicon vias (TSV) in 3D IC packaging.

10/18/2012 

Worldwide flat-panel display (FPD) revenues will reach a record $120 billion in 2012, up 8% from a challenging year in 2011, and the recovery is entirely on the backs of TFT-LCDs and AMOLED displays, according to NPD DisplaySearch.

10/18/2012 

At SEMICON Europa, European government representatives, consortia, and suppliers discussed programs to support and participate in the 450mm wafer-size transition -- including a comprehensive presentation from ASML about its roadmap for 450mm EUV platforms.

10/17/2012 

Pulling Cymer's EUV source technology in-house is hoped to accelerate progress in the technology's long slow march toward production readiness.

10/17/2012 

Intel spoke of caution in end markets when discussing its 3Q12 results, but a big dip in capex and lack of 2013 visibility will likely cause concern in the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.

10/16/2012 

SEMI has extended the deadline to submit proposed papers to next spring's China Semiconductor Technology International Conference 2013, and added a new symposium on circuit design, system integration, and application.

10/16/2012 

The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) says it has formed a Technology Steering Committee to help address key business and technology areas of interest to its members, and "encourage the advancement and adoption of leading technology and practices."

10/15/2012 

Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science say they have devised a way to selectively and nondestructively evaluate molecules within a sealed organic light-emitting diode (OLED) in operation, in hopes to further understand and eventually minimize performance degradation.

10/12/2012 

The advent of leading-edge semiconductor packaging technologies dictates efficient use of capital, and only the top-tier semiconductor assembly and test services (SATS) companies will have the financial wherewithal to develop required expertise and capacity, says one analyst.

10/12/2012 

Many early-stage tool development projects lack focus in what is needed for tool functionality and performance. Nevertheless, a disciplined phased approach to can resolve many open issues (technical, commercial and market-related) in the first phase of any project.

10/11/2012 

Soitec and Shin-Etsu Handotai (SEH) have extended their cooperation in Soitec's Smart Cut technology with an extended 10-year licensing agreement, including a new level of joint technology cooperation, to facilitate development and wafer supply of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.

10/11/2012 

High pricing and ineffective marketing are weighing down expectations for ultrabook demand, but the future's still bright with new models promising new features -- and that's great news for one component sector.

10/10/2012 

Azzurro and Epistar say they have achieved GaN-on-Si based high-brightness LEDs on 150mm GaN-on-Si substrates, billed as "one step further towards implementation in mass production."

10/09/2012 

EUV Symposium host imec and a pair of industry analysts gauge the pace of improvements in EUV lithography and its long march toward production readiness.

10/08/2012 

Four of the leading micro- and nanoelectronics regions in Europe are joining forces to form a cluster alliance called “Silicon Europe.”

10/07/2012 

Imec, the research consortium in Leuven, Belgium, plans to start construction of a 450mm pilot line next year, with early production focused on sub-10nm devices starting at the end of 2016. 

10/05/2012 

GaN power device developer Transphorm Inc. has secured a $35M Series E financing round led by the Japanese government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), and Nihon Inter electronic Company with whom it has signed a second-source manufacturing deal.

10/05/2012 

ON Semiconductor has joined imec to collaborate on the development of next-generation GaN-on-Si power devices. ON Semiconductor is presently building a GaN processing line in its Oudenaarde facility in Belgium Oudenaarde, and it is expected to employ GaN-on-Si technology.

10/05/2012 

The market for semiconductor magnetic sensors used in industrial and medical applications expanded by 6% in 2011 to $118.2 million, with green energy initiatives acting as a major growth driver, according to IHS iSuppli.