08/15/2012 

AKHAN Technologies is sharing characterization data relating to its Miraj Diamond materials, gleaned in collaborative work with the CNM at Argonne National Laboratory.

08/15/2012 

The Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium released the initial draft of the Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) interface specification, with the final version planned for end of 2012.

08/15/2012 

Apple Inc. is expected to release the iPhone 5 this fall. FBR Capital Markets says the smartphone could be “one of the most important catalysts for the overall chip manufacturers and service providers, as well as competitors in the handset space.”

08/15/2012 

At a meeting of its Board, TSMC approved capital appropriations to expand and upgrade advanced technology capacity, and to construct a semiconductor fab building.

08/14/2012 

Printing is emerging as a technology that can replace traditional photolithography processes for electronics manufacturing, reducing costly material use, very complex processes, and expensive equipment.

08/14/2012 

National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan will use an AIXTRON MOCVD system to research GaN-on-Si power semiconductors.

08/14/2012 

SEMATECH researchers have deposited EUV multi-layers with as few as 8 defects per lithography mask, at 50nm sensitivity. The milestone shows that tool-generated defects during multi-layer deposition of mask blanks used for EUV lithography can be reduced enough to enable high-volume manufacturing.

08/14/2012 

GLOBALFOUNDRIES and ARM will jointly work to optimize SoC technology for ARM processor designs on GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 20nm and FinFET process technologies, in a new multi-year agreement.

08/14/2012 

Bruker released the PeakForce Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy mode for its AFMs. PeakForce KPFM improves quantitative surface potential data for semiconductor metrology and materials research.

08/14/2012 

Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during Q2 2012, compared to Q1 and to Q2 2011, reports SEMI’s Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG).

08/13/2012 

Tokyo Electron Limited and FSI International entered into a definitive agreement under which TEL will acquire FSI for approximately $252.5 million.

08/13/2012 

Researchers from IBM and ETH Zurich revealed the first-ever direct mapping of the formation of a persistent spin helix in a semiconductor. This discovery answers the physics question as to whether electron spins possess the capability to preserve encoded information long enough before rotating.

08/13/2012 

Hong Kong X’tals Ltd, part of the Kolinker Group, has acquired a 40% shareholding in IQD FOQ GmbH, the specialist OCXO manufacturing division of IQD, for an undisclosed sum.

08/13/2012 

Emerging technologies in printed, flexible, and organic electronics are poised to reduce costs in the $300 billion global medical device market as governments, insurers and patients seek to bring down healthcare costs, according to Lux Research.

08/10/2012 

Propelled by strong sales to tablet and cellphone manufacturers, AKM led the semiconductor magnetic sensor market for the third year in a row in 2011. Of the top-10 magnetic sensor suppliers, Memsic saw the highest growth: 1340%.

08/10/2012 

Laser nanofabrication can now meet the needs of submicron and nanoscale feature size manufacturing, and can operate in air, vacuum, or liquid processes. Sister publication Industrial Laser Solutions recently published Laser nanofabrication: A route toward next-generation mass production.

08/10/2012 

In this SEMI News and Views blog, Karen Savala covers EUV lithography, 450mm wafers, and 3D IC developments, based on her recent presentation at SEMICON West, “Supply Chain Readiness in an Era of Accelerated Change.”

08/09/2012 

Following a lackluster period of average annual market growth in the semiconductor industry, a significant upturn is in store for the next five years, according to IC Insights.

08/09/2012 

The field of power electronics, the application of electronics for the control and conversion of electric power, is underpinned by basic electrical principles that were established in the distant past by the pioneers of electrical science. But today, the need to supply, modify and control the voltage, current or frequency of electric power arises in a vast number of applications and products spanning a huge range in terms of power handling capability.

08/09/2012 

AIXTRON launched the PRODOS-200 PVPD system for deposition of organic thin film materials, used to make OTFT displays and OLEDs, and in other manufacturing applications.