03/21/2012 

Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment spending is projected to total $38.9 billion in 2012, an 11.6% decline from 2011 spending of $44 billion, according to Gartner Inc.

03/21/2012 

A high-volume semiconductor fab using particle monitor wafers to test for contamination in wafer fab tools looked to reduce its labor and test time. The fab switched to wireless wafer-like airborne particle sensors. Allyn Jackson, CyberOptics Semiconductor, shares the case study.

03/21/2012 

Fraunhofer IZM and Fraunhofer CNT will use CMP supplier Axus Technology exclusively to provide advanced 300mm wafer process development and foundry services to North American customers.

03/20/2012 

NIST is soliciting proposals of long-term research in next-generation semiconductor technology, putting up $2.6 million in federal cost-shared funding for a project’s first year, with the potential for continued funding for up to 5 years.

03/20/2012 

AMEC installed a second-generation dielectric etch tool, the Primo AD-RIE, at Chinese foundry SMIC. It is the first time AMEC has installed the Primo AD-RIE in China.

03/20/2012 

One year ago, Japan’s semiconductor industry was rocked by a devastating earthquake and tsunami. However, the real disaster for Japan’s chip industry occurred during the years before the earthquake, says IHS.

03/19/2012 

University of Texas at Austin researchers demonstrated high-quality, wafer-scale graphene deposition on evaporated copper films, using an AIXTRON cold-wall vertical BM (Black Magic) Pro reactor.

03/19/2012 

Advantest Corporation began producing MEMS relays for semiconductor testing equipment, high-speed communications devices, HF wave measurement equipment and their components.

03/19/2012 

SUSS MicroTec launched the RCD8 manual resist coat and develop platform for R&D and low-volume use in MEMS, semiconductor packaging, LEDs, and other applications.

03/19/2012 

Columbia Engineering and University of Pennsylvania researchers developed a way measure nanopores with less error, designing a custom IC using commercial semiconductor technology and building the nanopore measurement around the new amplifier chip.

03/19/2012 

CVD Equipment Corporation (Nasdaq:CVV) purchased a new facility in Central Islip, NY, doubling the space for its CVD and gas control equipment assembly, and unifying its nano-materials lab.

03/19/2012 

LTX-Credence Corporation (Nasdaq:LTXC) released the Diamondx test platform for ASSP and the DragonRF for RF device test. In addition, LTX-Credence launched a SerDes test instrument and new testing software.

03/16/2012 

Dongbu HiTek named Dr. Chang-Sik Choi, former EVP of Samsung Electronics, as its president and CEO and Chan-Hee Lee, former EVP of MagnaChip Semiconductor, as president of its foundry business.

03/16/2012 

European researchers have manufactured defect-free structures of different semiconductors on silicon wafers, using semiconductor manufacturing processes.

03/16/2012 

The global market for power semiconductors used in LED lighting is forecast to reach over $3 billion in 2016. LED lighting systems require complex electronics, IMS Research notes.

03/16/2012 

AIXTRON's training and demonstration center in Suzhou, China, will focus on improving MOCVD in advanced semiconductor and LED manufacturing operations around China, as well as on employee and environmental safety in electronics production environments.

03/16/2012 

Infineon Technologies ordered the Probus-SiC epitaxy film growth tool from TEL for mass production of advanced SiC power devices.

03/16/2012 

TEL will acquire semiconductor packaging equipment supplier NEXX Systems. NEXX makes advanced deposition equipment, including ECD and PVD tools, for wafer-level packaging (WLP).

03/16/2012 

3M is investing in research and manufacturing of novel silicon (Si) based battery anode materials, for mobile electronics and electric vehicles.

03/16/2012 

VLSIresearch released its 2011 Top Semiconductor Equipment suppliers rankings, noting important acquisitions and strong spending in lithography tools in 2011. Semiconductor equipment spending was driven by aggressive capacity expansion in the foundry and logic sectors.