02/22/2012 

New information from NIST about how layered switching devices for novel computer memory systems work may now allow these structures to come to market sooner.

02/22/2012 

International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) is going on now, gathering semiconductor design and device architecture presentations from research firms like imec to chip companies like IBM. Here are some highlighted presentations.

02/22/2012 

MIT researchers used gases to precisely control nanowires' width and composition as they grow, which could yield complex structures optimally designed for particular applications, like LED substrates or solar panels.

02/22/2012 

MCLR's factory in Vladimir, Russia, will manufacture substrates and panels for LEDs requiring thermal management, as well as other electronic devices such as 3D ICs and MEMS. It began operation at 10,000 panels/month.

02/21/2012 

Semiconductor vendors had slow Q3 and Q4 revenues, indicating that the anticipated correction to chip inventory levels occurred, Gartner reports. The correction process will be largely completed by Q1 2012, evidenced by rising trends in the lead-time index.

02/21/2012 

A team of researchers at the University of New South Wales, Purdue University and the University of Melbourne have built the smallest transistor ever using a single phosphorous atom.

02/21/2012 

The IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS) is set for April 15, 2012 – April 19, 2012, in Anaheim, CA.

02/21/2012 

Processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon will make an impact on future chip revenues, reports analyst firm In-Stat, an NPD Group company.

02/21/2012 

SUSS MicroTec will work with GenISys, provider of high-performance software solutions for nano scale fabrication, to combine the SUSS MicroTec mask aligner tools with the GenISys simulation software Layout LAB.

02/20/2012 

Dr. Vivek Bakshi, President of EUV Litho, Inc., reports on the SPIE Advanced Lithography conference. He says that this year even the loudest criticism of EUVL was not about “if” but “when,” and the predicted range of insertion for EUVL in high volume manufacturing (HVM) is now 2013-15.

02/20/2012 

At International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), imec and Holst Centre are presenting 14 papers on low-power design for wireless communication and wireless sensor networks, and organic electronics.

02/17/2012 

The Flash Memory Summit covers the current state of flash memory and its applications via tutorials, panel discussions, keynote speeches, paper sessions, and more. Submit your abstract by March 16.

02/17/2012 

Wright Williams & Kelly, Inc. (WWK) opened its 2012 semiconductor industry survey on equipment and process timing. Only participants will receive the full results, free of charge.

02/16/2012 

Picosun Oy announced record particle levels -- 1-2 added particles (>70nm) per wafer -- with its PICOSUN P-300B ALD batch tool installed at Fraunhofer IPMS.

02/16/2012 

The 22nm node marks the beginning of a major transition from conventional scaling of planar memory devices to complex 3D architectures. SEMATECH authors examine the metrology needs of 3D memory device architectures in Part 2 of this three-part series.

02/15/2012 

The UpTime sub-atmospheric dopant gas delivery system from Praxair Electronics will be Applied Materials' (AMAT's) factory default standard for the Varian VIISta ion implant platform.

02/15/2012 

IC manufacturers closed 49 wafer fabs between 2009 and 2011, according to IC Insights. Smaller wafer fabs (?200mm) suffered the most closures, and Japan and North America led the way.

02/15/2012 

Tool obsolescence is increasingly important to semiconductor manufacturers running 200mm wafer fab lines, reports ISMI, which has chartered an Equipment Obsolescence Forum for alternative sourcing.

02/15/2012 

After attending SPIE Advanced Lithography, Barclays Capital came away with a lower lithography tool shipments forecast, more hope for EUV lithography, and expectations of a litho buying spree at Intel.

02/14/2012 

The ConFab's second-day keynote will be "Smart Society, the Sensing Era and Signal Chain" presented by Ali Sebt, CEO of Renesas Electronics America.