05/23/2007  Chip design, foundry/fab, and packaging partners must work in concert to reduce risk on new technology offerings, according to Mike Barrow, SVP, flip chip technologies, Amkor. Giving the packaging group early access to advanced silicon can result in chip and package interaction (CPI) solutions that are market-ready upon silicon node release. Further, package and laminate design are in the critical path, and need to be co-designed with the silicon to deliver cost-effective solutions.

05/23/2007  A ConFab panel titled "Think Outside the Fab" chaired by James Doyle, VP, packaging and supply chain at IBM, explored the dramatic shifts that are reshaping packaging strategies at all chipmakers. He explained why the traditional approaches to chip packaging won't work anymore, and detailed how future directions will replace the historical orthodoxy, of "Don't get in the way," "Make up for any delays earlier in the supply chain," and "Do it as inexpensively as possible."

05/22/2007  SEMI reported that Q'01 bookings worldwide for semiconductor manufacturing equipment rose about 6% in 2007 over 2006; billings rose approximately 12% over the same quarter last year. Billings increased significantly in Korea, China, and Taiwan.

05/22/2007  May 22, 2007 - After months of rumors, assumptions, and anticipation (and frustration) by industry watchers, Intel and STMicroelectronics have finally done what everyone thought they would do: combine their flash memory assets into a new company. The catch: they've brought in an unexpected partner to help foot the bill.

05/22/2007  SVTC Technologies, which recently became an independent development foundry, has introduced a full suite of commercialization services, called FastXfer services. Simultaneously the company is announcing its name change, from Silicon Valley Technology Center to SVTC Technologies.

05/21/2007  May 21, 2007 - Renesas Technology Corp. says it is developing a new CPU architecture to provide "revolutionary" enhancements to 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers in terms of code efficiency, processing performance, and power consumption. The company won't reveal specifics of the architecture until early next year, though, and the new CPUs aren't expected to hit the market until mid-2009.

05/21/2007  While the semiconductor industry continues to promise ever higher rewards (with high-single-digit CAGRs for many years to come), few companies will be able to survive the increasing risks of competing in the market unless they form novel heterogeneous manufacturing alliances, similar to the research partnerships that have proven successful in managing escalating R&D costs, according to Ajit Manocha, EVP and CMO of NXP, keynote speaker kicking off this year's ConFab event.

05/21/2007  Some industry observers figure that the industry will probably have only a handful of major players in the form of IDMs, alliances, top foundries, and some fab-lite companies. Tokyo Electron America's president, Harvey Frye, on the other hand, thinks there is probably room for at least 10 companies globally that could remain IDMs in some form, and listed likely candidates and working strategies in a Monday morning panel discussion at the ConFab.

05/21/2007  Flash memory manufacturer Spansion, is the outgrowth of the successful AMD/Fujitsu joint venture, so Spansion EVP & COO, James Doran, brings solid experience to bear on the ConFab topic of how to manage successful manufacturing alliances. "Manufacturing alliances work best when each partner provides something the other partner needs, and both partners, together, benefit from the outcome," Doran said.

05/21/2007  In a fab-lite/process-lite business environment, consortia would be expected to have even more power and responsibility as more companies rely upon a shared cost model for process and materials R&D. In addition to the usual consortia membership (IDMs, foundries, and equipment/materials suppliers), IMEC's director of strategic program partnerships, Lode Lauwers, expects memory manufacturers, and more recently, fab-lite converts, to add their own needs or "flavors" to consortia research programs.

05/21/2007  In the new consumer-driven electronics industry, where beating your competition to market with innovative technology is the surest route to success, process control equipment suppliers have an expanded role in manufacturing alliances to help dramatically shorten product-development and production-ramp times, and thus significantly improve yield and profitability, according to Brian Trafas, chief marketing officer at KLA-Tencor, in his talk at the Confab in Las Vegas.

05/21/2007  May 21, 2007 - Laser-produced plasma sources, once seen as a "dark horse" technology for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, seem to be gaining steam as the most promising power source for the future litho equipment, according to SEMATECH, citing feedback from a recent workshop.

05/21/2007  May 21, 2007 - ASSP chipmaker Diodes Inc. says it will consolidate its analog wafer probe and final test operations from Hsinchu, Taiwan, to facilities in Shanghai, China, by the end of July.

05/21/2007  Potential solutions are starting to emerge for preparing wafers for manufacturing at and beyond the 45 nm technology generation, technologists indicated at a recent industry meeting organized by

05/21/2007  Developed for the repair of flat panel displays, micro circuits, and wafers, the new IX-70 ChromAblate on-target inspection and short deletion system from J.P. Sercel Associates promises precision and power in a small package.

05/17/2007  May 17, 2007 - Targeting FEOL 65nm/45nm cleans, FSI International Inc. says it has received a US patent for a method that combines a rinse/dry step in a single immersion tank. The technology is part of FSI's "SymFlow" technology, integrated into the company's surface tension gradient rinse/dry process for its Magellan immersion cleaning system.

05/17/2007  May 17, 2007 - Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments rose just 1.4% in 1Q07 to 2070 millions of sq. in. (MSI) in what is typically a slow year-opening period, but represents the third straight quarter of little or no growth in wafer shipments.

05/17/2007  Nano-Terra Inc. has announced a multi-year development and licensing agreement with 3M. The partners plan to use Nano-Terra's nanoscale fabrication methods in 3M products.

05/17/2007  May 16, 2007 - A pair of Texas-based substrate equipment providers, NexTech Solutions (inspection/handling) and FAS Technologies LLC (coating), have agreed to merge into a single legal entity.

05/16/2007  May 16, 2007 - Extending 193nm lithography through the 45nm and 32nm nodes while EUV litho struggles to gain traction will require performance improvements such as multilayer patterning and multiple exposure schemes, driving more use of spin-on patterning materials (aka resists), according to a report from Linx Consulting. Analyst Mark Thirsk reviews his firm's outlook for the resist market, indicating which areas will see the most growth and where are the best chances for market opportunities.