02/01/2006  I’ve always thought capitalism worked well in the world economy because it aligned perfectly with human nature.

02/01/2006  CombiMatrix Corp. has produced a CMOS chip for the timely identification of influenza strains.

02/01/2006  Increasing Complexity and Functionality of Packages

02/01/2006  January 31, 2006 - Japanese DRAM memory provider Elpida Memory Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and pay an $84 million fine for participating in an international conspiracy to fix prices in the DRAM market, joining four other memory manufacturers in plea deals that have added up to more than $725 million in fines.

01/30/2006  January 30, 2006 - A new program launched by the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative aims to establish an "incremental" approach toward improving 300mm production and ease the eventual migration to the 450mm new wafer size.

01/30/2006 

01/27/2006  January 27, 2006 - In a move to bolster its lineup of factory process-control options, IBM Corp. has acquired the Argus line of lithography advanced process control software and related IP from Inficon.

01/27/2006  January 27, 2006 - Singapore foundry Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. posted a profit of $26.5 million on sales of $367.2 million, vs. a loss of $26.8 million on sales of $190.6 million a year ago.

01/27/2006  January 27, 2006 - In an move to return to profitability for all of its frontend segments, ASM International NV, Bilthoven, The Netherlands, said that it will scale back its NuTool operation to license the technology, and consolidate its wafer-handling platforms.

01/27/2006  January 27, 2006 - Xtreme Technologies GmbH, a joint venture between Jenoptik AG and Ushio Inc. developing light sources for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Intel Corp.'s investment arm to accelerate development and commercialization of the technology.

01/27/2006  San Jose, CA — SV Probe, a supplier of high-performance probe cards, signed an agreement to purchase the assets of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.'s (K&S) wafer test business for $10 million. With the acquisition, SV Probe aims to provide continuous service and supply to K&S' existing customer base for blade, cantilever, vertical, and advanced-vertical probe card products and wafer interface products.

01/26/2006  January 26, 2006 - Nanometrics Inc., Milpitas, CA, is acquiring Accent Optical Technologies Inc., Bend, OR, in a stock deal worth approximately $80.9 million in a deal that combines Nanometrics' and Accent's process control and metrology technologies.

01/26/2006  January 26, 2006 - In a move to return focus to its core assembly business, Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., Willow Grove, PA, has agreed to sell assets and IP of its wafer test and package test businesses.

01/26/2006 

01/26/2006  XTREME Technologies GmbH, based in Gottingen and Jena, Germany, announced it has received funding from Intel Capital, Intel Corp.'s strategic investment arm, to accelerate development of its extreme ultraviolet light source for photolithography applications.

01/26/2006  The combination of Nanometrics and Accent would create one of the largest metrology and process control companies in the semiconductor capital equipment industry. Based on the closing price of Nanometrics common stock on Wednesday, the transaction values Accent at $80.9 million.

01/25/2006  San Jose, CA — The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has appointed W. Patrick Wilson, a veteran Capitol Hill staffer, as director of Government Affairs for the association that represents the U.S. semiconductor industry. Based in Washington, Wilson will lead the U.S. chip industry's interactions with both Congress and the Administration.

01/24/2006  January 24, 2006 - Conditions are improving in the beleaguered DRAM market, as supplies are worked off and prices start to rise, but it's still too early to declare a fundamental recovery in the market, according to a new report from analyst firm iSuppli Corp., El Segundo, CA.

01/23/2006  January 23, 2006 - Intel Corp. and Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. have extended a mask development collaboration to cover mask technologies, including optical lithography (ArF excimer laser) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV), for the 32nm node and beyond.

01/20/2006  January 20, 2006 - The Japanese government reportedly plans to initiate a 27.2% countervailing tariff on DRAM memory chips from South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc. as soon as Jan. 27, following similar moves from the US and Europe.