06/07/2005  June 7, 2005 - STEAG HamaTech USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of STEAG HamaTech, Sternenfels, Germany, will be expanding its presence in Austin, TX, with an initiative to strengthen US infrastructure capabilities for installed base customer support for photomask process equipment, as well as product development for niche wafer applications.

06/06/2005  June 6, 2005 - Freescale Semiconductor and the University of Florida have created what they say is the industry's first double-gate transistor model called FinFET. It is engineered to pack more computing power into less space and reduce power consumption, while using existing semiconductor manufacturing processes.

06/03/2005  June 3, 2005 - Canadian engineers have unveiled the creation of what they say is the world's smallest transistor in which electricity flows through a molecule, reported the Agence France-Presse. The device is only visible through a powerful microscope, but experts say it may be the biggest development so far in nanotechnology.

06/02/2005  June 2, 2005 - Applied Materials Inc. has announced its intention to form a holding company in China and to enhance its operations and capabilities in the country. The application for Applied Materials (China) Holdings Ltd. is pending approval by Chinese government agencies.

06/02/2005  (June 02, 2005) Cary, N.C. — Baolab MicroSystems has picked Coventor Inc.'s 3-D micro-emulation tool, MEMulator, to verify its design in the pre-fabrication stage. MEMulator provides realistic 3-D design-rule checks visualization and mechanical connection color scheming to check for etch and connection errors before foundry processes. Baolab has incorporated MEMulator into its design process to catch errors and reduce fabrication runs.

06/02/2005 

06/01/2005 

06/01/2005  Protecting Silicon From Extreme Environments

06/01/2005  AUSTIN, Texas-The need for and difficulty of removing surface particles without damaging circuit features, and the increasing trend of mask cleaning borrowing from wafer-cleaning technologies, were key themes that emerged from the seventh annual conference on surface preparation cleaning "Emerging Technologies in Semiconductor Surface Preparation," sponsored by SEMATECH(www.sematech.org).

05/31/2005  Worldwide bookings for semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled $3.72 billion in April, down 10.6% from March and 34.6% from a year ago, according to VLSI Research Inc.

05/31/2005  By Paula Doe, Contributing Editor, WaferNews

Key issues under discussion for the 2005 edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors include the introduction of 450mm wafers, the problem of improving critical dimension control, and clearer definitions for half pitch to keep everybody honest, said regional committee chairmen in a press conference at the recent SEMICON Europa.

05/31/2005  May 31, 2005 - Worldwide sales of semiconductors declined slightly in April to $18.2 billion, a sequential decline of 1.2% from the $18.4 billion reported in March, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. April sales were up 6.9% from the $17.0 billion reported in April 2004. The SIA noted that April is traditionally a strong month for semiconductor sales.

05/31/2005 

05/31/2005  Veeco, a developer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) products, announced last week that it signed a joint development program with CEA Leti, an applied research electronics laboratory in Europe, and Team Nanotec, a fabricator of AFM probe tips.

05/27/2005  By Leonid Rosenboim, MKS Instruments Inc.

Collection and analysis of physical measurements have become crucial components in advanced process control (APC) and e-diagnostics for semiconductor manufacturing. To further advance diagnostics capabilities, tool suppliers and device makers are increasing the number of sensors used in process chambers to improve manufacturing steps and ultimately achieve higher yields.

05/25/2005  May 25, 2005 - A round-up of recent industry activity shows new orders for Akrion, Mattson Technology, Synopsys, and Ultratech products.

05/25/2005  (May 25, 2005) Cardiff, U.K. — Surface Technology Systems plc (STS) has opened its new sales office in Singapore, further strengthening its commitment to the Asian semiconductor manufacturing market. The Singapore office will provide local sales and service support to customers and STS agents throughout Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.

05/25/2005 

05/24/2005  May 24, 2005 - IBM, Infineon, and Macronix have announced a joint research initiative to explore the potential of a new form of computer memory technology called phase-change memory (PCM), which stores data by changing the state of a special material from an amorphous to a crystalline structure, rather than storing data as an electrical charge.

05/24/2005  May 24, 2005 - Oraxion Diagnostics, a provider of advanced metrology systems, has named industry veterans Bang C. Nguyen as CEO and director and Jonathan M. Sabol as COO.