12/16/2004  (December 16, 2004) Scharding, Austria — EV Group (EVG) says that it will install the first example of a new fully automated UV step-and-repeat nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) system at non-profit research organization, AMO GmbH in Germany, during the first quarter of 2005. AMO has been participating in joint-development programs with EVG in the area of UV-NIL since 1997.

12/15/2004  (December 15, 2004) Santa Clara, Calif. — Applied Materials announces that it has signed an agreement with AmberWave Systems Corp., based in Salem, N.H., to license AmberWave's strained silicon intellectual property for Applied's use on its Centura RP Epi system. Applied Materials has already sampled 300-mm strained silicon epi wafers to a chip maker for development work.

12/15/2004  But there also is a growing concern that a shortage of a trained workforce could slow this booming industry. A number of centers and institutes are being created to meet the demand for research and training. Restructuring traditional curricula can be a major step toward providing trained professionals.

12/14/2004  Dec. 14, 2004 -- Samsung Electronics has developed a fingernail-sized, low-power multimedia memory card (MMC) for mobile phones, about one-third the size of typical multimedia memory cards.

12/13/2004  December 13, 2004 - At today's IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco, IMEC is expected to announce that it has achieved the smallest triple-gate device SRAM cell reported to date. IMEC's device is a fully working 6-transistor SRAM cell with an area of only 0.314 x 0.314 mm.

12/13/2004  A staple industrial cleaner and solvent for coatings, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) is currently in short supply, according to industry analysts. To help meet market demand for MEK replacements, Eastman Chemical Company offers Eastman MPK (methyl propyl ketone), its low-density, non-HAP solvent for coatings and industrial cleaning and surface preparation applications.

12/09/2004  December 9, 2004 - Several chipmaking firms have tightened their projections, mostly in line with sentiments that a slowdown continues--but with one big exception.

12/08/2004  December 8, 2004 - Demand for Japanese semiconductor manufacturing equipment continues to slide as the market sinks further into a lull entering the end of the calendar year, according to data from the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ).

12/08/2004  (December 8, 2004) Irvine, Calif. — Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to innovation in power semiconductors, Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) announces TSSOP Advance, a new, smaller packaging technology that extends the company's diverse packaging options for power MOSFETs.

12/08/2004  (December 8, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn. — Speakers at the first International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress (IWLPC), held October 10-12, 2004, in San Jose, Calif., addressed leading-edge IC packaging and test technologies with special emphasis on 3-D stacked packaging. As rated by the attendees, the Best Paper Award was presented to Dr. Udo E. Frank of FEINFOCUS GmbH.

12/07/2004  December 7, 2004 - EV Group today announced the launch of a global consortium, NILCom, dedicated to commercializing advanced nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technologies. The consortium will have a technology platform supported by an established infrastructure and qualified processes, including leading technology companies and research centers.

12/06/2004  (December 6, 2004) Austin, Texas — TechSearch International's new study, Flip Chip and Wafer Level Packaging Trends and Market Forecasts, projects a compound growth rate of over 28% in this market between 2004 and 2009. The report profiles drivers for the demand and requirements by market, investigates the state of the technology, and details the supply base.

12/03/2004  December 3, 2004 - EV Group (EVG) has said that it has signed an agreement with Komag Inc. to develop, license, and sell a high-volume nanoimprint lithography (NIL) application for mass data storage.

12/02/2004  December 2, 2004 - Noting that the laws of physics will eventually limit the implementation of CMOS scaling technology, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has announced a research program -- called the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) -- aimed at assuring US leadership in information technology well into the future.

12/02/2004  December 2, 2004 - Applied Materials Inc. and ASML intend to collaborate to speed the development of 65nm and below process equipment technology for the semiconductor industry, the companies said.

12/02/2004  December 2, 2004 - Applied Materials Inc. and DuPont Photomasks Inc. have agreed to a joint development program (JDP) for advanced photomasks supporting 90nm and 65nm technology.

12/02/2004 

12/01/2004  December 1, 2004 - The SEZ Group, Zurich, Switzerland, has announced it will expand its Yokohama, Japan-based customer application lab, which opened in July.

12/01/2004  (December 1, 2004) Munich, Germany — electronica 2004, a trade show for components, assemblies, and high-growth applications, signalled increased momentum in the global electronics industry as international visitors and exhibitors once again flocked to the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.

12/01/2004  DELIVERING TRUE KNOWN GOOD DIE