12/18/2002  Dec. 18, 2002 - Veldhoven, Netherlands - Chip equipment maker ASML has announced that it will cut 1,450 jobs and sell or close loss-making US businesses, as it strives to reach break-even in the chip industry's worst-ever slump.

12/18/2002  Veeco Instruments Inc. and FEI Co. said they won't merge as planned by year's end, citing delays in obtaining regulatory and shareholder approvals.

12/17/2002  Dec. 17, 2002 - San Jose, CA - Numerical Technologies Inc., the provider of subwavelength lithography-enabling technology to the semiconductor industry, today announced that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has signed an agreement to license Numerical's phase-shifting technology for the production of its newest and most advanced SRAM product.

12/17/2002  Dec. 17, 2002 - Veldhoven, Netherlands - Lithography equipment supplier ASML Holding NV will shortly unveil details of a large restructuring program, according to a person close to the company.

12/16/2002  Dec. 16, 2002 - Sunnyvale, CA - Advanced Micro Devices has reorganized its flash memory chip operations as it attempts to take better advantage of increased memory needs in advanced electronics products, reports CBS MarketWatch.

12/16/2002  Dec. 16, 2002 - San Jose, CA - Novellus Systems Inc. has announced that it has called for the redemption of all of its subsidiary SpeedFam-IPEC Inc.'s six-and-one-quarter percent Convertible Subordinated Notes, due in 2004.

12/13/2002  December 13, 2002 -- The worldwide semiconductor industry returned to positive growth in 2002, with revenue totaling $155.4 billion in 2002, a 1.4 percent increase from 2001, according to preliminary statistics by Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Inc. In 2001, worldwide semiconductor revenue declined 32 percent.

12/13/2002  DEC. 13--HENDERSON, NEV.--Emergency Filtration Products Inc. (EFP) has received favorable preliminary results from the testing of its nanotechnology-enhanced 2H Technology filtration system, which will be incorporated into an Environmental Isolation Mask.

12/12/2002  SUSS MicroTec AG said it has launched new embossing equipment for nanoimprinting technology.

12/11/2002  Dec. 11, 2002 - Taipei, Taiwan - Germany-based Infineon Technologies AG said it will sell its 30% stake in Taiwan's ProMOS Technologies Inc. and stop buying from the joint venture.

12/09/2002  Dec. 9, 2002 - San Jose, CA - Novellus Systems Inc. has closed its acquisition of SpeedFam-IPEC Inc., a global supplier of CMP systems used in the fabrication of advanced copper interconnects.

12/04/2002  DEC. 4- LAS VEGAS--Emergency Filtration Products Inc. (EFP) has begun testing its nanotechnology-enhanced 2H Technology filtration system to be incorporated into an environmental isolation mask.

12/04/2002  Dec. 4, 2002 - Round Rock, TX - DuPont Photomasks Inc. plans to streamline its European operations by consolidating trailing-edge photomask production in Rousset, France and Hamburg, Germany, into its manufacturing facility in Corbeil, France. These initiatives are expected to reduce the global workforce by approximately 8%, or 140 positions, once fully implemented.

11/29/2002  The atmosphere of the 22nd BACUS Photomask Symposium, held recently in Monterey, CA, was oddly upbeat, with a record 156 papers and high attendance, in spite of depressed industry conditions. The mask industry has been hard hit by the slow shift to 130nm and beyond, since most of industry revenue comes from such advanced reticles.

11/25/2002  Nov. 25, 2002 - Suzhou, China - National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has begun construction of its first manufacturing facility in China with groundbreaking ceremonies in Suzhou Industrial Park, the site of the company's planned semiconductor assembly and test facility.

11/25/2002  NOV. 25--FREMONT, CA--Asyst Technologies, Inc., a provider of semiconductor manufacturing productivity automation, has announced that a leading global silicon wafer manufacturer has placed a large production order for Asyst's G3 front-opening unified pod (FOUP) wafer carriers.

11/21/2002  Nov. 21, 2002 - Albany, NY - Tokyo Electron (TEL), announced its participation in Albany NanoTech's new 300mm semiconductor research center at a press conference held on the campus of the U. at Albany-State University of New York (UAlbany).

11/18/2002  Nov. 18, 2002--San Jose, CA--Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) and Cadence Design Systems Inc. have collaborated to solve design challenges in 130 and 90nm process technology signal integrity (SI) closure.

11/18/2002  Nov. 18, 2002 - Tokyo, Japan - Hitachi Ltd. and NEC Corp. plan to inject an additional 44 billion yen ($365.6 million) into their chip venture, Elpida Memory Inc., by the end of March.

11/13/2002  Nov. 13, 2002 - Munich, Germany, and Taoyuen, Taiwan - Infineon Technologies and Nanya Technology Corp. have signed final contracts concerning strategic cooperation on standard memory chips (DRAM).