09/27/2001  September 27, 2001 - Oakland, CA - Today, Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. has filed its answer in response to KLA-Tencor's patent infringement suit. The answer denies all charges of patent infringement and alleges KLA's U S Patent No. 4,805,123 is invalid and unenforceable.

09/26/2001  September 26, 2001 - Sunnyvale, CA - Advanced Micro Devices is closing two plants and laying off 2,300 employees, or nearly 15% of its work force, as the chipmaker accelerates cost-cutting moves amid slowing sales of its microprocessors.

09/26/2001  September 26, 2001 - Manila, Philippines - PSi Technologies Holdings Inc., an independent provider of power semiconductor assembly and test services, has signed of a long term assembly and test service agreement with Advanced Power Technology Inc., (APT) a designer, manufacturer and marketer of high-power, high-frequency power semiconductors.

09/25/2001 

09/21/2001  September 21, 2001 - Geneva, Switzerland - STMicroelectronics has introduced its latest generation of chip-scale package for power integrated circuits as well as six N-channel MOSFETs that take advantage of the new package to slash size and weight while boosting thermal and electrical performance.

09/21/2001  September 21, 2001 - Billerica, MA - PRI Automation, Inc. (PRI), will continue its use of Compaq Computer Corporation's OpenVMS platform.

09/21/2001  September 21, 2001 - Shanghai - Intel Corp said it is spending $302 million to expand its chip assembly and testing plant in China, even as the global economy may be teetering on the brink of recession.

09/21/2001 

09/18/2001  September 18, 2001 - Armonk, NY - IBM Corp. is in the final stages of negotiations with SCI Systems Inc., a US electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firm, to sell its Japanese unit's electronic parts factory, sources close to the matter said.

09/17/2001  September 17, 2001 - Taipei, Taiwan - Analog Technology Inc., a manufacturer of various ICs, has split into two business divisions, one for IC products and the other for providing wafer foundry services, beginning this month.

09/13/2001  A wafer fab built with current equipment has to have capacity of 20,000 wafers or so a month to be economical. New minifabs would run only 5,000 wafers per month, with smaller, lower throughput equipment, but the key is reducing tool costs proportionally as well.

09/11/2001  September 11, 2001 - Fremont, CA - Asyst Technologies Inc. is collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) on a strategic 300mm fab-transport development project.

09/06/2001  September 6, 2001 -- FRANKLIN, MA -- Extraction Systems recently announced the sale of multiple Extraction 3000 filter systems for 300mm semiconductor fabs in the U.S., Taiwan and Europe.

09/06/2001  September 6, 2001 -- HOUSTON, CO -- Despite the current high-tech downturn, Intel plans to break ground in October on a new one million square foot 300 mm wafer fab plant in Hillsboro, Oregon.

09/05/2001  September 5, 2001 - Villach, Austria - The SEZ Group has opened its newest service and support center in Dresden, Germany. The location is of strategic importance for SEZ because it will be the primary source of support for the company's installed tool base in the growing high-tech community in the Dresden area (Silicon Saxony).

09/04/2001  September 4, 2001 -- WILMINGTON, MA -- San Jose-based KLA-Tencor plans to buy defect detection system manufacturer QC Optics.

09/04/2001  Worse than expected second quarter results have spurred more cutbacks in capital spending at Japan's big chipmakers, as companies look for ways to curb losses without laying off workers.

09/04/2001  September 3, 2001 - Fremont, CA - Lam Research Corp. is reducing its work force, which will impact approximately 10% of its employees around the globe.

08/31/2001  August 31, 2001 - Santa Clara, CA - NEC Electronics Inc. announced its V850ES/SA2 and SA3 microcontrollers. These new devices are the first to use the V850ES core and are optimized for low-power, battery-operated portable and handheld applications such as two-way radios and audio players, according to NEC.

08/30/2001  Japan's latest government-funded industry research initiative for 50nm generation technology plans to start by designing and developing its own new semiconductor production tools. Japanese press reports said Intel researchers would also participate, but Intel sources could not confirm this before press time.