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C3Nano, Inc., a developer and supplier of solution-based, transparent conductive inks and films announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Kimoto, Ltd. Japan. This alliance has important commercial implications for the future of the display and touch sensor industry. The two companies will cooperate in delivering transparent conductive films into the fast-growing flexible display and touch sensor market.

As a global market leader in roll-to-roll, hard-coated films for the display and touch panel industry, Kimoto, Ltd. offers a wide variety of innovative products to protect and optimize the use of devices in touch screens and display applications.  “Our company is excited to have a great partner such as Kimoto to collaborate with, especially since they are the industry leader in hard-coated films,” said Cliff Morris, CEO of C3Nano, Inc.

“This alliance responds to the industry’s unmet need to deliver 50 Ohms per square films at far less than 1 percent haze.  We can deliver that product today at high volume.”

As a result of this relationship, C3Nano is positioned to be a complete solution provider to the flexible display, touch panel, and OLED industries.

Founded in 2010 as a spinout from Professor Zhenan Bao’s chemical engineering laboratory at Stanford University, C3Nano is the developer of the solution-based, transparent conductive inks and films as direct replacements for indium tin oxide (ITO).  C3Nano has raised more than $20 million in funding to date, which has enabled the company to quickly achieve ink formulations and expanded production capabilities.

Kimoto, headquartered in Saitama, Japan, is a developer of processing optical hard-coated films for the display, touch and auto industries.  Their films are used in the production of many high quality displays and touch panels used in mobile phones, tablets, computers and navigation systems.

Programme information is now available on the inaugural SEMICON Southeast Asia, which will run from 22–24 April at SPICE in Penang. The event, organized by SEMI, a global industry association, features an expanded programme and larger audience base focusing on Southeast Asia communities in the semiconductor and microelectronics sector.  SEMI estimates spending of US$19 on semiconductor equipment and materials in the Southeast Asia region for 2015 and 2016. With an emphasis on opening up new business opportunities and fostering stronger cross-regional engagement, SEMICON Southeast Asia will feature a tradeshow exhibition, networking events, market and technology seminars, and conferences.

Ng Kai Fai, President of SEMI Southeast Asia, said, “Southeast Asia is a vibrant and changing market for the semiconductor industry. For 2015 and 2016, SEMI estimates spending of almost US$ 5 billion on front-end and back-end equipment in the Southeast Asia region, and another $14 billion in spending on materials including $11 billion on packaging-related materials.  Southeast Asia has over 35 production fabs including Foundry, Compound Semiconductors, MEMS, Power, LED, and other devices. The region contributes a substantial 27 percent of global assembly, test and production, on top of being the largest market for assembly and test equipment,” he added.

More than 60 industry speakers and 200 companies will participate in SEMICON Southeast Asia, with thousands of attendees participating in the event. Attendees will learn the latest technology developments and strategies from industry leaders. SEMICON Southeast Asia connects decision makers from leading and emerging semiconductor companies with important industry stakeholders from both the region and all over the world.

Focusing on key trends and technologies in semiconductor design and manufacturing, the event also addresses expanding applications markets like mobile devices and other connected “Internet of Things” (IoT) technologies. Key enablers, such as specialised materials, packaging, and test technologies, as well as new architectures and processes, will be featured throughout the event. Highlights of SEMICON Southeast Asia include:

  • Market Trend Briefing — Features presentations from: EQUVO, Gartner, GFK Retail Technology , IC Insights, SMC Pneumatics (SEA), SEMI, and Yole Developpement
  • Assembly and Packaging Forum — “Emerging Packaging Solutions for Computing, Mobility and IoT Platforms” forum features presentations from: Advantest, AMD, ASE Group, Freescale Semiconductor, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore, Intel, Infineon, Kulicke & Soffa, Lam Research, MediaTek, Tanaka Kikinzoku, and Yole Developpement
  • Product and System Test Forum — “Testing Strategy for a Fast-paced Semiconductor Market” with presentations from Advantest, ATMEL, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Silicon Labs International, UTAC Singapore, Xcerra

In addition, the event features forums on Technology Innovation, LED Technology, and Yield Productivity and Failure Analysis.

For more information and exhibition opportunities, visit www.semiconsea.org or register now.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and Spansion, Inc. yesterday announced that they have closed the merger of the two companies in an all-stock, tax-free transaction valued at approximately $5 billion. In a special meeting earlier today, Cypress shareholders approved the issuance of 2.457 shares of Cypress stock to Spansion shareholders for each Spansion share they own. Spansion shareholders approved the merger in a separate special meeting. The merger is expected to achieve more than $135 million in cost synergies on an annualized basis within three years and to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings within the first full year after the transaction closes. The combined company will continue to pay $0.11 per share in quarterly dividends to shareholders.

Cypress President and CEO T.J. Rodgers is scheduled to talk about the merger live on the Fox Business News program, “Opening Bell,” hosted by Maria Bartiromo, Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. PDT. A four-minute video of Rodgers and Spansion CEOJohn Kispert, describing the synergies of the merger and benefits for Cypress and Spansion customers, is available on the Cypress website atwww.cypress.com/NewCypress.

“We closed this merger even more quickly than originally anticipated, accelerating our strategic and financial roadmap,” Rodgers said. “From Day One, the new Cypress will capitalize on its expanded product portfolio and leadership positions in embedded processing and specialized memories to significantly extend its penetration of global markets such as automotive, industrial, consumer, wearable electronics and the Internet of Things.”

“Consider the automotive market, where Cypress has a dominant position in capacitive touch-sensing controllers and SRAMs for infotainment systems, and Spansion is the leading supplier of flash memory and microcontrollers for infotainment, body and climate control systems, instrument clusters and advanced driver assistance systems,” Rodgers said. “The new Cypress will be the No. 3 chip supplier worldwide of memories and microcontrollers to this business. You can think of the post-merger company truly in terms of the well-known equation: 1 + 1 = 3: No. 1 in SRAMs, No. 1 in NOR flash and No. 3 overall.”

“Spansion’s exceptional team and technology leadership in high-performance memory and MCUs will complement Cypress’s strong capabilities. This merger was an important step forward in Spansion’s transformation into a global embedded systems leader,” said Kispert, CEO of Spansion and a member of the Cypress board of directors. “Together, we can significantly enhance our value to our customers and deliver a more robust and broader product line to meet their embedded requirements.”

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design, today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $28.5 billion for the month of January 2015, the industry’s highest-ever January total and an increase of 8.7 percent from January 2014 when sales were $26.3 billion. Global sales from January 2015 were 2 percent lower than the December 2014 total of $29.1 billion, reflecting normal seasonal trends. Regionally, sales in the Americas increased by 16.4 percent compared to last January to lead all regional markets. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“After a record-setting 2014, the global semiconductor industry is off to a promising start to 2015, posting its highest-ever January sales led by impressive growth in the Americas market,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Global sales have increased on a year-to-year basis for 21 consecutive months and remain strong across most regions and product categories.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (16.4 percent) and Asia Pacific (10.7 percent), but decreased in Europe (-0.2 percent) and Japan (-8 percent). Sales decreased compared to the previous month in Asia Pacific (-0.8 percent), Europe (-2 percent), the Americas (-3.3 percent), and Japan (-6.4 percent).

January 2015
Billions
Month-to-Month Sales
Market Last Month Current Month % Change
Americas 6.73 6.51 -3.3%
Europe 3.01 2.94 -2.0%
Japan 2.80 2.62 -6.4%
Asia Pacific 16.59 16.46 -0.8%
Total 29.13 28.53 -2.0%
Year-to-Year Sales
Market Last Year Current Month % Change
Americas 5.59 6.51 16.4%
Europe 2.95 2.94 -0.2%
Japan 2.84 2.62 -8.0%
Asia Pacific 14.87 16.46 10.7%
Total 26.25 28.53 8.7%
Three-Month-Moving Average Sales
Market Aug/Sep/Oct Nov/Dec/Jan % Change
Americas 6.41 6.51 1.5%
Europe 3.21 2.94 -8.2%
Japan 3.01 2.62 -13.1%
Asia Pacific 17.05 16.46 -3.5%
Total 29.68 28.53 -3.9%

SmartKem, supplier of the market-leading tru-FLEX semiconductor platform, has announced an extensive collaboration programme with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) for the development of pre-production prototypes featuring the SmartKem unique range of semiconductor inks for the manufacture of ultra flexible thin-film transistors (TFT). The three year agreement will see a scaling-up of SmartKem activities; driving customer development programs for the manufacture of unbreakable and foldable displays and electronics.

Headquartered in Wales, SmartKem is a provider of semiconductor inks for the manufacture of truly flexible transistors for flexible displays and electronics. The SmartKem tru-FLEX inks offer, for the first time, transistors with outstanding electrical performance, unparalleled physical flexibility and the chance to manufacture at room temperature onto any surface type.  As such, electronic TFT arrays can be printed at low cost with extremely high throughput, making tru-FLEX technology the leading candidate for the manufacture of new form factor consumer devices such as bendy smartwatch displays and foldable mobile phones.

“This collaboration supports our on-going activity of delivering tru-FLEX to meet market demand,” said Steve Kelly, CEO of SmartKem Ltd. “We have established the potential of the technology and proven its position as a total technology solution over competing TFT materials. Now in conjunction with our customers, we’re moving towards manufacturing pre-production demonstrators. We have a long established track record of development work with CPI since SmartKem was founded in 2009. It has proven invaluable to have access to such a well equipped facility that offers us the ability to validate our technology in a confidential environment. We are very excited to have secured a long term agreement with such a high profile industry partner.”

Nigel Perry, CEO of CPI commented, “at CPI we are committed to providing leaders in the field of flexible electronics, like SmartKem, with a means to develop their technology safe in the knowledge that we are an independent development partner. Having a centralised facility offers customers the ability to develop and test prototypes at our labs and focus on what they do best. Having created such a significant uptake in the market, we are excited to be able to support SmartKem in transferring its landmark tru-FLEX technology platform into their pre-production pipeline; ultimately enabling ultra-flexible display technology.”

In August 2014, SmartKem also announced the receipt of Series A funding from an investment syndicate including BASF Venture Capital, Finance Wales, Octopus Investments and Entrepreneurs Fund. This new industrial partnership with CPI will directly support SmartKem in fast-tracking its customers’ pre-production development with the tru-FLEX technology platform.

The Centre for Process Innovation, based in the UK, is an independent technology innovation centre which forms part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. It provides innovators with the tools and manufacturing facilities to develop and prove their technologies and to build prototypes and refine processes with minimal financial risk and complete confidentiality. By testing products and manufacturing processes in the CPI labs and manufacturing pilot lines, companies can validate their technology prior to transfer to customer pilot lines and full scale production.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.31 billion in orders worldwide in January 2015 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.03, according to the January EMDS Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.   A book-to-bill of 1.03 means that $103 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

The three-month average of worldwide bookings in January 2015 was $1.31 billion. The bookings figure is 4.9 percent lower than the final December 2014 level of $1.38 billion, and is 2.6 percent higher than the January 2014 order level of $1.28 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in January 2015 was $1.28 billion. The billings figure is 8.6 percent lower than the final December 2014 level of $1.40 billion, and is 3.5 percent higher than the January 2014 billings level of $1.23 billion.

“2014 was a strong growth year for the semiconductor equipment industry, and both bookings and billings at the start of this year are comparable to the early 2014 figures,” said SEMI president and CEO Denny McGuirk. “Given the positive outlook for the semiconductor industry in 2015 and based on current capex announcements, we expect the equipment market to continue to grow this year.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Billings
(3-mo. avg)

Bookings
(3-mo. avg)

Book-to-Bill
August 2014 

$1,293.4

$1,346.1

1.04
September 2014 

$1,256.5

$1,186.2

0.94
October 2014 

$1,184.2

$1,102.3

0.93
November 2014 

$1,189.4

$1,216.8

1.02
December 2014 (final)

$1,395.9

$1,381.5

0.99
January 2015 (prelim)

$1,276.3

$1,313.6

1.03

Source: SEMI, February 2015

SEMI today announced the “Call for Papers” for technical sessions and presentations for SEMICON Europa 2015 which takes place October 6-8 in Dresden, Germany. Technical presentation abstracts are due April 30.

SEMICON Europa 2015 will feature more than 100 hours of technical sessions and presentations focused on critical industry topics that are shaping the design and manufacturing of semiconductors, MEMS, printed and flexible electronics, and other related technologies.

Abstracts for presentations are now being accepted for:

  • 17th European Manufacturing Test Conference (EMTC): “Zero defect in shortest time to market and lowest cost –  is it possible?”
  • Advanced Packaging Conference:  “Interconnects in Miniaturized Systems”
  • Semiconductor Technology Conference: “Productivity Enhancements for future Technology Nodes”
  • Plastic Electronics Conference: Business Cases; Manufacturing; Technology/Materials

The SEMICON Europa abstract submission deadline is April 30.  Prospective presenters are invited to submit abstracts (1,000-2,000 characters). Material must be original, non-commercial and non-published. Abstracts must clearly detail the nature, scope, content, organization, key points and significance of the proposed presentation.  More information on how to submit your abstract is available on the “Call for Papers” homepage. Visit www.semiconeuropa.org or contact Christina Fritsch, SEMI Europe, at Tel. +49 30 3030 8077 18 or email [email protected].

Co-located with SEMICON Europa 2015, the Plastic Electronics Conference will also take place in Dresden from October 6-8.  From technology breakthrough to Innovative manufacturing in large area electronics and heterogeneous integrated smart systems to reports about the key manufacturing challenges and selected business cases across the sector, abstracts for presentations are now being accepted (until April 30) for: Technology and Materials; Manufacturing; and Business Cases. Visit www.plastic-electronics.org for more information.

Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased 11 percent in 2014 when compared to 2013 area shipments according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry. However, worldwide silicon revenues increased by just 1 percent in 2014 compared to 2013.

Silicon wafer area shipments in 2014 totaled 10,098 million square inches (MSI), up from the 9,067 million square inches shipped during 2013. The previous market high for silicon area shipments was 9,370 MSI in 2010. Revenues totaled $7.6 billion slightly up from $7.5 billion posted in 2013, yet 2014 silicon revenues remain 37 percent below their peak set in 2007. “After three consecutive flat years, annual semiconductor silicon shipment levels achieved respectable growth last year to reach a market high,” said Hisashi Katahama, chairman of SEMI SMG and director, Technology of SUMCO Corporation. ”However, industry revenues did not experience the same magnitude of recovery.”

Annual Silicon* Industry Trends

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014
Area Shipments (MSI) 8,661 8,137 6,707 9,370 9,043 9,031 9,067 10,098
Revenues ($B) 12.1 11.4 6.7 9.7 9.9 8.7 7.5 7.6

 

*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or “chips” are fabricated.

All data cited in this release is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.

The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.

By Jeff Dorsch, Contributing Editor

Applied Materials on Wednesday reported that its proposed merger with Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) is still under way, without giving a deadline or expected date of conclusion.

President and CEO Gary Dickerson said the company is “making progress with regulators” and plans to “complete the merger as soon as possible.” He declined to elaborate on that point, on advice of its attorneys.

Applied and TEL teams are working together to fulfill “the strategic opportunity this merger creates,” Dickerson said.

For the fiscal first quarter ended January 25, Applied received orders of $2.27 billion, up 1 percent from the fourth fiscal quarter and down 1 percent from a year earlier. The company posted sales of $2.36 billion, an increase of 4 percent from Q4 and up 8 percent from a year ago. Net income was $338 million, up 21 percent from the previous year’s $279 million.

“Major technology inflections in semiconductor and display are creating new growth opportunities for Applied`s precision materials engineering products and services,” Dickerson said in a statement. “With focus and execution, we are gaining momentum toward our long-term strategic goals, and this progress will be accelerated by our planned merger with Tokyo Electron.”

Applied forecasts sales in the second fiscal quarter will be flat to up a couple of percentage points from Q1. Dickerson said memory chips will drive demand for equipment in the fiscal first half, and the second half will see growth from foundries placing orders for equipment to be used in producing devices with FinFETs.

Rapidly growing North American quantum dot manufacturer Quantum Materials Corp today announced it has begun shipping Cadmium-free red and green quantum dots in evaluation and production quantities to select consumer electronics manufacturers. The company has increased the uniformity and enhanced stability of its Cadmium-free nanomaterials as a result of bringing previously-reported automated capital equipment, facility and personnel investments online. Quantum Materials is at the forefront of Cadmium-free quantum dot development and recently announced increasing production capacity to 2000Kg of quantum dots and nanoparticles per annum in Q2 2015.

Meetings with manufacturers at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) spurred requests for Cadmium-free red and green quantum dots with application-specific functionality. Quantum Materials has accelerated Cadmium-free quantum dot development because electronics manufacturers’ are seeking to stay ahead of environmental regulations governing dangerous materials in consumer electronic devices. Quantum dots are easily integrated into the industry-standard thin-film roll-to-roll inkjet and surface deposition technologies currently used in existing LCD display production lines, as illustrated in an informative video detailing Cadmium-free quantum dot uses and benefits.

“We were very encouraged with the results of our meetings at CES,” said Quantum Materials Corp CEO Stephen Squires. “I personally am even more pleased with the dedication, hard work and creativity of our team. Their discoveries have enabled us to meet the stringent demands and tight delivery deadlines necessary to rapidly integrate our materials into commercial products.”

The U.S. leads the world in nanotechnology innovation with over $30 billion invested in research to date. Quantum Materials is working with manufacturers toward integrating its advanced materials into commercial products that will create jobs, generate profits, and strengthen our economy and balance of payments.  The limited industrial availability of a reliable supply of Cadmium-free quantum dots has attracted the interest of the world’s largest display and solid-state lighting manufacturers in evaluating Quantum Materials mass-production capability.  Quantum Materials’ products are the foundation for technologically superior, energy efficient and environmentally sound LCD UHD displays, the next generation of solid-state lighting, solar photovoltaic power applications, advanced battery and energy storage solutions, biotech imaging, and biomedical theranostics.