Tag Archives: letter-materials-business

Strategy Analytics reports revenue for RF GaAs devices increased by slightly less than 1 percent in 2016. An anticipated drop in cellular revenue nearly offset gains in other market segments, but GaAs device revenue still managed to surpass $7.5 billion for the first time. “RF GaAs Device Forecast and Outlook: 2016 – 2021,” from Strategy Analytics’ Advanced Semiconductor Applications (ASA) service, forecasts that gigabit LTE and emerging 5G applications will drive GaAs device revenue past $9 billion in 2021.

“The RF GaAs device market is so dependent on cellular terminals that declining growth rates in smartphone sales has put the brakes on total revenue growth,” commented Eric Higham, Director of the Advanced Semiconductor Applications (ASA) service. “The good news for the industry is that growing adoption of gigabit LTE networks and devices, coupled with emerging 5G opportunities will restart the GaAs growth engine.”

“We are seeing new platforms and major program upgrades starting to ramp toward production and these developments will maintain the growth of GaAs device revenue in the defense sector,” noted Asif Anwar, Director of the Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $2.03 billion in billings worldwide in September 2017 (three-month average basis), according to the September Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Billings Report published today by SEMI.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide billings of North American equipment manufacturers in September 2017 was $2.03 billion.The billings figure is 6.9 percent lower than the final August 2017 level of $2.18 billion, and is 36.0 percent higher than the September 2016 billings level of $1.49 billion.

“Global semiconductor equipment billings of North American headquartered suppliers for September were $2.0 billion, down 12 percent from the peak level set in June of this year,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “Total billings through the first three quarters of this amazing year have surpassed total billings for all of 2016.”

The SEMI Billings report uses three-month moving averages of worldwide billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Billings
(3-mo. avg)
Year-Over-Year
April 2017
$2,136.4
46.3%
May 2017
$2,270.5
41.8%
June 2017
$2,300.3
34.1%
July 2017
$2,269.7
32.9%
August 2017 (final)
$2,181.8
27.7%
September 2017 (prelim)
$2,031.1
36.0%

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), October 2017
SEMI publishes a monthly North American Billings report and issues the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) report in collaboration with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ). The WWSEMS report currently reports billings by 24 equipment segments and by seven end market regions.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $35.0 billion for the month of August 2017, an increase of 23.9 percent compared to the August 2016 total of $28.2 billion and 4.0 percent more than the July 2017 total of $33.6 billion. All major regional markets posted both year-to-year and month-to-month increases in August, and the Americas market led the way with growth of 39.0 percent year-to-year and 8.8 percent month-to-month. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Global semiconductor sales were up significantly in August, increasing year-to-year for the thirteenth consecutive month and reaching $35 billion for the first time,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Sales in August increased across the board, with every major regional market and semiconductor product category posting gains on a month-to-month and year-to-year basis. Memory products continue be a major driver of overall market growth, but sales were up even without memory in August.”

Year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (39.0 percent), China (23.3 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (19.5 percent), Europe (18.8 percent), and Japan (14.3 percent). Month-to-month sales increased in the Americas (8.8 percent), China (3.7 percent), Japan (2.8 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (2.2 percent), and Europe (0.6 percent).

“With about half of global market share, the U.S. semiconductor industry is the worldwide leader, but U.S. companies face intense global competition,” said Neuffer. “To allow our industry to continue to grow and innovate here at home, policymakers in Washington should enact corporate tax reform that makes the U.S. tax system more competitive with other countries. The corporate tax reform framework released last week by leaders in Congress and the Trump Administration is an important step forward. We look forward to working with policymakers to enact corporate tax reform that strengthens our industry and the U.S. economy.”

Aug 2017

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                              

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

6.94

7.55

8.8%

Europe

3.20

3.22

0.6%

Japan

3.04

3.13

2.8%

China

10.68

11.08

3.7%

Asia Pacific/All Other

9.77

9.98

2.2%

Total

33.63

34.96

4.0%

Year-to-Year Sales                         

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.43

7.55

39.0%

Europe

2.71

3.22

18.8%

Japan

2.73

3.13

14.3%

China

8.99

11.08

23.3%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.35

9.98

19.5%

Total

28.22

34.96

23.9%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

Mar/Apr/May

Jun/Jul/Aug

% Change

Americas

6.27

7.55

20.5%

Europe

3.11

3.22

3.8%

Japan

2.95

3.13

6.0%

China

10.25

11.08

8.1%

Asia Pacific/All Other

9.43

9.98

5.9%

Total

31.99

34.96

9.3%

SEMICON Europa 2017 will take place in Munich for the first time, co-located with productronica (14-17 November in Munich, Germany). SEMICON Europa will showcase the critical issues shaping the entire electronics manufacturing supply chain. Fourexecutive keynotes will share their thought leadership on current opportunities for Europe: Maria Marced, president, TSMC Europe; Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO, Bosch Sensortec; and Frank M. Rinderknecht, founder and CEO of Rinspeed Inc.

“Innovations in semiconductor manufacturing are at the heart of the value chain driving innovations enabling key future growth drivers in Mobile, Automotive, Medical, passive and intelligent computing as well as AR and VR,” stated Laith Altimime, president, SEMI Europe. SEMICON Europa programs, sessions, and speakers will illuminate this year’s theme “Empowering Innovation and Shaping the Value Chain.”  Highlights of SEMICON Europa include:

  • Fab Management Forum: Quality Challenges – Solutions for Tomorrow ─ Topics include:Future of digital vehicles and requirements for quality and availability of semiconductors with Daimler AG, an analysis of Human failure and mindset change by European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Berlin, and how innovative sensor and analytics solutions enable new applications in the fab of tomorrow by KINEXON GmbH.
  • Advanced Packaging Conference: Electronics Packaging and Test for Future Mobility ─With Yole Développement on the dynamics of the advanced packaging ecosystem, Robert Bosch GmbH on automotive, Infineon Technologies on packaging for automotive ─ challenges and solutions, RoodMicrotec GmbH on wafer and final test in the new era of electronics, and STMicroelectronics on packaging challenges for robust miniaturization.
  •  Power Electronics Conference: From Materials to Systems,The Latest Innovations ─Covering power electronics applications for Automotive by Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, a forecast of the next five years to reveal how technology development will shape the power electronics market by Yole Développement, and  Cambridge University on Silicon and Wide bandgap devices in power electronics.
  • New! Materials Conference: Connected World ─ New Material Challenges and Solutions ─Includes a keynote by Christophe Maleville, SOITEC, on how to better optimize performance, power budget and cost to meet applications requirements; plus presentations from Volkswagen AG on the need for new industry alliances in automotive, FUJIFILM on maximum utilization of chemically amplified resist, and Dow Chemical on the information age and connectivity enabled by advanced electronic materials. The free Webinar “Connected World: New Material Challenges and Solutions – Market Update and Outlook“ is planned on 27 September.
  • New! European Connect2Car Forum ─ A new Forum in collaboration with SAE International. Insights for automotive OEM and supplier executives, consumer electronics leaders, mobile application developers, and aftermarket entrepreneurs focusing on enhancing the driver experience and accelerating the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.
  • New! 2017FLEX Europe “Be Flexible” ─ New collaboration between FLEX and Fraunhofer EMFT. Insights on innovative solutions for flexible and stretchable systems by Würth Elektronik GmbH,  technology and applications of chip-film patch for hybrid systems in foil by IMS CHIPS, new capabilities and applications of flexible components by E Ink Corporation, and insight on how potentials of System-in-Package technologies will affect the future by Bosch.

SEMI and Messe München Joint Press Conference will take place on 14 November at 11:00-12:00, at Messe München Press Conference Center.

Entegris Inc. (NASDAQ: ENTG), a specialty materials provider, today announced the expansion of its Taiwan Technology Center for Research and Development (TTC) in Hsinchu, Taiwan.  The expansion adds a new Microcontamination Control Lab (MCL) that focuses on filtration media development and is home to the company’s relocated Asia Applications and Development Labs (AADL) for trace metal, organic contaminant, and nanoparticle analysis. This addition to the Center’s existing R&D, formulation scale-up, and pilot production capabilities also creates a single, off-site collaboration location for our customers’ specialty chemical, CMP and liquid filtration needs.

Key facts for the $8.5 million USD investment:

  • Class 1000 cleanroom
  • 5x increase in lab space
  • Facility renovations and equipment upgrades

“Interactions and dependencies between process materials and equipment are at a critical evolution point as device scaling continues to be a leading driver for efficient construction of today’s devices. Bringing the industry’s brightest minds together in a state-of-the-art facility enhances Entegris’ unique ability to meet these needs,” offered Entegris Chief Operations Officer, Todd Edlund. “By expanding the MCL facility, we bring together core-competencies in liquid filtration, specialty chemicals, and CMP to create more holistic analytical services and technology development solutions designed to meet our customer’s Logic, DRAM, and 3D NAND device manufacturing challenges.”

For more information on the new TTC and upgraded MCL lab, please visit the Entegris product display area, booth #176, during SEMICON Taiwan, Sept. 13-15, 2017, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

By Dave Anderson, president, SEMI Americas

The SEMI Strategic Materials Conference (SMC) is the industry’s premier event devoted to technology and business drivers of materials in the electronics supply chain. Slated for September 18-20 in San Jose, Calif., the 18th annual SMC “offers a unique chance to network and discover opportunities in and around the industry in a year where dramatic growth has returned to the semiconductor market,” observes SMC 2017 co-chair Mark Thirsk of Linx Consulting, who will provide opening remarks at the conference.

SMC features three distinguished keynote speakers: AMD’s CTO, Mark Papermaster, will discuss “The Future of Semiconductors: Moore’s Law Plus.”  Next, Lam Research’s CTO, Dave Hemker, will present “The Next Level: Is it Time for Equipment and Materials Suppliers to Collaborate More?” describing how the current market environment is having a rippling effect across the supply chain. “As the continuation of Moore’s Law becomes ever-more challenging, closer, earlier collaboration between materials suppliers, equipment makers, and semiconductor manufacturers becomes necessary,” says Hemker.   SMIC’s Sunny Hui, senior VP of Marketing, will kick off day two telling the audience how to “Collaborate to Win in China.”

The first day’s agenda features “Economic and Market Trends: The Consolidation Game (M&A), China, 200mm & More,” with speakers from Applied Materials, Credit Suisse, Linx Consulting, and SEMI China.

Detailing Heterogeneous Integration for Performance and Scaling, UCLA’s Subramanian S. Iyer will describe how adapting silicon-inspired processing, integration, and materials to advanced packaging constructs may be the key to perpetuating Moore’s Law.

The Future of Materials Market in China will focus on the state of China’s semiconductor materials industry, government policies, growth opportunities for suppliers, and best practices for companies operating in this expanding environment.  Hear from Dow Chemical, Konfoong Materials International (KFMI) and SMIC.

More than twenty program sessions will explore the developments driving industry growth and enabling innovative new materials for today’s evolving electronics industry. The conference agenda also includes:

  • Process Challenges at 5nm & Beyond: Insights from ARM, Samsung, and TSMC.
  • Universities − Innovation Drivers: Viewpoints from Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, and University of Chicago.
  • Materials Supply Chain Challenges in Adjacent Industries: Perspectives from Linde Group, PARC (Xerox), and Pixelligent Technologies
  • Heterogeneous Integration − Design to New Materials & Packaging: Insights from ASE Group, imec, and UCLA

SMC 2017 will close with an Executive Panel discussion addressing emerging material challenges for each participant’s company and the segment within which it operates. Executives from Intel, Tokyo Electron, TSMC and Versum Materials will share their views on how the industry can collectively address challenges through focused R&D investment, collaboration throughout the vertical supply chain, and the application of innovative business strategies to ensure a win-win for all companies across the extended supply chain.

I hope to see you at the SEMI Strategic Materials Conference this month. Learn more and register here.

Note: The SEMI Strategic Material Conference (SMC) is organized by the Chemical and Gas Manufacturers Group, a SEMI not-for-profit Special Interest Group comprised of leading manufacturers, producers, packagers, and distributors of chemicals and gases used in the electronics industry.

 

Rinchem recently announced the expansion of its chemical distribution center in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

The new site provides four additional warehouses capable of storing a wide variety of materials including: general commodities (non-DG), flammable, toxic, corrosive, oxidizer and miscellaneous dangerous goods with strict temperature requirements ranging from -30 to 30 C. The new additions add 12,350 pallet positions to the Korea campus.

“This recent investment in South Korea marks Rinchem’s largest investment in the Asian Pacific market to date,” said Chris Wright, Rinchem’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The Pyeongtaek distribution center is state-of-the-art in every way and is positioned as the largest semiconductor grade chemical storage facility in Korea.”

Each new warehouse will be optimized for efficiency and safety consistent with Rinchem’s global standards. The new warehouses will boast a very narrow aisle (VNA) racking system with wire-guided forklift steering controls. Additionally, the Korea campus now operates the newest version of Rinchem’s proprietary Chem-Star® customer interface. The system update showcases a streamlined and easy-to-navigate customer interface granting access to inventory data in real-time.

Rinchem will host a grand opening event to celebrate the recent completion of this expansion project on the new Korea campus on 9 August 2017 at 10:00 AM. Rinchem executives and staff will be on site to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony, remarks on the new expansion and site tours.

Rinchem provides a wide range of logistics services to support the semiconductor, chemical, gas, life sciences and paint and coatings industries, including dedicated and multi-client warehousing, on-site services, over-the-road and local transportation, freight forwarding, empty container return management and supply chain consulting.

Dow Corning, a developer of silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), today announced that it received the prestigious Global Supplier Award from The Bosch Group, a worldwide supplier of technology and engineering services. Issued every two years, Bosch’s coveted awards recognize companies that have demonstrated outstanding performance in the manufacture and supply of products or services to Bosch – especially in terms of quality, pricing, reliability, technology, and continuous improvement. Bosch recognized 44 companies from 11 countries this year.

“We are delighted and very proud that Bosch has recognized Dow Corning’s commitment to its success with this prestigious award,” said Jörg Kersten, Dow Corning’s global key customer manager for The Bosch Group. “Like Bosch, we believe that long-term partnerships and close collaboration are the key to mutual success. It continues to be our privilege to work alongside their industry-leading team of innovators, and support their mission to be a top global engineer of automotive and electronic components.”

Karl Nowak, president of Corporate Sector Purchasing and Logistics at Bosch, informed Dow Corning via a letter that it had received the honor. Nowak’s letter read, in part: “Success in an increasingly connected and digitalized world requires strong and reliable partnerships. Your company’s outstanding performance and exemplary teamwork in 2015-16 contributed to Bosch’s success. To demonstrate our appreciation to you and your employees, we would like to honor you with the Bosch Global Supplier Award.”

Bosch officially bestowed its awards at a gala award ceremony held on July 12 in Stuttgart, Germany, and hosted by Robert Bosch GmbH’s executives and board members. Patrick McLeod, global business director, Dow Performance Silicones, and Wiltrud Treffenfeldt, chief technology officer, EMEAI at Dow, attended to accept the award on behalf of Dow Corning.

Taiwan is the world’s largest consumer of semiconductor materials for the seventh consecutive year, bringing new opportunities in this increasingly critical sector.  SEMICON Taiwan (13-15 September), held at Taipei’s Nangang Exhibition Center, will feature over 1,700 booths and 700 exhibitors, and more than 45,000 attendees from the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. This year, in addition to the much-anticipated Executive Summit, themed “Transformation: A Key to Solution,” 27 international forums will be held, exploring major issues. Speakers from TSMC, UMC, Powerchip, NVIDIA, Micron and Amkor will share their insights on trends and strategies of the next-generation electronics industry.

According to the SEMI Material Market Data Report, Taiwan’s semiconductor materials consumption was US$9.8 billion in 2016 − the world’s largest. Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$13.1 billion in Q1 2017, exceeding the record quarterly high set in Q3 2000. These figures signal that application drivers will continue to drive the development of a supply chain feeding their manufacturing processes, equipment and materials.

“As SEMICON Taiwan celebrates its 22nd year, the exhibition area will be expanded to closely align with the four major trends of applications in the market, which include Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Manufacturing, Smart Transportation, and Smart Medtech,” said Terry Tsao, president of SEMI Taiwan. “This year, SEMICON Taiwan aims to increasingly connect the entire manufacturing ecosystem vertically and horizontally. In addition, it will provide an overview of market trends and leading technologies in the industry, with forums and business matching activities which will enable collaboration and new opportunities.”

Theme Pavilions and Region Pavilions Focus on Opportunities

In addition to the eight customary theme pavilions, five new pavilions are featured this year, and to promote cross-border collaboration, eight regional pavilions are offered. The 21 pavilions include:

Theme Pavilions
  • Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)
  • Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP)
  • High-Tech Facility
  • Materials
  • Precision Machinery
  • Secondary Market
  • Smart Manufacturing & Automation
  • Taiwan Localization

 
New Theme Pavilions
  • Circular Economy
  • Compound Semiconductor
  • Flexible Hybrid Electronics/Micro-LED
  • Laser
  • Opto Semiconductor

 
Regional Pavilions
  • Cross-Strait
  • German
  • Holland High-Tech
  • Korean
  • Kyushu (Japan)
  • Okinawa (Japan)
  • Silicon Europe
  • Singapore

Co-located with SEMICON Taiwan 2017, the SiP Global Summit will discuss three key system-in-package topics:

  • Package Innovation in Automotive
  • 3D IC, 3D interconnection for AI and High-end Computing
  • Innovative Embedded Substrate and Fan-Out Technology to Enable 3D-SiP Devices

Participants will share trends on 2.5D/3D IC technologies, and the evolution and challenges of embedded technologies and wafer level packaging.

This is the first year that the International Test Conference (ITC) will be co-located with SEMICON Taiwan 2017, also marking the first time that ITC is held in Asia. The conference will focus on the rapid growth of emerging applications like IoT and automotive electronics, and how testing technologies are challenged by rapid advancements of manufacturing processes, 3D stacking and SiP.

For more information about SEMICON Taiwan 2017, please visit www.semicontaiwan.org or follow us on Facebook.

Umicore’s business unit Precious Metals Chemistry today inaugurated its production unit for advanced metal organic precursor technologies used in the semiconductor and LED markets, respectively TMGa (Trimethylgallium) and TEGa (Triethylgallium). The event was attended by European and overseas customers as well as local and regional politicians. The guest of honor was Dr. Barbara Hendricks, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

Umicore’s TMGa manufacturing process is innovative and unique. It offers a more sustainable and ecological production method by minimizing hazardous side streams and material losses and optimizing yield to nearly 100%.

Dr. Lothar Mussmann, Vice-President of Umicore Precious Metals Chemistry said, “I am proud that this patented innovation has now become a world-class and industrial scale manufacturing plant. It will provide benefits for our customers and the environment and underlines Umicore’s position as a pioneer in sustainable technologies.”

Umicore Precious Metals Chemistry is the only European manufacturer of TMGa and TEGa and supplies customers across the world from its Hanau manufacturing base. Umicore Precious Metals Chemistry helps to reduce cost of ownership through its innovative approach to process chemistry and its collaborative approach with customers and end users.

About Trimethylgallium and Umicore’s manufacturing process

Trimethylgallium (TMGa) is a colorless liquid with very high vapor pressure, which boils at low temperatures. Umicore’s new production process increases the yield of TMGa in comparison with current production technologies. In this way, organic solvents can be completely dispensed with. The TMGa is prepared by chemically reacting gallium trichloride with a more efficient methylating agent in molten salt. This reduces the amount of waste per kilogram of TMGa by more than 50%, with the resulting intermediates being recycled in the process. The finished product is then used in the semiconductor industry, where it evaporates in closed systems onto a substrate. This creates, for example, environmentally friendly LED lamps.