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The official Call for Papers has been issued for the 2016 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits, to be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village June 13-16, 2016 (Technology) and June 15-17, 2016 (Circuits). The deadline for paper submissions to both conferences is January 25, 2016. The late-news paper submissions deadline for the Symposia on VLSI Technology is March 24, 2016; there is no late-news submission for the Symposium on VLSI Circuits. Complete details for paper submission can be found online at: http://www.vlsisymposium.org/authors/

For the past 28 years, the combined annual Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits has provided an opportunity for the world’s top device technologists, circuit and system designers to engage in an open exchange of leading edge ideas at the world’s premier mid-year conference for microelectronics technology. Held together since 1987, the Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits have alternated each year between sites in the US and Japan, enabling attendees to learn about new directions in the development of VLSI technology & circuit design through the industry’s leading research and development presentations.

The comprehensive technical programs at the two Symposia are augmented with short courses, invited speakers and several evening panel sessions. Since 2012, the Symposia have presented joint focus sessions that include invited and contributed papers on topics of mutual interest to both technology and circuit attendees.

The Symposium on VLSI Technology seeks technical innovation and advances in all aspects of IC technology, as well as the emerging IoT (Internet of Things) field, including:

  • IoT systems & technologies, including ultra-low power, heterogeneous integration, sensors, connectivity, power management, digital/analog, microcontrollers and application processors
  • Stand-alone & embedded memories, including DRAM, SRAM, non-volatile and emerging memory technologies
  • CMOS Technology, microprocessors & SoCs, including scaling, VLSI manufacturing concepts and yield optimization
  • RF / analog  /digital technologies for mixed-signal SoC, RF front end; analog, mixed-signal I/O, high voltage, imaging, MEMS, integrated sensors
  • Process & material technologies, including advanced transistor process and architecture, modeling and reliability; alternate channel; advanced lithography, high-density patterning; SOI and III-V technologies, photonics, local interconnects and Cu/optical interconnect scaling
  • Packaging technologies & System-in-Package (SiP)
  • Photonics Technology & “Beyond CMOS” devices 

The Symposium on VLSI Circuits seeks original papers showcasing technical innovations and advances in the following areas:

  • Digital circuits and processor techniques for standalone and embedded processors
  • Memory circuits, architectures & interfaces for volatile and non-volatile memories, including emerging memory technologies
  • Clock generation and distribution for high-frequency digital and mixed-signal applications
  • Analog and mixed-signal circuits, including amplifiers, filters and data converters
  • Wireline receivers & transmitters, including circuits for inter-chip and long-reach applications
  • Wireless receivers & transmitters, including circuits for WAN, LAN, PAN, BAN, inter-chip and mm-wave applications
  • Power management circuits, including battery management circuits, voltage regulators, energy harvesting circuits
  • Application-oriented circuits & VLSI systems, imagers, displays, and sensors for biomedical and healthcare applications

Joint technology and circuits focus sessions feature invited and contributed papers highlighting innovations and advances in materials, processes, devices, integration, reliability and modeling in the areas of advanced memories, 3D integration, and the impact of technology scaling on advanced circuit design. Submissions are strongly encouraged in the following areas of joint interest:

  • Design in scaled technologies: scaling of digital, memory, analog and mixed-signal circuits in advanced CMOS processes
  • Design enablement: design for manufacturing, process/design co-optimization, on-die monitoring of variability and reliability
  • Embedded memory technology & design: SRAM, DRAM, Flash, PCRAM, RRAM, MRAM and NVRAM memory technologies
  • 3D & heterogeneous integration: power and thermal management; inter-chip communications, SIP architectures and systems

Papers sought for “big integration”

Authors are encouraged to submit papers that showcase innovations that extend beyond single ICs and into the module, including focus areas in the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial electronics, “big data” management, biomedical applications, robotics and smart cars. These topics will be featured in focus sessions as part of the program.

Best Student Paper Award

Awards for best student paper at each Symposia will be chosen, based on the quality of the papers and presentations. The recipients will receive a financial award, travel cost support and a certificate at the opening session of the 2017 Symposium. For a paper to be reviewed for this award, the author must be enrolled as a full-time student at the time of submission, must be the lead author and presenter of the paper, and must indicate on the web submission form that the paper is a student paper.

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), a leading global university-research consortium for semiconductor technologies, today announced that ARM has joined SRC’s Global Research Collaboration (GRC) program.

Research in the GRC program focuses on current semiconductor industry priorities, including the continued scaling of semiconductor technologies and finding diverse applications for them. The program has also expanded into new areas, including cybersecurity, technologies at the convergence of semiconductors and biology, novel approaches to energy-efficient computing, and the Internet of Things.

“We are pleased to have ARM join SRC’s Global Research Collaboration program.  GRC members are among the top semiconductor companies in the world and ARM is no exception,” said Celia Merzbacher, Vice President for Innovative Partnerships at SRC. “SRC supports a broad portfolio of innovative research driven by long-term industry needs. Members get access to the results in near real time and to the SRC-supported network of university researchers, comprising hundreds of faculty and thousands of students worldwide annually.  SRC has a record of investing in early stage research that had enormous impact industry-wide.”

“As process geometries shrink, the challenges of improving performance and energy efficiency through high levels of SoC integration are increasingly complex,” said Eric Hennenhoefer, Vice President, ARM Research. “The most effective way of addressing these challenges is through collaborative R&D. Joining SRC allows ARM to make a contribution and help drive the advancements from which the semiconductor industry as a whole can benefit.”

The Full Service Foundry division of ams AG, a leading provider of high performance analog ICs and sensors, today announced a further expansion of its industry-leading 0.35µm High-Voltage CMOS specialty process platform. The advanced “H35” process provided by the High-Voltage process expert ams now includes a set of truly voltage scalable transistors offering significant area and performance improvements.

The new voltage scalable High-Voltage NMOS and PMOS transistor devices are optimized for various drain-source voltage levels (VDS) from 20V to 100V and provide significant lower on-resistance thus resulting in area savings. Using an optimized 30V NMOS transistor in power management applications instead of a fixed 50V transistor results in an area saving of approximately 50%. A 60V optimized NMOS device results in 22% less area when compared to a standard 120V NMOS transistor. Foundry customers developing complex High-Voltage analog/mixed-signal applications such as large driver and switching ICs instantly benefit from more dies per wafer.

The area optimized devices are ideally suited for a wide range of applications such as MEMS drivers, motor drivers, switches and power management ICs used in automotive, medical and industrial products. ams’ Full Service Foundry division is among first foundries worldwide offering true voltage scalable transistors to its foundry customers. Being fully automotive (ISO/TS 16949) and medical (ISO 13485) certified, ams supports highest quality requirements from its customers.

“Being among first foundries worldwide offering true voltage scalable devices, proofs ams’ expertise in developing specialty High-Voltage CMOS processes and providing excellent manufacturing services. ams’ foundry team is looking forward to teaming up with product developers who are creating advanced High-Voltage products”, said Markus Wuchse, general manager of ams’ Full Service Foundry division. “Our hitkit, the ams benchmark Process Design Kit as well as our High-Voltage process expertise enable our partners to optimize their HV integrated circuits towards area and on-resistance, which immediately results in more dies per wafer.”

This latest High-Voltage process extension is an add-on to the company’s ”More Than Silicon” portfolio, under which ams provides a package of technology modules, intellectual property, cell libraries, engineering consultancy and services to help customers successfully develop advanced analog and mixed-signal circuit designs based on its specialty technologies.

By Peter Connock, chairman of memsstar and co-chair of the European SEMI Secondary Equipment and Applications Special Interest Group

The dramatic shift from the trend for increasingly advanced technology to a vast array and volume of application-based devices presents Europe with a huge opportunity. Europe is a world leader in several major market segments – think automotive and healthcare as two examples – and many more are developing and growing at a rapid rate. Europe has the technology and manufacturing skills to satisfy these new markets but they must be addressed cost effectively – and that’s where the use of secondary equipment and related services comes in.

Secondary Equipment & Applications ─ Enabling the Internet of “Everything”

While Moore’s Law continues to drive the production of advanced devices, the broadening of the “More than Moore” market is poised to explode. All indicators are pointing to a major expansion in applications to support a massive increase in data interchange through sensors and related devices. The devices used to support these applications will range from simple sensors to complex packages but most can, and will, be built by “lower” technology level manufacturing equipment.

This equipment will, in many cases, be required to be “remanufactured” and “repurposed” but will allow semiconductor suppliers to extend the use of their depreciated equipment and/or bring in additional equipment, matched to their process needs, at reduced cost. In many cases this older equipment will need to be supported by advanced manufacturing control techniques and new test and packaging capabilities.

SEMI market research shows that investment in “legacy” fabs is important in manufacturing semiconductor products, including the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) class of devices and sensors, and remains a sizeable portion of the industries manufacturing base:

  • 150mm and 200mm fab capacity represent approximately 40 percent of the total installed fab capacity
  • 200mm fab capacity is on the rise, led by foundries that are increasing 200mm capacity by about 7 percent through to 2016 compared to 2012 levels
  • New applications related to mobility, sensing, and IoT are expected to provide opportunities for manufacturers with 200mm fabs

SEMI_Europe1

Out of the total US$ 27 billion spent in 2013 on fab equipment and US$ 31 billion spent on fab equipment in 2014, secondary fab equipment represents approximately 5 percent of the total, or US$ 1.5 billion, annually, according to SEMI’s 2015 secondary fab equipment market report. For 2014, 200mm fab investments by leading foundries and IDMs resulted in a 45 percent increase in spending for secondary 200mm equipment.

SEMI_Europe2

Establishing a Vibrant and Professional Secondary Equipment Industry in Europe

Secondary equipment will form at least part of the strategy of almost anyone manufacturing or developing semiconductors in Europe. In many cases, it is an essential capability for competitive production. As the secondary equipment industry increases its strategic importance to semiconductor manufacturers and researchers it is critical that the corresponding supply chain ensures a supply of quality equipment, support and services to meet rapidly developing consumer needs. Common challenges across the supply chain include:

  • How to generate cooperation across Europe between secondary equipment users and suppliers and what sort of cooperation is needed?
  • How to ensure the availability of sufficient engineering resource to support the European secondary installed base?
  • Are there shortages of donor systems or critical components that are restricting the use of secondary equipment and, if so, how might this be resolved

Join us at SEMICON Europa to find out more about Europe’s Secondary Industry

Europe’s secondary industry will be in the spotlight during two sessions at SEMICON Europa 2015:

The sessions are organized by the SEMI SEA Europe Group and are open to everyone associated with the secondary industry, be they device manufacturer or supplier, interested in the development of a vibrant industry providing critical support to cost effective manufacturing in Europe.

About the Secondary Equipment and Applications (SEA) Group

The SEA group in Europe is working on activities to:

  • Increase market knowledge
  • Create a European network of relevant customers, suppliers and representative organizations
  • Establish quality and standards in secondary equipment
  • Catalyze Engineering resource development
  • Understand key issues facing the European Secondary industry and any required project activity (e.g., impact of EU laws such as RoHS2, parts supply, etc.)

The market for microcontroller units (MCUs) used in Internet of things (IoT) applications is on the rise, which is having a positive effect on overall MCU market growth. The market for MCUs used in connected cars, wearable electronics, building automation and other IoT applications is expected to grow at an overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11 percent, from $1.7 billion in 2014 to $2.8 billion in 2019, according to IHS Inc., the leading global source of critical information and insight. The overall MCU market is expected to grow at a CAGR of just 4 percent through 2019.

IHS_MCU_market_IoT_apps_chart “What some still consider to be only hype surrounding emerging IoT trends has already begun disrupting the MCU market,” said Tom Hackenberg, senior analyst for IHS Technology. “In fact, without the influence of IoT application growth, the MCU market is predicted to stagnate by the end of the decade.”

According to the latest Microcontroller Market Tracker from IHS, IoT comprises both existing Internet-protocol- (IP-) addressable devices and Internet-connectable electronic devices. This definition differs from the Internet of everything (IoE), whereby even unconnected electronics and unconnected objects are expected to be represented on the Web.

IHS sub-divides the IoT market into three distinct categories: controllers, such as PCs and smartphones; infrastructure, such as routers and servers; and nodes, such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, traffic lights and appliances. “Each of these categories offers a distinct opportunity for suppliers of hardware, software and services,” Hackenberg said.

“The IoT trend has a strong relationship with the MCU market, as the small nodes used for connectivity, and sensor hubs to collect and log data, are primarily based on MCU platforms,” Hackenberg continued. “Most serious suppliers of MCUs are already closely following the hype around the billions of connected devices; however, the industry’s challenge now is to quantify this new opportunity, since IoT is a conceptual trend, not a device, application or even a new feature.”

Given that IoT connectivity demands a new consideration of semiconductor features, many semiconductor companies have begun developing IoT platform solutions, while others have reorganized with an IoT division to address this real opportunity. This is especially true in the MCU market. Among the semiconductor suppliers adopting loT-focused strategies are: Atmel Corporation, Broadcom, Cisco Systems Inc, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, Intel, Microchip Technologies, NXP, Qualcomm, Renesas Electronics Corporation and Texas Instruments.

“IoT is a sweeping term that addresses broad opportunities for hardware, software and services across many different applications,” Hackenberg said. “Suppliers must therefore focus on their target markets and concentrate on the specific values they bring to these markets.” The IHS Microcontroller Tracking Service now offers market size and forecast for the MCUs targeting IoT applications specifically in 25 distinct market opportunities.

GE creates GE Digital


September 17, 2015

GE announced the creation of GE Digital, a move that brings together all of the digital capabilities from across the company into one organization. GE Digital will integrate GE’s Software Center, the expertise of GE’s global IT and commercial software teams, and the industrial security strength of Wurldtech. This new model will be led by Bill Ruh, chief digital officer.

“As GE transforms itself to become the world’s premier digital industrial company, this will provide GE’s customers with the best industrial solutions and the software needed to solve real world problems. It will make GE a digital show site and grow our software and analytics enterprise from $6B in 2015 to a top 10 software company by 2020,” said Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE.

“With this alignment – backed by sustained investment – we will accelerate our efforts to build GE’s digital strength and win in the Industrial Internet. We are building the playbook for the new digital industrial world by harnessing our horizontal capabilities including Predix, software design, fulfillment and product management, while also executing critical outcomes for our customers. This is the strength of GE.”

Ruh has been leading GE’s Software COE and building the foundation of software experience for GE since 2011. Under his direction, GE has grown to over 1,200 software experts at the Software Center in San Ramon, CA. He is leading the team as they work on a diverse set of projects to deliver better outcomes for customers.

IBM today announced two new business units that will apply the company’s considerable knowledge in Big Data, advanced analytics and cognitive computing to the Internet of Things (IOT) and Educations markets, respectively. Harriet Green, formerly CEO and executive director of the Thomas Cook Group and of Premier Farnell plc, has joined the company as vice president and general manager for the new units, and will be responsible for developing these and other new growth businesses.

“Harriet brings to IBM a strong, proven track record as a transformative leader,” said John E. Kelly, senior vice president, solutions portfolio and research. “Throughout her career, across multiple geographies and cultures, she has consistently shown a deep understanding of the needs of her customers and clients, and how to help them achieve their goals and aspirations. Her creativity and vision will help organizations transform themselves to take fuller advantage of emerging data and cognitive technologies.”

IBM announced in March 2015 that it will invest $3 billion over the next four years to deliver new industry-specific cognitive computing technologies, cloud data services and developer tools to help clients and partners integrate data from an unprecedented number of sources across the Internet of Things. Ms. Green will lead a team that will soon comprise more than 2000 consultants, researchers and developers dedicated to helping clients unlock value in new insights. IBM has helped thousands of organizations to deploy IOT solutions, working with partners such as The Weather Company, ARM, AT&T and others on projects including smart cities, automobile and electronics manufacturing, and to safeguard food and water supply chains, among other applications.

The new Education unit will formally launch later this year.

“I’m honored to join IBM and to become part of a team that is shaping this exciting and transformative moment for industries,” said Ms. Green. “The Internet of Things will help enterprises and governments at every level unlock entirely new areas of opportunity and growth, and no company is better positioned than IBM to be the partner of choice as these organizations embrace its potential.  Likewise, education is being transformed by technology and IBM is incredibly well positioned to help leaders in the field enable this change.”

Earlier in her career, Ms. Green spent over a decade in executive roles at Arrow Electronics, a global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions.

Ms. Green was named Leader of the Year 2013 in the UK National Business Awards, as well as the Sunday Times Business Leader of the Year 2013. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to electronics in June 2010.

Qualcomm Incorporated today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Life, Inc., has acquired Capsule Technologie, a global provider of medical device integration and clinical data management solutions with more than 1,930 hospital clients in 38 countries. Capsule will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Life.

The acquisition of Capsule extends Qualcomm Life’s connected health offerings into the hospital, ultimately creating a more seamless care continuum from hospital to home and points in between. By combining Qualcomm Life’s wireless expertise and ecosystem of connected medical devices outside of the hospital with Capsule’s leadership for connecting medical devices, EMRs and IT systems across the hospital enterprise, Qualcomm Life is creating an open connected health ecosystem to deliver intelligent care everywhere.

Capsule’s medical device integration and clinical data management platform enables data collection, EMR and health IT system integration and monitoring in the ecosystem of connected devices inside the hospital. Capsule’s smart networking goes beyond device integration by delivering timely clinical data to various in-hospital decision support systems, alarm and notification systems and asset management tools, which help reduce latency and transcription errors to ensure timely, informed care.

“Qualcomm is focused on strengthening its position in specific Internet of Everything verticals, like healthcare,” said Derek Aberle, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The acquisition of Capsule expands the breadth of our healthcare platform, enabling us to provide connectivity solutions for the entire care continuum and create one of the world’s largest connected health ecosystems. This will be an important step in advancing the Internet of Medical Things.”

“As health care continues to move into the home and ambulatory settings and outside of traditional care areas such as the hospital, the convergence of medical device data from wherever the patient is located is critically important,” explained Gene Cattarina, CEO, Capsule. “Together, Qualcomm Life and Capsule will power this convergence by making data more accessible and interoperable among care teams to provide true continuity of care at the hospital, in the home and at all points in between.”

Solid State Technology is thrilled to announce that several key industry leaders have joined the Advisory Board for its annual conference and networking event, The ConFab. New members include: Robert Cappel, Senior Director Corporate Marketing, KLA-Tencor; William Chen, Fellow and Senior Technical Advisor, ASE; L.T. Guttadauro, Executive Director, Fab Owners Association; Li Li, Distinguished Engineer, Cisco Systems; Ariel Meyuhas, COO, The MAX Group; Gary Patton, CTO and Head of Worldwide R&D, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Elton Peace, General Manager North America Regional Operations, Lam Research.

“We are delighted to welcome the new additions to our Advisory Board, each of whom have a unique and valuable insight into the what makes the semiconductor manufacturing industry successful,” said Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief of Solid State Technology and conference chair for The ConFab. “These individuals will be instrumental is ensuring that The ConFab has an expanded role in the industry and is a “must attend” event for networking and discussing critical economic and manufacturing issues.”

The ConFab 2016 conference program will focus on “The Economics of Semiconductor Manufacturing and Design”. Topics will include:

  • How IoT is Driving the Semiconductor Industry
  • Filling the Fabs of the Future: A Guide to Hot New Applications
  • MEMS Sensor Fusion and More then Moore
  • The Limits of Scaling: Understanding the Challenges of sub-10nm Manufacturing
  • Fabless, Foundries and OSATs: Optimizing the Supply Chain
  • System Integration, Advanced Packaging + 3D Integration
  • China’s New Role in the Global Semiconductor Industry
  • Legacy Fabs and the Resurgence of 200mm
  • The Impact of Continued Consolidation Across the Supply Chain
  • Wearables and Bioelectronics: The Cusp of a Revolution?
  • Tackling Rising R&D Costs in the Semiconductor Industry

The new members will be joining the existing Advisory Board, comprised of David Bennett, VP Alliances, GLOBALFOUNDRIES; Janice M. Golda, Director, Lithography Capital Equipment Development, Intel Corporation; Devan Iyer,,Director Worldwide Semiconductor Packaging Operations, Texas Instruments; Lori Nye, COO/Executive Director Customer Operations, Brewer Science; Ken Rygler, President, Rygler Associates (founder of Toppan Photomasks); Sima Salamati, VP, Fab Operations, imec; Hans Stork, CTO, ON Semiconductor Corporation; Aubrey Tobey, President, ACT International; Geoffrey Yeap, VP of Technology, Qualcomm Inc.; and Abe Yee, Sr. Director, Advanced Technology and Package Development, NVIDIA Corporation.

 The ConFab (June 12-15, 2016) is an executive-level conference and networking event for business leaders from the semiconductor manufacturing and design industry. The event features a high-level conference program, networking events and business meetings with purchasing decision makers and influencers. More information on The ConFab may be found at www.theconfab.com.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $27.9 billion for the month of July 2015, a decrease of 0.9 percent from July 2014 when sales were $28.1 billion. Global sales from July 2015 were 0.4 percent lower than the June 2015 total of $28.0 billion. Regionally, sales in the Americas were roughly flat in July compared to last year, while sales in China increased by nearly 6 percent. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Global semiconductor sales have slowed somewhat this summer in part due to softening demand, normal market cyclicality, and currency devaluation in some regional markets,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Despite these headwinds, year-to-date global sales through July are higher than at the same time last year, which was a record year for semiconductor revenues.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in China (5.6 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (1.0 percent), and the Americas (0.8 percent), but decreased in Europe (-12.5 percent) and Japan (-13.3 percent), in part due to currency devaluation. On a month-to-month basis, sales increased in Japan (2.7 percent), China (0.6 percent), and Europe (0.4 percent), but fell slightly in the Americas (-0.3 percent) and Asia Pacific/All Other (-2.5 percent).

“One key facilitator of continued strength in the U.S. semiconductor industry is research, the lifeblood of innovation,” Neuffer said. “SIA and Semiconductor Research Corporation this week released a report highlighting the urgent need for research investments to advance the burgeoning Internet of Things and develop other cutting-edge, semiconductor-driven innovations. Implementing the recommendations in the report will help the United States harness new technologies and remain the world’s top innovator.”

July 2015

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                               

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.53

5.52

-0.3%

Europe

2.83

2.84

0.4%

Japan

2.57

2.64

2.7%

China

8.13

8.18

0.6%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.94

8.71

-2.5%

Total

27.99

27.88

-0.4%

Year-to-Year Sales                          

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.47

5.52

0.8%

Europe

3.24

2.84

-12.5%

Japan

3.04

2.64

-13.3%

China

7.75

8.18

5.6%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.63

8.71

1.0%

Total

28.13

27.88

-0.9%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

Feb/Mar/Apr

May/Jun/Jul

% Change

Americas

5.61

5.52

-1.7%

Europe

2.89

2.84

-1.8%

Japan

2.54

2.64

3.8%

China

7.77

8.18

5.2%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.74

8.71

-0.3%

Total

27.56

27.88

1.2%

Related news: 

Tech, academic leaders call for robust research investments to bolster U.S. tech leadership, advance IoT