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By Dr. Adam He, director of Industry Research and Consulting, SEMI China

In June 2014, the State Council of China issued the “National Guideline for the Development and Promotion of the IC Industry,” to support the domestic semiconductor industry. The document addresses development targets, approaches, and measures. It has echoed strongly across the semiconductor industry and attracted global attention due to the ambitious development targets and sizeable support for a national IC industry investment fund.

What’s new?

(1) The Ambitious Development Target

According to the Guideline, the China IC industry revenue should reach RMB350 billion in 2015, and maintain a CAGR of more than 20 percent through 2020. In other words, 2020 revenues are expected to reach US$143 billion, which is 3.5 times that of the US$40.5 billion in 2013. (Note: China IC Industrial revenue refers to the total IC companies’ sales revenue within China, including IC design companies, foundries, IDMs and OSAT companies.)

SEMI--Adam He--for China article

 

Technical and product targets in each segment of the IC industry are clearly defined in the Guideline. The major targets of each segment are listed below.

  • IC manufacturing: mass production for 32/38 nm process shall be realized by 2015 and 16/14 nm process shall be realized by 2020.
  • IC design: certain key technologies (e.g. mobile smart terminal, network communication) shall approach international first-tier level by 2015, and other strategic technologies shall achieve international leading edge by 2020.
  • IC packaging and test: revenue from mid-end to high-end technologies shall be more than 30% of total revenue by 2015, and key technologies shall achieve international leading edge by 2020.
  • Material: 12-inch silicon wafers produced in China shall be ready for use in device production by 2015, and enter global supply chain by 2020.
  • Equipment: 65-45nm key equipment manufactured in China shall be used into production line by 2015, and enter global supply chain by 2020.

(2) National IC Industry Investment Fund Establishment

The manner of industry support has markedly changed from previous policies. The new policy will be adopted with a market-based approach and implemented through national IC industry investment funds to support industry development.

As of December 16, 2014, the latest information indicates that ordinary share-raising for a national IC industry investment fund has been completed and RMB 98.72 billion (US$ 15.9 billion) has been raised. Preferred shares amounting to RMB 40 billion (US$ 6.5 billion) will be further issued in the first quarter of 2015, accumulating to more than RMB130 billion (US$ 21 billion).

Meanwhile, local IC industry investment funds have been established by the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Hefei. Of these, Beijing took the lead in establishing a fund in June 2014, totaling RMB 30 billion (US$ 4.8 billion). It is structured as a “fund of funds” and two sub-funds. One sub-fund, supporting for IC manufacturing and semiconductor equipment, is managed by CGP Investment (the “fund of funds” is also managed by CGP); the other sub-fund, supporting IC design and packaging, is managed by Hua Capital.  In addition, the Shanghai IC industry fund, named Shanghai Summitview Capital IC information industry merger fund, totaling RMB10 billion (US$ 1.6 billion) was established in November 2014.

The total government funds are estimated to reach to US$100 billion with the implementation of local industry funds.

What will happen?

It is anticipated that the new policies will exert a significant influence on the semiconductor ecosystem in China.

China’s semiconductor industry will be dramatically expanded given the scale of industry equity funds that are leveraged by government investments. The existing semiconductor industry in China is estimated to have more than 10 percent of global fab capacity and more than 20 percent of global packaging capacity. The new investments will contribute to a powerful expansion in China-based capacity and create a stronger and more globally prominent semiconductor industry in China.

Secondly, the investment and merger activity in the semiconductor industry in China has been very dynamic and will continue to be so with the new investment funds. These newly established national and local IC industry investment funds will not only directly focus on the Fab and IC design companies, but also stimulate the IC industry merger and acquisition activity in and outside of China. For example, shortly after its establishment, Hua Capital (the investment company of IC design and packaging sub-fund of Beijing IC industry fund) proposed to buy Omnivision with Shanghai Pudong Science and Technology Investment Co. Ltd.

In addition, the new policies will also promote marketization development and global cooperation beyond previously implemented investment activities. In the 1990s, the Chinese government established two semiconductor production lines directly through National Engineering Project 908 and 909. In the beginning of the 21st century, SMIC was co-established by state-owned enterprises and an entrepreneurial team. Now, relying on the new capital, the Chinese government is going to support the industry development through equity funds, which is in line with the marketization reform philosophy of the new government and places investors and entrepreneurs at center stage in implementing industry growth. Experienced investors and entrepreneurs with international vision will lead China’s semiconductor industry to a broader global cooperation.

How should international companies respond?

China IC industry investment funds will likely drive market share gains for China players and also more buyout offers from China. Therefore, it is increasingly critical for international companies to consider their strategy and cooperation objectives with China’s semiconductor industry in the light of a huge application market and a dynamic industry ecosystem.

The first step is to better understand China. Companies need to recognize that China is not only the largest semiconductor market — and not just a manufacturing base with a cost advantage. The most important point is that China’s economy and semiconductor industry is changing dramatically, and this will affect the global semiconductor industry ecosystem. Second, China is a diversified economic body, with the developed metropolitan areas such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, and the to-be-developed middle and west regions.  Each of these regions will offer specific opportunities for companies in the semiconductor supply chain.

To participate in China’s industry ecosystem, it is essential to establish connections with the stakeholders in China, such as government, customers, suppliers, and even competitors, and to seek opportunities in cooperation and development through mutual understanding and engagement.

During SEMICON China 2015 (March 17-19), SEMI China will host the Tech Investment Forum-China 2015 on March 18. The Tech Investment Forum has already become an important platform between investment and pan-semiconductor industry in China. This year, Mr. Wenwu Ding, the CEO of China National IC Investment Fund will give a keynote speech. There will also be a session where startup companies can pitch to venture investors for project funding.

SEMI China’s Industry Research and Consulting team provides market research, supply chain surveys, investment site evaluations, and partner matching services (visit www.semi.org.cn/marketinfor/exclusive.aspx) or visit the SEMI Industry Research and Statistics website at www.semi.org/en/MarketInfo.

Propelled by the arrival of the Apple Watch, the global market for wireless power and charging in wearable applications is set to attain a gargantuan 3,000 percent expansion this year compared to 2014, according to IHS Technology.

Global revenue this year from shipments of wireless power receivers and transmitters in wearable applications will surge to more than $480 million, up from just $15 million last year, as shown in the attached figure. By 2019, wireless charging in wearables will generate revenue exceeding $1 billion.

“Growth this year will be remarkable for wireless charging in wearable electronic devices, even if in reality the overall penetration of wireless charging into wearables is relatively low given the billions of wearables  that are shipped into the consumer market every year,” said Vicky Yussuff, analyst for wireless charging at IHS Technology. “Still, interest in the use of wireless charging remains high on the part of wearable technology providers and device original equipment manufacturers. As a result, penetration is expected to escalate rapidly over the next five years.”

Apple Watch to spark growth 

In particular, 2015 is anticipated to be an important year for wearable electronics with many of the leading consumer electronics suppliers introducing wireless charging in their products, including smartwatches.

The highest-profile example is the Apple Watch. The smartwatch will ship with Apple’s proprietary MagSafe inductive charging solution, and is expected for release by the end of the second quarter this year. While Apple’s announcement at the end of 2014 did not really promote the benefits that wireless charging technology has to offer, the product is still expected to drive some awareness of wireless charging. Of the total number of wireless-charging-enabled receiver devices forecast to be shipped in wearable electronics in 2015, Apple Watch is projected to take a dominant share, accounting for more than 70 percent of total revenue in wireless-charging-enabled wearable devices.

At present, wireless charging solutions typically consist of a pad or mat on which consumers can place an enabled device for charging, without having to connect the device and the pad or mat physically. The enabled device, such as a smartwatch, can be picked up for use and replaced for charging—often termed “drop and charge.” However, advancements are also taking place in wireless charging technology, and even more versatile solutions are emerging offering greater spatial freedom, including wireless charging through surfaces like a desk, support for wireless charging of multiple devices from the same wireless charger and even wireless charging over distances.

Apple’s solution for the Apple Watch, which uses inductive charging, is not a “drop and charge” mechanism, nor does it offer any range of freedom of movement to the user. In essence, the smartwatch is physically tethered to the charger at all times while charging and being held in place by a magnet. But IHS projects that by the end of 2017, shipments of wearable-technology wireless charging receivers that allow charging over distances will overtake inductive or tightly coupled solutions.

These findings are contained in the report, “Wireless Charging in Wearable Technology Report – 2015,” from the Wireless Power Intelligence Service at IHS.  The IHS report, now available for service subscribers, includes an analysis of opportunities for wireless charging in wearable electronics across key applications and products with forecasts through 2018.

2015-01-13_Wireless_Charging

The SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) opened yesterday with the theme “Riding the Wave of Silicon Magic.” The sold-out conference of the industry’s C-level executives highlighted favorable forecasts in the year’s first strategic outlook for the global microelectronics manufacturing industry.  The underlying drivers for growth and the next wave emerging from the Internet of Things (IoT) were discussed from several perspectives.

Opening keynoter Scott McGregor, president and CEO of Broadcom, traced the history of the industry’s more than 50 years of exponential improvements in silicon speed, power and design since Moore’s Law in 1965.  McGregor sees the next wave of Silicon Magic as a $15 trillion opportunity that will provide ubiquitous, nonstop, seamless high-speed connectivity.  Still, McGregor believes that three key issues challenge the industry’s growth.   First, patent reform, as patents are the foundation of the innovation economy and the global patent system does not meet today’s industry realities. Second, interoperability and standards, as IoT is raising the stakes for data privacy and security.  Finally, STEM education, as in the future, all businesses will be tech businesses.

In the Economic Trends session, presenters took on both macroeconomic and detailed industy-specific forecasts:

  • Nariman Behravesh, senior economist at IHS, presented the macroeconomic view of 2015 and the global implications brought on by the sharp drop in oil prices.  IHS predicted that the U.S. will grow in the 2.5-3.0 percent range in 2015 while other regions will be mixed: the European recovery will be slow, Japan’s economy will regain weak momentum, and China growth will continue to slow, but remain stronger than most. 
  • Mario Morales, VP at IDC, presented the 2015 semiconductor outlook. IDC saw the semiconductor market grow 7 percent in 2014 and projects 3.8 percent growth in 2015. Market growth will be led largely by automotive and industrial segments. 
  • Andrea Lati, principle analyst for VLSI Research, presented the 2015 semiconductor equipment outlook.  VLSI saw semiconductor equipment sales coming in at 17 percent growth in 2014 and forecasts 8 percent growth in 2015. VLSI noted the top 7 chipmakers accounted for 71 percent of spending in 2014 (vs. 56 percent in 2010). VLSI sees the consolidation driving an industry that has smaller cyclic peaks and is settling into a moderated two-year cycle cadence with fewer players having less incentive to individually make a market share grab.” 

Several presenters discussed the Internet of Things (IoT) and offered that the IoT provides an unprecedented growth opportunity — and understanding just what IoT is, at this stage, a challenge.  The lively session featured Frank Jones, VP and GM at Intel, David Ashley, VP of Customer Value Chain Management at Cisco Systems, Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), and Martin Reynolds, managing VP and fellow at Gartner.

Among the insights in the IoT session, Jones stressed that with all the IoT hype, it’s critical to demonstrate business value. Working with partners, he cited emerging IoT examples such as: saving 43 percent in time with an integrated “Smart Parking Solution” and improvements to Intel’s own factories with fab personnel defining a process step predictive maintenance tool (sensors and analytics) that saved $9 million per year.  Ashley made the point that with $19 trillion for the IoE at stake, the supply chain, including economic trends (labor wage inflation, government policy, shrinking life cycles) and ecosystem (supplier consolidation, visibility, consumer-driven technology) need to be addressed.  DuBravac focused on how everyday objects are becoming smarter and more connected and said that the key to technology should be what is meaningful as opposed to what is possible.

Days 2 and 3 at ISS will delve deeper into the underpinnings of the industry.  Technology and manufacturing insights will be discussed with presentations from:  TSMC, Altera, XMC, Intel, Honeywell, Micron, imec, ASE, IBM, Lux Research, Illumina, Cypress, Boing, and McKinsey.  A “Silicon Magic” panel will wrap up the conference with Intel, Lam Research, JSR, TSMC, and Qualcomm. The SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) examines global economic, technology, market, business and geo-political developments influencing the semiconductor industry.

JEOL USA and the University of California’s Irvine Materials Research Institute (IMRI) have entered into a strategic partnership to create a premier electron microscopy and materials science research facility. The IMRI will serve as an interdisciplinary nexus for the study and development of new materials, enabling advances in solar cell, battery, semiconductor, biological science, and medical technologies.

The IMRI is headed by Dr. Xiaoqing Pan, an internationally-recognized researcher in the physics of materials who joined the UC Irvine faculty in 2015 to lead the $20 million initiative.

The new electron microscopy cluster, to be known as the JEOL Center for Nanoscale Solutions, will house JEOL’s highest performing Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) for characterizing and analyzing materials to determine their potential for a myriad of advanced applications.

This will be the first research lab in the Americas to install the newly-introduced JEOL Grand ARM, which exceeds atomic resolution boundaries for any commercially-available TEM today. The Grand ARM offers 63 pm resolution at 300 keV for atom-by-atom characterization and chemical mapping. It features JEOL-proprietary spherical aberration correctors integrated in the image-forming system and illumination system, and an ultra-stable cold-cathode field emission electron gun.

The center will also house the high throughput, nano-analysis JEM-2800 TEM/STEM, a versatile microscope favored for its ease of use while maintaining the highest level of performance.  The JEM-2800 features dual large area Silicon Drift Detectors with unprecedented sensitivity for high throughput EDS analysis.

Researchers will also utilize the cryogenic and atomic level structural analysis capabilities of the JEOL JEM-2100F TEM to examine biological materials, large molecules, and medical biopsy samples in efforts to improve delivery of pharmaceuticals to the human body.

“The electron microscopy initiative and the IMRI at UC Irvine will provide new tools and great opportunities for potential collaborations with the many researchers on campus and in southern California,” said Pan.  In his work he has pioneered the development of advanced functional materials and the characterization of their structure-property relationships at the atomic scale, which range from ceramics and semiconductors to biological materials and nanomaterials.

“This foremost facility will be an important resource for some of the most renowned scientists in the world,” said JEOL USA President Peter Genovese.” With the installation of our flagship atomic resolution TEM, the JEOL Center for Nanoscale Solutions will be the most advanced electron microscopy cluster available for probing the atomic structure and properties of materials.”

The Internet of Everything, cloud computing/big data and 3-D printing are the three technologies most likely to transform the world during the next five years, according to IHS Technology.

“We know that technology has the capability to change the world: from the Gutenberg printing press to the steam engine to the microchip,” said Ian Weightman, vice president, research & operations, IHS Technology. “But how can we determine which technologies are likely to have the greatest potential to transform the future of the human race? What is the process to distinguish among the innovations that will have limited impact and those that will be remembered as milestones on the path of progress? How can you tell the difference between the VHS and Betamax of tomorrow’s technologies?”

“To answer these questions, IHS Technology gathered its leading experts representing the technology supply chain from electronic components to finished products across applications markets ranging from consumer, media, and telecom; to industrial, medical, and power. These experts were asked to nominate and vote for their top 10 most impactful technologies over the next five years.”

The top three technologies were: 3-D printing in third place; cloud computing/big data at No. 2; and the Internet of Everything coming out on top.

Manufacturing moves to next dimension with 3-D printing

Also called additive manufacturing, 3-D printing encourages design innovation by facilitating the creation of new structures and shapes, and allows limitless product complexity without additional production costs. It also greatly speeds up time to market by making the idea-to-prototype cycle much shorter.

Total revenue for the 3-D printing industry is forecast to grow by nearly 40 percent annually through 2020, when the aggregated market size is expected to exceed $35.0 billion, up from $5.6 billion in 2014.

Cloud computing/big data brings metamorphosis to computing and consumer markets

The cloud has become a ubiquitous description for on-demand provisioning of data, storage, computing power and services that are touching nearly every consumer and enterprise across the globe. Together with data analytics and mobile broadband, the cloud and big data are poised to reshape almost every facet of the consumer digital lifestyle experience and dramatically impact enterprise information technology (IT) strategies, while creating new opportunities and challenges for the various nodes in the entire information, communications and technology (ICT) value chain.

The cloud is transformational in the business landscape, changing the way enterprises interact with their suppliers, customers and developers.

The big data and data analytics segment is a separate but related transformational technology that harnesses the power of the cloud to analyze data for disparate sources to uncover hidden patterns, enable predictive analysis and achieve huge efficiencies in performance.

IHS forecasts that global enterprise IT spending on cloud-based architectures will double to approximately $230 billion in 2017, up from about $115 billion in 2012.

The Internet of Things becomes the Internet of Everything

The world is in the early stages of the Internet of Things (IoT)—a technological evolution that is based on the way that Internet-connected devices can be used to enhance communication, automate complex industrial processes and generate a wealth of information. To provide some context on the magnitude of this evolution, more than 80 billion Internet-connected devices are projected to be in use in 2024, up from less than 20 billion in 2014, as presented in the attached figure.

While the IoT concept is still relatively new, it is already transforming into a broader model: the Internet of Everything (IoE). The metamorphosis covers not just the number of devices but envisages a complete departure from the way these devices have used the Internet in the past.

Most of the connected devices in place today largely require direct human interaction and are used for the consumption of content and entertainment. The majority of the more than 80 billion future connections will be employed to monitor and control systems, machines and objects—including lights, thermostats, window locks and under-the-hood automotive electronics.

Other transformative technologies identified by IHS Technology analysts were:

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Biometrics
  • Flexible displays
  • Sensors
  • Advanced user interfaces
  • Graphene
  • Energy storage and advanced battery technologies

2015-01-12_Connectable_Devices

With new cost-sensitive semiconductor devices driving capacity demand, 200mm wafer size and currently existing (legacy) fabs are seeing a renaissance,  SEMI completed a thorough study of the secondary fab equipment market to identify the market size and to capture key trends and issues impacting this industry segment. SEMI interviewed and surveyed integrated device makers (IDMs) and foundries. Companies were asked to provide information pertaining to the acquisition of previously installed tools for 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm manufacturing. The SEMI Secondary Fab Equipment Report is new, unique coverage for the industry. The report contains 26 pages and 29 figures and charts. The target audience is expected to be companies serving the secondary fab equipment supply chain, IDMs and foundries, and other industry analysts who need data to benchmark and analyze this market.

The semiconductor industry is maturing where annual double-digit fab capacity additions are less frequent, and the industry is spending in the range of $30 billion per year in new fab equipment. 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

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. For 2014, 200mm fab investments by leading foundries and IDMs resulted in a 45 percent increase in spending for secondary 200mm equipment. Foundries are estimated to represent half of the 200mm equipment spending in 2014.

In developing the report, SEMI interviewed and surveyed IDMs and foundries. Direct spending input was obtained from 28 companies, and estimates were made for another 12 companies based on known capex plans, quarterly financial statements and transcripts, and capacity investment trends tracked by the SEMI World Fab Forecast database. The focus of the new report is on secondary fab equipment spending; secondary test equipment and assembly and packaging equipment were not included in this study. To order the report, visit www.semi.org/en/node/53676. For information on all SEMI Market research reports, visit www.semi.org/en/MarketInfo. For information on SEMI, visit www.semi.org

GLOBALFOUNDRIES, a provider of advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology, and Linear Dimensions Semiconductor Inc., a semiconductor company specializing in low power analog and mixed signal integrated circuits, today announced that they are working together to manufacture a 14-channel programmable reference from Linear Dimensions for multiple markets including IoT (Internet of Things) sensor and wearable device applications.

The LND1114 is a 14-channel reference designed to meet the tuning needs of emerging IoT sensors and Wearable applications.  The LND1114 is available in QFN-3×2.2mm form factor, and is the world’s smallest programmable multi-channel reference product.  With a typical drift of only 13uV after 10 years at 70C, low temperature drift and an initial accuracy of 0.2%, the LND1114 is ideally suited for precision sensor biasing.

“GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ advanced process and development capabilities have allowed Linear Dimensions to engineer an analog non-volatile tuning solution ideally positioned for emerging wearable and portable IoT sensor applications,” said David Schie, CEO of Linear Dimensions.   “Devices such as wearable health and fitness products, cell phones, consumer cameras, media players and headsets are increasingly integrating multiple single and multi-function sensors to offer added functionality.  These multiple sensors all require specific biasing and tuning to operate correctly.  The LND1114 is a revolutionary new way to bias and tune precision devices because it offers multiple channels with unparalleled accuracy and flexibility, in a smaller footprint just a fraction of the size of existing solutions.’

“As sensor based applications proliferate, and wearables become more popular in the market, technologies that enable such devices become extremely important,” said Gregg Bartlett, senior vice president of product management at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “We will continue to provide differentiated technology platforms from 350nm to 28nm that our customers can use for innovative products in the rapidly growing IoT and wearable markets.  By partnering with Linear Dimensions we have been able to leverage our world-class analog processing capabilities to offer tuning and biasing performance that has not previously been available in such a small form factor.”

GLOBALFOUNDRIES has a solid track record of providing semiconductor technologies to a variety of market segments including mobility, industrial, automotive and computing. In mainstream technologies, GLOBALFOUNDRIES offers modular platforms on technology nodes from 180nm to 40nm on both 200mm and 300mm wafers, with additional process modules such as analog, power management, radio frequency (RF), embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

Wafer volume production for Linear Dimensions’ 14-channel programmable floating gate reference program is expected to start in Q3 2015 in GLOBALFOUNDRIES manufacturing facility in Singapore.

SEMI today announced the launch of the European MEMS Summit, to be held on 17-18 September 2015 in Milan, Italy.  With a 13 percent CAGR over the period of 2013-2019 (predicted by Yole Developpement), and the expected growth from the Internet of Things (IoT), the MEMS market has taken on a new importance — making collaboration around new business and technologies critically important.

The European MEMS Summit will address MEMS technologies, manufacturing, applications and time-to-growth. Over the course of the two-day event, more than 20 keynote and invited speakers from the entire supply chain will share their perspectives and latest updates, including participation by European MEMS leaders. Fabless, foundries, IDMs, OSATs, equipment and materials companies will deliver talks on MEMS and sensors. In addition, a focused industry exhibition will complement the conferences offering with additional networking opportunities.

Industry issues to be discussed at the conference:

  • Market drivers for MEMS applications and technology
  • Impact and opportunities arising from IoT and sensor-centric applications
  • Innovations in technology including new detection principles
  • Managing quick ramp up and product changeover — challenges for the supply chain
  • Standardization as a driver for cost reduction?
  • Trends relative to fabless and foundries business model

These issues are increasingly critical to maintaining MEMS growth and leading executives support this new SEMI event. “Bosch highly welcomes this new SEMI event in Europe since European manufacturers play a leading role in this industry,” says Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec.  Benedetto Vigna, executive VP and general manager of the Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group at STMicroelectronics, states that “With a significant part of MEMS success centered near Milan, the city offers the perfect backdrop for this event highlighting the technology’s magnificence and exceptional value.”

Conference speakers will address innovation in technology, with presentations covering new detection principles, new technologies, increased importance of software, as well as new types of MEMS devices. Challenges in the supply chain and the need for a more efficient MEMS-based ecosystem will also be explored during the Summit. Speakers will examine the potential evolution of MEMS fabless and foundries and the need for deeper collaboration between partners.

Business topics will cover macro market trends and feature specific talks on MEMS business challenges, possible industry consolidation and the expected advantages of standardization. Applications of MEMS in different segments including consumer, automotive, industrial, healthcare, and wearable will be discussed. IoT, the sensor-centric phenomenon, will present significant opportunities for MEMS.

The conference program is developed by a steering committee composed of MEMS industry professionals including ASE, Bosch Sensortec, CEA-Leti, EV Group, Fraunhofer ENAS, Fraunhofer IZM, Freescale Semiconductor, IHS, Okmetic, Sencio, SPTS, STMicroelectronics, SUSS MicroTec, X-Fab and Yole Developpement.

Please visit www.semi.org/europeanMEMSSummit for more information and to register for the European MEMS Summit email list, with important updates about the event. For more information on SEMI, visit www.semi.org.

SEMI Europe will ring in the New Year by holding the first major, international 3D TSV event of 2015. On January 19-21, members of the 3D TSV industry will convene in Grenoble, France for the 3rd edition of the European 3D TSV Summit. This year’s theme: Enabling Smarter Systems.

The European 3D TSV Summit’s 2015 conference will feature Keynote and Invited Speakers, a Market Briefing and a Panel Discussion. The Panel Discussion, moderated by Jean-Christophe Eloy, CEO and founder of Yole Développement, is entitled “From TSV Technology to Final Products – What Business for 3D Smart Systems ?” Panelists from AMKOR, Qualcomm, ams AG and AMD, will share their viewpoints on the 3D TSV market and the shift that many companies are beginning to make from 3D TSV technology development to the commercialization phase. Attendees can expect a lively discussion about the next big steps for the 3D-IC market.

The conference will be accompanied by a sold-out industry exhibition, featuring over 25 important industry players. Conference attendees will be invited to visit the exhibition during coffee and lunch breaks. In addition, the event will offer numerous opportunities for networking including a gala dinner and a one-on-one meeting service with dedicated private meeting spaces. With more than 125 companies planning to be present (including GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics, HP, Microsoft, AMD, Qualcomm, IBM, Infineon, AMKOR, ASE, NANIUM, Silex, XFAB, EVGroup, SPTS, and more…) the event promises to be a ripe ground for important professional meetings.

For more information about registration for the European 3D TSV Summit 2015 visit the event’s website:  www.semi.org/European3DTSVSummit. For more information about the remaining sponsorship opportunities, contact Jérôme Boutant: [email protected]

InvenSense, Inc., a provider of intelligent sensor solutions, announced that since starting shipment of MEMS-based sensors in late 2006, it will reach 1 billion devices shipped in Q1 of calendar 2015. InvenSense additionally announced that, since being the world’s first manufacturer of a single chip 6-axis product family for the mobile, wearable, smart home, automotive, and industrial markets, will now surpass over five hundred million units shipped worldwide in Q1 CY15.

The market demand for ‘AlwaysOn’ sensing in consumer electronics has been growing at a rapid pace with the proliferation of premium smart phones. Yole Développement forecasts the MEMS Sensors industry is primed to grow from an estimated $13B in 2014, to $24B by 2019. InvenSense has a history of innovation, a strong patent portfolio, and has achieved numerous technological firsts, culminating in receiving its fourth prestigious award from the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) for the third consecutive year. Additionally, InvenSense was again ranked among the fastest growing semiconductor companies in Deloitte’s 2014 Technology Fast 500 List of Fastest Growing Companies in North America and market watcher IHS iSuppli named InvenSense one of “the top suppliers of motion sensors today.”

“Opportunities for InvenSense’s technology in imaging, motion, sound, and navigation continue to be strong,” said Behrooz Abdi, CEO and President, InvenSense, Inc. “We are pleased with the number of new customer products featuring InvenSense’s integrated 6-axis System on Chips (SoCs) including the strong and growing adoption into the Internet of Things (IoT) market, and we’re encouraged by the continuing validation of our Sensing Everything™ strategy.”

InvenSense is exhibiting in booth #35806 in South Hall 4 at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 6 – 9, 2015.