Tag Archives: letter-pulse-business

By Mike Russo

For public policy lovers, civic-minded, engaged U.S. citizens, and people around the world interested in the U.S. President’s positions and priorities, the annual State of the Union address (SOTU) is “must-see TV.” This year, the anticipation and expectations were different than with past presidents. Trump is the first U.S. president who has used social media to the extreme that he has. Indeed, his Twitter feed is the most followed in history.

President Trump’s prolific Twitter feed has had an interesting impact on the SOTU. U.S. citizens and people from around the world already know President Trump’s positions on issues, his policy priorities and what gets him excited. There is an ongoing, direct line to the President’s thoughts throughout each and every day. In the past we looked to the SOTU for insights into what the sitting president is really thinking and his future policy priorities. Now, there isn’t much we don’t already know.

One looming question this year was whether President Trump would reach out in a conciliatory manner to help bridge the political divide and lay the groundwork to enable some public policy wins and avoid another government shutdown. While there were moments of conciliation, the President made it clear he would not move on areas that are most contentious with the other side of the aisle.

For example, the President unequivocally reiterated his intent to build “the wall.” While the message plays well to his base, it is, in effect, a frontal assault and challenge to Democrats. It’s hard to image that his staunch stance will help move the two parties to work together on substantive policy issues. It may also mean that the “wall” issue will occupy lawmakers time for the foreseeable future, sidelining debate on other important issues.

The best hope is that a bipartisan bill finds its way to the President’s desk that he can sign and use to “declare victory.” However, many political observers believe the likelihood of the President declaring a national security emergency is rising as a maneuver to ensure funding for “the wall” and avoid a shutdown. While such a declaration would most likely face a court challenge, the President could claim that his decision was a move of last resort and leverage the moment to position Democrats as obstructionists to his base. The scenario does not bode well for the bipartisan support necessary to address other issues.

What does this mean for our industry? Were there any points raised in the SOTU that would signal a change in what we are facing regarding trade, tariffs, export controls and immigration? Were any new issues or ideas raised that could help lift the global economy? In short, no. On one hand, the President cited his good relationship with the president of China, but on the other doubled down on his attacks on China, seeming to stand firm to bolster his position at the table as the U.S. and China trade talks continue.

What do these dynamics mean for SEMI Global Advocacy? In 2018 we were heavily engaged in efforts to prevent regulations that would inhibit our members’ ability to develop and deploy technologies and maintain global market access. We advanced our global advocacy model, leveraging our regional presence around the world. Many of the potential issues we faced emanated from the U.S., including those focused on controlling technology development, limiting trade and enhancing export controls. We also intensified our efforts to address industry talent pipeline issues.

In 2019, our public policy focus will be to continue to push back on tariffs, engage members to inform the rule-making process for export controls and to attempt to influence the immigration debate as it pertains to access to talent. In addition, while the U.S. R&D tax credit was made permanent through the tax cut in 2017, some of the provisions may have unintended consequences and will need to be modified. How the law is enacted will affect how businesses can deduct qualified research and development and other expenses from their taxable income, so we anticipate activity on the tax front as well.

It will also be a big year for SEMI on the workforce developmentfront. SEMI will continue to grow its existing High Tech U (HTU), university and mentor programs. In addition, SEMI will be positioning itself as the global leader in addressing issues related to the talent pipeline by approaching the problem with a full-spectrum, holistic approach that is intended to better address more immediate needs in attracting, training and retaining qualified talent. We’ll also focus on improving the industry image and exciting students at a younger age by providing experiential learning activities throughout a defined educational pathway. Stay tuned on this front as the full program unfolds.

In general, we will continue to build our relationships and stature as a leading voice for our members and the end-to-end semiconductor supply chain in the areas of “Talent, Trade, Tax and Technology” (SEMI’s “4 Ts”) and to ensure free and fair trade, access to markets, supply chain growth, IP protections and enhanced efforts to improve cybersecurity.

Mike Russo is VP of Global Industry Advocacy at SEMI. 

Source: SEMI Blog

Maryam Cope joins SIA

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced Maryam Cope has joined the association as government affairs director. In this role, Cope will help advance the U.S. semiconductor industry’s key legislative and regulatory priorities related to semiconductor research and technology, high-skilled immigration, and product security, among others. She also will serve as a senior representative of the industry before Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.

“The U.S. semiconductor industry is at the heart of the technologies driving America’s economic strength, national security, and global technology leadership,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Maryam Cope’s impressive skills and extensive experience in the tech policy arena make her an ideal advocate for semiconductor industry priorities in Washington. We’re excited to welcome her to the SIA team and look forward to her help advancing initiatives that promote growth and innovation in our industry and strengthen the U.S. economy.”

Cope most recently served as managing partner of GoldsteinCope Policy Solutions, a public policy consulting firm focused on technology issues. Prior to that role, she led the creation of a tech-policy practice at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, positioning the industry as a leading voice on tech policy related to consumer issues. Cope also served as director of government affairs at the Information Technology Industry Council, helping to guide the association’s advocacy efforts on cybersecurity, encryption, and supply chain security.

Cope began her career on the staff of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and later served as professional staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, serving a key role in drafting science, innovation, and cybersecurity legislation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northwestern University and a graduate certificate from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Women Leaders.

Leveraging respective leadership technologies in sensors and IoT connectivity, Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT) and Telink Semiconductor are announcing a partnership to create connected and integrated sensor platforms for IoT applications. These platforms enable a wide variety of IoT use cases, such as environmental sensing, health and fitness monitoring, connected smart buildings, as well as asset identification, position and location tracking.

IDT plans to release the new Bluetooth Low Energy 5 module featuring Telink’s 32-bit microcontroller core with better power-balanced performance for battery-operated devices. The Bluetooth module has an integrated 2.4GHz RF transceiver supporting the IEEE802.15.4 multi-standard wireless protocol along with audio support.

“We are excited about Telink’s technology and how it will augment our existing sensor technology and connectivity platform,” said Sailesh Chittipeddi, IDT’s executive vice president for global operations and chief technology officer. “With this partnership, we will be able to address markets together that we weren’t fully capable of with our standalone solutions.”

“IDT’s integrated sensors and applications combined with Telink’s third generation, ultra-low power connectivity ICs – specifically designed to enable cost sensitive applications – give high-performance options without compromise to connected sensing product designers,” said Jim Wargnier, global VP of sales for Telink Semiconductor. “We look forward to pushing the boundaries with IDT on this exciting platform.”

Critical subsystems for the IC equipment market continued to grow to a new record of $11 billion in 2018. While 2019 is expected to be a downturn year, the long-term outlook remains unchanged with an average growth rate of 3 percent.

Last year may have been a new high for revenues, but it will be remembered as a year of two parts: record quarterly revenues in Q1, followed by rapidly falling orders in Q3 and Q4. Normally, this would not be a problem as suppliers are used to managing volatility in their businesses. However, encouraged by solid end market drivers and optimistic customers, the timing of this downturn was particularly bad as it coincided with the addition of significant new manufacturing capacity for critical subsystems that will be needed to supply the industry into the next decade. The resulting step change in costs against the backdrop of falling revenues has put strain on the financials of these suppliers. Although current visibility is poor, the order decline appears to be stabilising and the worst is nearly over. Revenues are expected to recover in the second half of 2019 followed by a promising outlook for the following three years.

Critical Subsystems for IC equipment history and forecast to 2022. After a pause in 2019, the trend is expected to continue to reach new industry records.

Suppliers of subsystems used in vacuum process tools, such as deposition and etch, have benefited the most from critical subsystems growth since 2012. Vacuum intensity of semiconductor processing continues to grow and in 2018 the value of vacuum process tools exceeded the value of non-vacuum process tools for the first time. This trend is expected to continue with vacuum based semiconductor process equipment accounting for over 60 percent of wafer fab equipment revenues by 2023.

In summary, 2019 is expected to be down 10 percent to 20 percent as the industry digests the recent large additions to semiconductor manufacturing capacity, followed by a new cycle starting in 2020.

Julian West is a technical and marketing analyst at VLSI Research Europe.

Source: SEMI Blog

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that IBM (NYSE: IBM), a long-time anchor tenant at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Albany, plans to invest over $2 billion to grow its high-tech footprint at the campus and throughout New York State. This includes the establishment of an “AI Hardware Center” at SUNY Poly for artificial intelligence-focused computer chip research, development, prototyping, testing and simulation. Once established, the AI Hardware Center will be the nucleus of a new ecosystem of research and commercial partners, and further solidify the Capital Region’s position as “Tech Valley” – a global hub for innovative research and development.

“New York has always been at the forefront of emerging industries, and this private sector investment to create a hub for artificial intelligence research will attract world-class minds and drive economic growth in the region,” Governor Cuomo said. “Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform how we live and how businesses operate, and this partnership with IBM will help ensure New York continues to be on the cutting edge developing innovative technologies.”

“This investment by IBM will continue to grow New York’s high-tech industry in the Capital Region and across the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “The artificial intelligence hardware center will expand research and partnerships at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and ensure Tech Valley attracts innovative business and development that drives economic development in the region.”

IBM’s expected $2 billion investment will be made at SUNY Poly and other IBM facilities in New York State. IBM plans to provide at least $30 million in cash and in-kind contributions for artificial intelligence research across the SUNY system, with SUNY matching up to $25 million for a combined total of $55 million. Empire State Development will provide a $300 million capital grant over five years, to the Research Foundation for SUNY to purchase, own and install tools necessary to support the AI Hardware Center.

IBM also plans to expand and extend its partnership with SUNY Poly for the Center for Semiconductor Research (CSR), which is set to expire at the end of 2021, through at least 2023, with an option to extend the CSR for an additional five years through 2028.

The AI Hardware Center will attract new AI industry companies and federal research to the state, while fostering economic development and working to create several hundred new jobs and retain hundreds of other existing jobs at the SUNY Poly campus and at IBM’s and its collaborators’ facilities.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Swedish silicon carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturer Norstel AB. After closing, ST will control the entire supply chain for a portion of its SiC devices at a time of constrained global capacity and positions itseIf for a significant growth opportunity.

ST will acquire 55% of Norstel’s share capital, with an option to acquire the remaining 45% subject to certain conditions, which, if exercised, will result in total consideration of $137.5 million, funded with available cash.

“ST is the only semiconductor company with automotive-grade silicon carbide in mass production today. We want to build on our strong momentum in SiC, both in volume and breadth of applications for industrial and automotive, targeting continued leadership in a market estimated at more than $3 billion in 2025,” said Jean-Marc Chery, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics. “The acquisition of a majority stake in Norstel is another step forward strengthening our silicon carbide ecosystem: it will boost our flexibility, improve yield and quality, and support our long-term silicon carbide roadmap and business.”

Norstel, headquartered in Norrkoping, Sweden, was founded in 2005 as a spinoff of Linköping University. It develops and manufactures advanced 150mm silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers.

Mentor, a Siemens business, today announced that artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor innovator Graphcore (Bristol, U.K.) successfully met its silicon test requirements and achieved rapid test bring-up on its Colossus Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU) by using Mentor’s Tessent™ product family.

Graphcore’s recently announced Colossus IPU targets machine intelligence training and inference in datacenters. The first-of-its-kind device lowers the cost of accelerating AI applications in cloud and enterprise datacenters, while increasing the performance of both training and inference by up to 100x compared to the fastest systems today.

Graphcore required a DFT solution that could reduce the cost and time challenges associated with testing the Colossus IPU’s novel architecture and exceptionally large design. Integrating 23.6 billion transistors and more than a thousand IPU cores, Colossus is one of the largest processors ever fabricated.

Mentor’s Tessent is the market leading DFT solution, helping companies achieve higher test quality, lower test cost and faster yield ramps. The register-transfer level (RTL)-based hierarchical DFT foundation in Tessent features an array of technologies specifically suited to address the implementation and pattern generation challenges of AI chip architectures.

Graphcore leveraged these capabilities and the Tessent SiliconInsight integrated silicon bring-up environment on Graphcore’s Colossus IPU to meet its test requirements, while minimizing cycle time for DFT implementation, pattern generation, verification and silicon validation.

“We used Mentor’s fully automated Tessent platform for our series of initial silicon parts, together with an all-Mentor DFT flow, allowing us to ship fully tested and validated parts within the first week,” said Phil Horsfield, vice president of Silicon at Graphcore. “We were able to have Logic BIST, ATPG and Memory BIST up and running in under three days. This was way ahead of schedule.”

Research firm IBS, Inc. estimates that AI-related applications consumed $65 billion (USD) of processing technology last year, growing at an 11.5 percent annual rate and significantly outpacing other segments. This processing demand has until now been supplied by microprocessors not fully optimized for high AI workloads. To meet this growing demand while significantly lowering computational cost, more than 70 companies have announced plans to create new processing architectures based on massive parallelism and specialized for AI workloads.

“Hardware acceleration for AI is now a very competitive and rapidly evolving market. As a result, fast time to market is a leading concern for this segment,” said Brady Benware, senior marketing director for the Tessent product family at Mentor, a Siemens business. “Companies participating in this market are choosing Tessent because its RTL-based hierarchical DFT approach provides extremely efficient test implementation for massively parallel architectures, and Tessent’s SiliconInsight debug and characterization capabilities eliminate costly delays during silicon bring-up.”

SEMI, the global industry association serving the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today announced the appointment of John Chong, vice president of product and business development at MEMS manufacturer Kionix, as Governing Council chair of the SEMI-MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (SEMI-MSIG), a SEMI Strategic Association Partner. The Council provides guidance and oversight for SEMI-MSIG’s strategic direction and initiatives.

As chairman, Dr. Chong, a member of the SEMI-MSIG Governing Council since 2015, will work to advance the interests of the MEMS and sensors community globally and drive its expansion. Spurred by surging growth in smartphones, smart speakers, autonomous cars, and fitness and healthcare wearables, the global market for MEMS and sensors is expected to double in the next five years, reaching $100 billion by 2023, according to Yole Développement, a market research firm.

“John’s technical expertise and industry insights have been great assets to SEMI-MSIG,” said Michael Ciesinski, vice president of Technology Communities at SEMI. “We are pleased that he will now focus his leadership on programs designed to deepen industry collaboration, drive innovation, and seize the tremendous market opportunity that lies ahead. Further, as we make this leadership transition, SEMI gratefully acknowledges the many contributions of our past chair, Dave Kirsch, vice president and general manager of EV Group.”

Among other achievements, Kirsch led the successful integration of MSIG with SEMI in 2016.

Dr. Chong brings to the chair rich industry experience. He leads Kionix’s growing portfolio of sensors and oversees its Software and Solutions Development Center. Before joining Kionix in 2006, Dr. Chong led the development of optical MEMS at Calient Networks. He holds multiple patents and has spoken extensively at industry conferences about the role of sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT). Dr. Chong earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Cornell University, where he worked on novel techniques for the design and manufacturing of Microfludic MEMS.

“I am excited by the central role MEMS and sensors will play in the age of IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and autonomous agents,” Dr. Chong said. “With collaboration and coordination within the industry critical to its prosperity, SEMI-MSIG is key in providing the vision, resources and platform necessary to enable innovation and get business done.”

SEMI has also appointed Becky Oh, president and CEO of PNI Sensors, as SEMI-MSIG vice-chair. During her 20 years at PNI Sensors, Oh has held a range of senior-level positions, from operations to technical business development, and spearheaded the company’s entrance into the IoT market. She received an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.

The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) today announced a number of technical updates leading to best-in-class 300mm silicon (Si) photonics-based multi-project wafer (MPW) performance for the Department of Defense-sponsored initiative led by SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly). Complementing these developments, AIM Photonics’ Si photonics process design kit (PDK) continues to advance, enabling industry-leading performance as a result of AIM Photonics’ library of both active and passive high-performance photonic components, as well as interfaces, schematics, and models for the development of optical modules and systems.

“AIM Photonics is proud to continue to provide the most advanced capabilities to this growing industry, which is critical to our national technological and economic strength. Our best-in-class MPW offerings are a testament to our deep bench of experts and collaborators who support our more than 100 signed partners and other interested collaborators,” said Dr. Michael Liehr, AIM Photonics CEO and SUNY Polytechnic Institute Executive Vice President for Innovation and Technology. “Combined with our recent announcement that our Multi-Project Wafer processing time has decreased from 130 days in 2016 to fewer than 90 days, AIM Photonics remains focused on achieving impactful, world-class quality and repeatability to drive development and commercialization of the advanced technologies that will shape our world.”

AIM Photonics’ superior MPW performance is the result of new, ultra low-loss waveguides, featuring attenuation that is less than .25 and .10 dB/cm for 220nm silicon and 220nm silicon nitride (SiN), respectively, in addition to around 1dB/facet edge coupler for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. With only 90-day fabrication time for full actives to be processed on 300mm silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers, and using the same toolset that produces 14nm and smaller circuits, these capabilities also enable easy transfer to similar high-volume equipped foundries if needed.

The MPW also features fusion bonding of the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and an active interposer to allow for the entire design area to be utilized for photonics or metal routing, in addition to lasers that can be soldered into pockets and deep trenches for coupling. As part of AIM Photonics’ MPW offering, its passive interposer also features a 100µm-thick Si substrate with a through-silicon-via (TSV) SiN waveguide with three front-side and one back-side metal wiring levels, in addition to pockets for laser and PIC chips, which can be flip chip soldered in deep trenches for edge or evanescent fiber coupling.

With a comprehensive set of silicon PIC component libraries and by leveraging SUNY Poly’s process capabilities, AIM Photonics’ PDK now consists of more than 50 reliable photonics components, including passive components such as waveguides, edge couplers, and layer transitions, in addition to active devices such as C, C+L, and O Band photodetectors; microdisk switches and modulators; thermo-optic phase shifters and switches; and variable optical attenuators, among others, that are verified by top university and industry experts. Combined with data that can be obtained from a 14nm toolset to validate designs, this information can also help those working with AIM Photonics to achieve top-tier performance.

Key features of the latest AIM Photonics Analog Photonics/SUNY PDK include:

  • O Band modulation, detection and coupling support.
  • C+L Band modulation, detection, filtering, switching, monitoring and coupling support.
  • Single-level and Multi-level modulation format support at 50Gbps, namely NRZ and PAM-4.
  • Continued multi-vendor Electronics-Photonics-Design-Automation (EPDA) support with integrated EPDA PDK flow for hierarchical design and system-level simulation.

The combined PDK and MPW offering provides unmatched access for all customers[1] to PIC systems, especially for small to medium-size companies that desire a reduction in the time to market, as well as lower product development risk and investment. By incorporating the design, verification, and process development within the PDK, such companies are able to quickly and efficiently modify their designs as they simultaneously reduce their cost per gigabit.

“Companies operating within the integrated photonics space face a number of challenges as they seek to provide cost-effective, high-quality products. With AIM Photonics’ continually updated PDK, as well as our best-in-class, cost-effective MPW that offers a broad component library, we are thrilled to assist the industry, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises, with the capabilities and technical expertise they require to provide innovative and timely solutions to current technological challenges,” said Dr. Douglas Coolbaugh, AIM Photonics COO and SUNY Polytechnic Institute Associate VP for Photonics Development.

AIM Photonics will also be offering new incentives to parties interested in the most recent upcoming MPW runs. These incentives will be available at the AIM Photonics Booth #4425 Hall EF (North) during Photonics West 2019 in San Francisco, CA, February 5th – 7th or can be requested from AIM Photonics by contacting the MPW team at [email protected].

AIM Photonics is leveraging SUNY Poly’s state-of-the-art facilities for three total full-build/passive MPW runs that incorporate the latest PDK, with on-demand Active/Passive PIC; Passive PIC; Passive Interposer; and Active Interposer MPW runs scheduled throughout 2019. To ensure space for all interested parties, AIM Photonics is accepting reservations for these MPW runs; those interested in participating should contact[email protected]. Interested parties can also sign up for the 2019 runs by visiting the AIM Photonics’ website at the following link: http://www.aimphotonics.com/mpw-schedule/. PDK and MPW fab access is solely available through the AIM Photonics MPW aggregator, MOSIS. Please contact MOSIS for access to the most current PDK version release at the following link: www.mosis.com/vendors/view/AIM.

The intelliFLEX Innovation Alliance announced today that Mark Majewski, a 30-year veteran of the Canadian technology industry and former geographic director at a major semiconductor company, has succeeded Peter Kallai as CEO.

Mr. Majewski has extensive experience in the electronics and technology industries in Canada, having overseen the generation of hundreds of millions of dollars at STMicroelectronics while running its East Central U.S. and Canada regions. He’s also been a key leader at several startups, volunteers as a mentor at the RIC Centre and Haltech, and most recently was the technology lead for business development at Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

Mr. Majewski’s goal as CEO is to unite the growing critical mass of Canadian printable, flexible and hybrid electronics (FHE) companies and research with the country’s electronics and semiconductor industries. With his decades of technology experience, Mr. Majewski has the breadth of contacts, experience, and knowledge to successfully position intelliFLEX and its members alongside this massive industry.

“I’m honoured to have been named the next intelliFLEX CEO. I’ve taken this role because I believe in FHE and its future,” says Mr. Majewski. “All electronics players in Canada who want to expand their capabilities should be looking at this technology as it goes mainstream. Not only does FHE open the doors to new products and applications, it also has incredible value in augmenting and improving everyday electronics products that already exist.”

Indeed, as microelectronics and semiconductor companies hit the limits of Moore’s Law for integrated circuits, mainstream companies are searching for new ways to produce electronic components more efficiently for new and existing applications.

That’s where printable, flexible and hybrid electronics come in: FHE, which represents a $31.6B global market opportunity, uses next-generation additive and manufacturing electronics technologies that can help all electronics players in Canada. This strategy has already been embraced in the U.S. where a cross-pollination of mainstream electronics, FHE, and semiconductors is occurring.

“I’ve cherished the opportunity to work with intelliFLEX,” said outgoing CEO Peter Kallai, who founded intelliFLEX and will remain involved by supporting Mr. Majewski during the transition period and sitting on the board of directors. “However, what we need to do is move the organization into the mainstream electronics industry and be the rising tide of the ecosystem that lets all our members sail further, faster and easier.

“We needed a professional from that industry, with the right background, to do that. And I strongly believe Mark will take intelliFLEX to the next level.”

At the same time, intelliFLEX will also move its head office from Ottawa to the Greater Toronto Area. This will help the organization be physically closer to the heart of Canada’s electronics industry, of which the majority is located in Toronto. Seventy-five per cent of intelliFLEX members are in either Ontario or Quebec.