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nLIGHT, Inc., a U.S. company in high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers, today announced the appointment of Gary Locke to its board of directors effective immediately.

The experience that Locke brings will help nLIGHT continuing its growth and expansion, including the addition of key manufacturing jobs at its locations in Vancouver, Washington, and Hillsboro, Oregon. With more than $100 million in sales in 2016, the company has experienced over 30 percent growth, more than half of which comes in the form of U.S. exports.

“Gary’s broad experience in both the public and private sector will add a valuable perspective to our board of directors,” said Scott Keeney, co-founder and chief executive officer. “We are honored to have him serve as a director and look forward to benefiting from his judgment and counsel.”

As two-term Governor of Washington State from 1997 to 2005, Locke fostered economic relations between China and the state, helping to more than double Washington’s exports to China. Under his leadership, the State of Washingtonranked as one of the nation’s four best-managed states.

From 2009 to 2011, Locke served as Secretary of Commerce of the United States where he led export control reform effort that both strengthened national security and eased licensing burdens for high-tech exports to partners, allowing U.S. companies to be more competitive in the global market.

As U.S. Ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014, Locke worked to open markets for U.S.-made goods and services.

 

Since leaving public office, Locke has remained steadfastly committed to facilitating American business and trade. As legal counsel for the Seattle-based international law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, Locke currently consults clients on issues regarding international trade, regulatory and investment policies.

Locke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University.

“I am excited to join the board of nLIGHT,” said Locke. “nLIGHT has a long track record of innovation in lasers and is well positioned for continued strong growth in global markets.”

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $2.27 billion in billings worldwide in July 2017 (three-month average basis), according to the July Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Billings Report published today by SEMI.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide billings of North American equipment manufacturers in July 2017 was $2.27 billion. The billings figure is 1.4 percent lower than the final June 2017 level of $2.30 billion, and is 32.8 percent higher than the July 2016 billings level of $1.71 billion.

“We observed softening in the equipment billings in July following the strong surge in the first half of the year,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “However, overall, equipment billings remain significantly up year-over-year, with 2017 on-track to be a record spending year.”

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

Billings
(3-mo. avg)
Year-Over-Year
February 2017
$1,974.0
63.9%
March 2017
$2,079.7
73.7%
April 2017
$2,136.4
46.3%
May 2017
$2,270.5
41.8%
June 2017 (final)
$2,300.3
34.1%
July 2017 (prelim)
$2,268.4
32.8%

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), August 2017

Silego Technology today announced shipping three billion units since its introduction of the pioneering Configurable Mixed-signal ICs (CMICs). In addition, Silego announced it shipped more than one hundred million units in the month of July.

Silego created not only the world’s first family of Configurable Mixed-signal ICs but also enabled a paradigm shift for designers. Reaching these dual milestones are further validation of the Configurable Mixed-signal IC category and how enthusiastically customers have embraced this novel approach to Mixed-signal design for volume applications.

John Teegen, Silego’s CEO, remarked, “Reaching these milestones was made possible by the innovative Silego team and our dedicated manufacturing and channel partners. It also demonstrates the trust our customers have put in Silego’s world-class operations team to get them to market quickly with quality and volume.”

Mike Noonen, Silego’s VP of WW Sales and Business Development added, “Over the past year, we have grown our business with existing customers and introduced CMICs to many new customers. These customers have discovered Silego’s clever combination of analog, digital, Non-Volatile Memory and software tools and are benefiting from a better way to design, prototype and go to production.”

Silego’s CMICs use Non-Volatile Memory to configure each device and integrate analog, digital logic, and power functions, which allows design engineers to eliminate traditional standard linear, passive and discrete components from their system. CMICs enable original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, in high-volume applications to cost-effectively deliver their products to market faster and with greater design flexibility.

Since the introduction of the CMIC, Silego has developed five generations of CMIC silicon and design tools.

Recently Silego announced the new SLG46580, further expanding the GreenPAK™ (GPAK) family of Configurable Mixed-signal Integrated Circuits (CMICs). This newest GPAK is targeted to support power systems in wearable and handheld market segments. This device is both highly integrated and highly flexible, and can provide a rich set of features, including voltage monitoring, power sequencing, reset functions and low drop-out regulators (LDOs), that are configurable in settings and interconnect. This device is the second in the series of parts designed to create “Flexible Power Islands” (FPI).

 

 

 

LTX-Credence shipped the 600th PAx test system to Skyworks Solutions, Inc., an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors connecting people, places and things. The PAx platform has been specifically designed to address the high volume manufacturing test challenges of suppliers of advanced front end RF devices such as Multiband RF Power amplifiers, RF Front End Modules, RF Analog System in Package and RF discrete devices. The PAx platform is shipped in two main configurations, PAx and PAx-ac, which are deployed at most IDM, Fabless and OSAT companies specializing in the high volume manufacturing and test of these types of devices.

“Our goal with the PAx platform was to offer semiconductor manufacturers of RF front end devices an alternative to deploying their own in house test systems.” Steve Wigley, Vice President of the semiconductor tester group of Xcerra, commented: “Our approach was to leverage LTX-Credence RF manufacturing test technology and use our systems expertise to package it in a compact footprint to offer the required levels of performance, fast test times and operational availability. The shipment of the 600th of these test systems demonstrates the value of this approach, and has established the PAx platform as the clear market leader for testing RF front end applications with an estimated market share greater than 70%”.

The popularity of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs and smartphones has boosted not only the OLED display market but also the OLED encapsulation materials market. According to IHS Markit(Nasdaq: INFO),  the OLED encapsulation materials market is expected to grow 4.7 percent in 2017 compared to a year ago, to $117 million.

“The market is forecast to grow even faster as Chinese and South Korean panel makers have aggressively invested in new OLED fabs, resulting in the increase in OLED shipments in terms of area,” said Richard Son, senior analyst at IHS Markit. In particular, South Korean Chinese panel makers recently announced new OLED fab investment plans for not only Gen 6 but also Gen 8.5 and even for Gen 10.5.

As a result of the investment, the OLED encapsulation materials market is forecast to reach $232.5 million by 2021, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 16 percent from 2017.

OLED_encapsulation_materials_market_forecast

Unlike thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), OLED displays require encapsulation as the organic elements are vulnerable to moisture. The OLED encapsulation materials can be categorized into metal, frit glass, thin-film encapsulation (TFE) and hybrid.

The metal type is expected to lead the market in terms of revenue because it is mainly used for OLED TVs whose growth is fastest. However, with Chinese smartphone brands releasing a wide range of new products with OLED panels, demand for frit glass encapsulation materials, which are currently applied to smartphones with rigid-OLED displays, will remain steady, though losing its market share.

According to the AMOLED Encapsulation Materials Report 2017 by IHS Markit, in terms of revenue, metal type encapsulation is expected to account for 50 percent and the frit glass type to take 43 percent in 2017, and 67 percent and 23 percent in 2021, respectively.

OLED_encapsulation_market_share_forecast_by_technology

“Hybrid encapsulation, which combines TFE with a barrier film, has high production cost and its flexibility is limited, and thus demand for the hybrid type will not increase significantly,” Son said. “However, the latecomers are focusing on the hybrid encapsulation as it has a lower technological entry barrier compared to TFE, allowing them to succeed in mass production faster than when using TFE.”

From a mid- and long-term perspective, the hybrid encapsulation materials market will continue to grow for a while. TFE and the hybrid type are expected to take 6 percent and 1 percent of the encapsulation materials revenue market in 2017, respectively, but they will grow to reach 7 percent and 3.5 percent respectively in 2021.

The AMOLED Encapsulation Materials Report 2017 by IHS Markit provides information about the entire range of OLED encapsulation materials shipments by technology and application, including five-year forecast. Latest industry trends, including new technology development trends, are also updated.

The SEMI Foundation today announced that it will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of partnership with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) on August 22-23 in Latham, New York at the NYSUT headquarters.  The Foundation and NYSUT will culminate a two-day SEMI High Tech U program for teachers on Wednesday, August 23rd with a reception recognizing industry instructors from Applied Materials and KLA-Tencor for leadership in volunteerism and STEM education.

The SEMI Foundation’s acclaimed STEM program, SEMI High Tech U – Teacher Edition has reached more than 600 teachers in upstate New York since 2007.  The two-day teacher program provides industry led, hands-on activities and curriculum that teachers can take back to the classroom in addition to unique opportunities to network with high-tech industry professionals.  Teachers-turned-students also tour the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering for a first-hand look at how relevant STEM skills are utilized in a high-tech workplace.  This fall, the teachers’ new knowledge will be passed along to their students in the classroom. A retrospective survey of past SEMI High Tech U teacher participants showed that 95 percent of teachers who attend SEMI High Tech U – Teacher Edition gain an increased understanding of the relevance of STEM skills in today’s workplace.

This year’s program at NYSUT is supported by Applied Materials, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and KLA-Tencor.

Leslie Tugman, executive director of the SEMI Foundation, states, “NYSUT is a premier model of how education and industry partnerships can work together for the benefit of all in their region.  Through NYSUT’s High Tech U programs for teachers, we have exponentially reached thousands of students to help fill the high-tech talent pipeline.”

All SEMI High Tech U modules are taught by industry professionals and two legacy volunteer instructors, Vincent Villaume of Applied Materials and Jeff Barnum of KLA-Tencor, will be honored at a reception at NYSUT on August 23.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, today released the following statement from President & CEO John Neuffer in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to set in motion a process led by the United States Trade Representative to investigate China’s unfair trade practices.

“The U.S. semiconductor industry stands ready to work with the Trump Administration to protect American intellectual property and critical technology from theft or forced transfer in foreign markets.

“Intellectual property is the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry. Semiconductors are America’s fourth-largest export and underpin the entire economy. U.S. semiconductor companies invest nearly one-fifth of their revenue in research and development to stay at the forefront of innovation, and they should be able to compete in foreign markets without putting their critical IP at risk.

“While China is an important part of the global semiconductor value chain, SIA has long raised concerns about market-distorting aspects of its state-led industrial policy – such as forced technology transfer practices – that disadvantage U.S. companies and imperil their IP. A balanced, fair, objective, and thorough investigation aimed at ensuring that China meets its global trading obligations and that market forces determine competitive outcomes will be helpful to address these market-access issues.  

“The U.S. semiconductor industry looks forward to working with the Administration to address these challenges. Further, we expect this review will seek to find solutions consistent with international trading obligations and help ensure lasting American leadership in semiconductor technology.”

The global semiconductor advanced packaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% during the period 2017-2021, according to the “Global Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Market 2017-2021” report by Research and Markets.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is changes in wafer size. The semiconductor industry has seen a drastic transition in wafer size over the last five decades (1910-2016). The industry is focusing on producing larger diameter wafers, which is expected to cut down the manufacturing cost by 20%-25%.

According to the report, one of the other major drivers for this market is complex semiconductor IC designs. The number of features and functionalities offered by consumer electronic devices is on the rise as electronic device manufacturers look to differentiate their offerings from those of competitors.

Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is rapid technological changes. The rapid technological advancements in wafer processing have always been a major challenge faced by vendors in the semiconductor advanced packaging market. The semiconductor industry is continuously seeing transitions, such as the miniaturization of nodes and the increase in wafer sizes with respect to ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) fabrication technology.

Vacuum pumps, pressure gauges and vacuum valves combined make up the biggest expense on the bill of materials for semiconductor OEMs. In 2016, just over $1.9 billion of vacuum subsystems were consumed by the semiconductor industry and more than half were supplied by European vendors, according to VLI Research.

Vacuum-Subsystem-image1

Vacuum subsystems sales account for one third of expenditures on all critical subsystems used on semiconductor manufacturing equipment (excluding optical subsystems). The increase in vacuum process intensity of the semiconductor industry means that by 2022, the market for vacuum subsystems could be up to 62 percent higher than today’s value of $1.9 billion, reaching a market size of $3.1 billion.

The growing number of vacuum process steps has been driven by multiple patterning and the successful introduction of 3D NAND. Both require additional deposition and etch steps and, in the case of 3D NAND, longer and more difficult etch processes. On the negative side, this has increased costs for chipmakers and is driving the adoption of Extreme Ultraviolet lithography (EUV) which reduces the reliance on multiple patterning. However, even with EUV (which is a vacuum process), the number of deposition and etch steps are still expected to increase, albeit at a lower rate. This explains why the forecast is for sales of vacuum subsystems to outgrow the market over the next five years.

Vacuum-Subsystem-image2

The top five vacuum subsystem suppliers account for 68 percent of the market and is dominated by four European based vendors. In 2016, over 58 percent of all vacuum subsystems were sold by European companies and is a reflection of the European origins of vacuum technology. The Japanese vendors as a group make up 21 percent of the total while North American vendors supply 16 percent.

There is a push for more localisation of vacuum subsystem supply especially in Korea and China but to date this has not resulted in a serious local supplier emerging to challenge the incumbents. The strong hold that Europeans and Japanese have on the technology mean that we are unlikely to see any meaningful regional shifts in supply in the foreseeable future.

The expectation is that vacuum subsystems suppliers will continue to make a valuable contribution to semiconductor manufacturing over the long-term as the trend for more vacuum process steps continues.

NanoString Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:NSTG), a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, and Lam Research Corporation (Nasdaq:LRCX), a global supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop NanoString’s proprietary Hyb & Seq next-generation sequencing platform.

This collaboration brings together NanoString’s proprietary sequencing chemistry and Lam’s expertise in advanced systems engineering to enable nanoscale manufacturing, with the goal of building a clinical sequencer with the simplest workflow in the industry. The objectives of the collaboration are to complete the development of the Hyb & Seq single molecule sequencing chemistry, design and engineer a clinical sequencing instrument, develop clinical assay panels, and secure the necessary regulatory approvals.  In addition, the companies intend to explore methods for coupling the sequencing chemistry with advanced semiconductor fabrication processes to optimize the performance of molecular profiling platforms.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Lam will provide up to $50 million of funding intended to cover the costs of development and regulatory approval over a development period expected to last approximately three years, as well as advanced engineering and technical support. Lam will receive a warrant to purchase one million shares of NanoString common stock at $16.75 per share, as well as a royalty on all products developed under the collaboration. NanoString retains all rights to commercialize the resulting Hyb & Seq products, and the parties will share ownership rights in jointly developed intellectual property.

“We are excited to collaborate with Lam Research, in a partnership that brings together leading innovators in our respective fields,” said Brad Gray, NanoString’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “By combining our Hyb & Seq technology with Lam’s advanced engineering expertise, we intend to fully resource the development of the industry’s simplest clinical sequencer, and enable open-ended innovation at the intersection of semiconductors and genomics.”

“Our vision is to create value from natural technology extensions, including nanoscale applications enablement, chemistry, plasma, fluidics, and advanced systems engineering,” stated Martin Anstice, Lam Research’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited to collaborate with NanoString to advance the development of their novel Hyb & Seq system and chemistry to meet the challenge of increasing our understanding of human genetics, and we envision a number of strategic benefits by aligning our complementary respective strengths. This is a compelling opportunity for the whole to be significantly greater than the sum of its parts; it is an accelerator of enablement and value for both companies.”