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Air Products (NYSE:  APD) today announced it will increase nitrogen production to serve the growing demand of its existing customer in Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is Air Products’ second phase of capacity expansion to supply the semiconductor fab.

Air Products was awarded a major contract in 2015 for the supply of its industrial bulk gases and bulk specialty gas supply system. The company is undertaking a multi-phase expansion project involving multiple ultra high-purity nitrogen plants, hydrogen generators and a liquefier. In this phase, a second nitrogen plant will be built.

“We are pleased to bring additional nitrogen capacity to the semiconductor fab to support its  increasing demand,” said Kyo-Yung Kim, president of Air Products Korea. “Our latest expansion represents Air Products’ commitment to growing together with customers in the expanding region through continued investment. It will put us in an even stronger position to deliver our safe and reliable industrial gas solutions in a very cost-effective way.”

An integrated gases supplier for the global electronics industry, Air Products has more than 40 years of experience in the safe and reliable delivery of gases to a variety of markets, including some of the world’s biggest technology companies. Air Products is working with these industry leaders to develop the next generation of semiconductors and displays for tablets, computers and mobile devices.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) today announced that Clarivate Analytics, formerly the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters, has listed NXP in its highly anticipated list of 2016 Top 100 Global Innovators. The report honors the most innovative corporations and institutions in the world determined by analyzing proprietary data including volume and success rates of patents, global reach and invention influence.

NXP was selected, among other attributes, for its strong patent portfolio, which currently includes more than 9,000 patent families. In 2016 alone, the company was granted nearly 1,700 individual national patents and nearly 5,000 other national patent applications are in progress. The impressive volume of patent activity truly reflects the magnitude and scope of the innovative products that NXP brings to market, as well as its strength and leadership in the electronics industry. An example of this innovation can be seen in NXP’s recent product announcements at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Jan 4-8, 2017).

“Creating secure connections for the smarter world starts with true innovation and a passion for changing lives through technology – it’s in our DNA,” said Richard Clemmer, CEO of NXP Semiconductors. “We believe that our place in this list is the result of the continuing efforts of R&D, our dedicated engineers, and the teams responsible for actively endorsing our IP in the marketplace. I am very proud of what we have accomplished to date and thank Clarivate Analytics for this recognition.”

ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON) has announced a collaboration with Hexius Semiconductor to qualify several of their analog intellectual property (IP) blocks in its popular ONC18 0.18 µm CMOS process. The eight initial designs resulting from this collaboration include a variety of analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, voltage references and current references. There is provision, if needed, for the designs to be custom-tailored to match particular application demands. Further data converter and PLL designs are currently being developed for introduction later this year.

ON Semiconductor’s ONC18 process relies on a 0.18 micrometer (µm) CMOS architecture and due to its high voltage capabilities is extremely well suited to automotive, industrial, military and medical deployment. By having access to an expansive portfolio of qualified IP that supports this process, customers will be able to benefit from ASIC implementations that are highly optimized for their specific requirements, without needing to allocate too much of their own engineering resources to the task. As a result, much quicker design cycles, reduced risk of re-spins and lower associated costs can all be realized.

“The mixed signal ASIC market continues to grow as systems need to utilize the real-word data that is captured by sensors and user interface,” states Rocke Acree, Director of the Custom Foundry business unit at ON Semiconductor. “OEMs are looking to integrate more effective proprietary designs, rather than relying on standard off-the-shelf components. Through this, performance levels can be enhanced, board space saved and unit costs significantly lowered. By working together, ON Semiconductor and Hexius Semiconductor are delivering qualified analog IP needed to facilitate this migration and enabling a new era of mixed signal design.”

“Through the combination of the respective skill sets that our two companies possess, we are in a position to supply the industry with qualified analog IP macrocells on superior semiconductor processes that will deliver clear performance and logistical advantages. This will allow OEMs to respond more quickly to market opportunities that they have identified by taking products from the concept phase right through to full commercial production in the shortest possible time,” adds Chris Cavanagh, CEO at Hexius Semiconductor.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation (“MagnaChip”) (NYSE: MX), a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, today announced it was given the prestigious “2016 Best Supplier Award” by LG Display.

The “Best Supplier Award” is the highest possible level of recognition presented to a supplier by LG Display for delivering outstanding product quality.  MagnaChip’s achievement is notable because approximately 180 suppliers competed for the award.  This is the second consecutive year in which MagnaChip received a supplier award from LG Display.  Last year, MagnaChip was honored with LG Display’s “2015 Excellence Supplier Award”.

Korea-based LG Display each year honors key component suppliers that have demonstrated competence for both “zero-defective” products and “zero-accident” performance.  Of LG Display’s myriad suppliers, 15 are selected to receive the “Excellence Supplier Award” and the top five suppliers of the year are presented with the “Best Supplier Award”.  The “2016 Best Supplier Award” is presented at LG Display’s Annual Quality Festival, where LG Display employees and suppliers are recognized for quality-related achievements.

MagnaChip was selected to receive LG Display’s “2016 Best Supplier Award” in recognition of its achievement of delivering “zero-defective” products and “zero-accident” performance, in particular due to its cooperation with and significant contribution to LG Display’s ongoing efforts to improve manufacturing process stabilization and product competitiveness by building a high-level system of quality assurance.

“MagnaChip has been one of LG Display’s strongest and best partners, doing its best to control quality and maintain partnership this year,” said Mr. Deuk Jung Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the Quality Assurance Center at LG Display.  “We deeply appreciate MagnaChip for its concerted and cooperative efforts to improve LG Display’s manufacturing process stabilization and product competitiveness.”

“I am very pleased and excited that we were able to follow up our selection as the 2015 winner of LG Display’s ‘Excellence Supplier Award’ with the ‘Best Supplier Award’ in 2016, which is highest award given by LG Display to its suppliers,” said YJ Kim, CEO of MagnaChip Semiconductor.  Mr. Kim added, “Winning these awards from LG Display clearly shows our ongoing commitment to high quality standards and high levels of customer service, and also demonstrates the value of our technology leadership.  We will continue to strive to deliver the highest quality components to LG Display and to the consumers who use LG Display products.”

Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced it was named M2M Network Equipment Technology Company of the Year by the inaugural IoT Breakthrough Awards. The mission of the awards program is to honor excellence and recognize the creativity, hard work and success of Internet of Things (IoT) companies, technologies and products.

Microsemi was recognized for developing innovative products and solutions which enable both wired and wireless connectivity among devices in machine-to-machine (M2M) environments and enhance the ability of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop leading-edge solutions in emerging IoT markets. The company’s Ethernet and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) products enable faster market adaptation of new IoT applications, and its systems product portfolio provides unique solutions to M2M network challenges while offering cost-efficient and simple upgrade procedures.

“Microsemi is honored to be recognized by the IoT Breakthrough Awards as the first M2M Network Equipment Technology Company of the Year recipient,” said Roger Holliday, senior vice president and general manager at Microsemi. “Our team prides itself on our ability to tackle the most difficult challenges facing those in the IoT market as the industry addresses growing demand for reliable, efficient, scalable and cost-effective infrastructure.”

The IoT Breakthrough Awards program, which drew over 2,000 entries this year, is solely dedicated to providing recognition for the best products, people, services, technologies and companies focused on the IoT. All entries were judged by an independent panel of experts representing a range of mid to senior level experienced professionals, with hands-on experience in IoT product management and development, engineering, sales and marketing and more.

“Microsemi is a leading developer of technology that provides significant power to the infrastructure of industrial IoT,” said James Johnson, managing director at IoT Breakthrough. “The judges were particularly impressed with the company’s indoor and outdoor PoE solutions and its contribution to the highly scalable deployment of wireless LANs, mesh access points, small cells, IP cameras and microwave point-to-point links that support today’s innovative M2M applications.”

Atomera Incorporated (NASDAQ: ATOM), a semiconductor materials and intellectual property licensing company focused on deploying its proprietary technology into the semiconductor industry, today announced a master R&D service agreement with TSI Semiconductors, a specialty foundry with ISO, Automotive and Industrial Class Certifications. Atomera will leverage its significant investments in Mears Silicon Technology™ (MST®), and the manufacturing capability of TSI to accelerate fab integration and shorten time to market for its More-than-Moore architectural and material innovation.

“As a developer of advanced semiconductor materials, Atomera is constantly seeking to provide better electronic performance by enhancing transistors with our quantum engineered material innovations,” said Scott Bibaud, Atomera President and CEO. “Our foundry agreement with TSI significantly cuts fab cycle times, allowing for faster product development, test, and integration, and should accelerate our time to market with both existing and new customers. I could not be more excited by the dramatic improvement in development time our relationship with TSI allows.”

“TSI’s Technology Development Services are a perfect fit for cutting edge semiconductor technology companies like Atomera,” said Bruce Gray, Chief Executive Officer at TSI. “Their strong IP portfolio of new semiconductor materials such as MST®, combined with our 200mm fabrication capabilities and our focus on custom solutions and commercialization services, forms a partnership that showcases our capabilities and fast tracks Atomera’s development.”

This partnership allows Atomera to execute cycles of learning 5 to 10 times faster as compared to the engineering evaluation process experienced at foundries or integrated device manufacturers currently testing MST®. As a result, adoption of Atomera’s technology in the industry can be significantly accelerated. With MST® technology, manufacturers can address their yield, power and performance challenges at a fraction of the cost of alternative approaches. Atomera breathes new life into semiconductor fabs by providing up to a full node of performance benefits to existing fab processes enabling significantly better performance in today’s electronics. Atomera’s patented material technology enables more efficient and better controlled current flow, leading to dramatic improvements in device performance and power efficiency.

Atomera will be holding meetings with customers, analysts, media and investors during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (“CES”) January 5-7, 2017 in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel.

Intel has agreed to purchase a 15 percent ownership stake in HERE, a global provider of digital maps and location-based services, from HERE’s current indirect shareholders: AUDI AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG.

In conjunction with Intel’s acquisition of a stake in HERE, the two companies also signed an agreement to collaborate on the research and development of a highly scalable proof-of-concept architecture that supports real-time updates of high definition (HD) maps for highly and fully automated driving. Additionally, the two companies plan to jointly explore strategic opportunities that result from enriching edge-computing devices with location data.

“Cars are rapidly becoming some of the world’s most intelligent, connected devices,” said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. “We look forward to working with HERE and its automotive partners to deliver an important technology foundation for smart and connected cars of the future.”

“A real-time, self-healing and high-definition representation of the physical world is critical for autonomous driving, and achieving this will require significantly more powerful and capable in-vehicle compute platforms,” said Edzard Overbeek, HERE CEO. “As a premier silicon provider, Intel can help accelerate HERE’s ambitions in this area by supporting the creation of a universal, always up-to-date digital location platform that spans the vehicle, the cloud and everything else connected.”

The proof-of-concept architecture HERE and Intel plan to deliver will be designed to help make autonomous driving as safe and predictable as possible. For example, today’s navigation technology can pinpoint a car’s location to within meters, but next generation, HD mapping supports localization to within centimeters. This will help vehicles precisely position themselves on the roadway to enable reliable autonomous driving functionality. HERE HD Live Map, HERE’s cloud service supporting vehicle automation, gives vehicles the ability to “see” obstacles beyond their immediate field of vision and receive real-time updates as environments change due to traffic, road conditions and other factors.

Intel will also work with AUDI AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG to test the architecture. Intel and HERE envision making the architecture broadly available across the automotive industry as a seamlessly integrated offering that simplifies and shortens time of development for automakers.

Intel is positioned to provide a secure, flexible and scalable technology foundation for the future of autonomous driving from the vehicle to the data center. Intel’s assets span: high-performance and flexible, in-vehicle computing; robust cloud and machine-learning solutions; and high-speed wireless connectivity. In addition to furthering Intel’s efforts in autonomous driving, the next generation location services that result from this collaboration can fuel the continued growth of cloud computing and the Internet of Things.

HERE is a private company, which is indirectly wholly owned by AUDI AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG. HERE is a global provider of embedded navigation solutions. By working with Intel, HERE aims to offer automakers a universal solution that reduces both complexity and long-term development costs. Intel also provides expertise in developing and optimizing hardware, which will be fundamental to moving cloud-based algorithms to in-vehicle architectures. This same expertise will support HERE’s strategy to connect multiple industries beyond automotive, such as in the Internet of Things where location algorithms and location-based services are increasingly becoming embedded into connected devices. Intel and HERE intend to explore other potential collaborative opportunities spanning next-generation cloud analytics, IoT applications, machine learning, augmented reality and more.

The Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance Market Statistics Service (MSS) today announced that the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry revenue increased 7.0 percent for Q3 2016 to $2093.7 million, compared to $1957.5 million in Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average, which compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four quarters, increased by 3.7 percent.

“The industry realized solid growth in Q3, with all of the geographic regions – Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Japan, and Asia/Pacific – reporting revenue increases,” said Walden C. Rhines, board sponsor for the ESD Alliance MSS and chairman and CEO of Mentor Graphics. “Product categories CAE, Semiconductor IP, IC Physical Design & Verification, and services all reported increases in the third quarter.”

Companies that were tracked employed a record 35,515 professionals in Q3 2016, an increase of 6.2 percent compared to the 33,430 people employed in Q3 2015, and up 1.5 percent compared to Q3 2016.

The complete quarterly MSS report, containing detailed revenue information broken out by both categories and geographic regions, is available to members of the ESD Alliance.

Revenue by product category

Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) generated revenue of $666.7 million in Q3 2016 which represents a 5 percent increase compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average for CAE decreased 1.2 percent.

IC Physical Design & Verification revenue was $441.3 million in Q3 2016, an 8.2 percent increase compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average increased 2.8 percent.

Printed Circuit Board and Multi-Chip Module (PCB & MCM) revenue of $162.2 million for Q3 2016 represents a decrease of 0.1 percent compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average for PCB & MCM increased 0.9 percent.

Semiconductor Intellectual Property (SIP) revenue totaled $720.9 million in Q3 2016, a 10.4 percent increase compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average increased 10.1 percent.

Services revenue was $102.6 million in Q3 2016, an increase of 3 percent compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average increased 2.9 percent.

Revenue by region

The Americas, EDA’s largest region, purchased $932.9 million of EDA products and services in Q3 2016, an increase of 3.2 percent compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average for the Americas increased 1.3 percent.

Revenue in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) increased 2.3 percent in Q3 2016 compared to Q3 2015 on revenues of $297 million. The EMEA four-quarters moving average decreased 0.7 percent.

Third-quarter 2016 revenue from Japan increased 3.9 percent to $213.2 million compared to Q3 2015. The four-quarters moving average for Japan increased 5.5 percent.

The Asia/Pacific (APAC) region revenue increased to $650.6 million in Q3 2016, an increase of 16.6 percent compared to the third quarter of 2015. The four-quarters moving average increased 9 percent.

The complete MSS report, available to the ESD Alliance members, contains additional detail for countries in the Asia/Pacific region.

TDK Corporation and Tronics Microsystems SA jointly announced today that the all-cash public tender offer launched by TDK’s wholly-owned subsidiary EPCOS AG (“EPCOS”) was successfully closed on December 14, 2016. EPCOS, a manufacturer of electronic components, modules and systems based in Munich, Germany, acquired 72.38% of the outstanding shares at a price of EUR 13.20 per share, thus exceeding the defined 65.41% success threshold for the offer. The acquisition of these shares represents a value of approximately EUR 33.432 million. The settlement of the tender offer will occur on December 27, 2016.

Thales Avionics, which holds a 20.9% stake in Tronics, will remain a strategic shareholder of Tronics. After the closing of the successful offer, Thales Avionics and EPCOS will hold in aggregate 93.30% of the capital and 88.88% of the voting rights of Tronics. The two companies will enter into a shareholders’ agreement to act in concert, which will take effect at the closing of the reopened tender offer in accordance with the terms summarized in the offer documentation.

The tender offer will automatically reopen in the beginning of January 2017 for a period of 10 trading days. The offer price per share will remain unchanged at EUR 13.20 and represents a 78.4% premium over Tronics’ closing share price on July 7, 2016, the trading day immediately preceding the stock trading suspension, and a 62.1% premium to the volume-weighted average price during the last 60 trading days prior to this suspension.

The composition of the Supervisory Board of Tronics will be revised to reflect the new shareholding structure of Tronics.

Next steps

If, at the end of the reopened tender offer, EPCOS holds more than 95% of the capital and voting rights of Tronics, EPCOS reserves its right to ask the AMF, within ten (10) trading days from the result publication of the re-opened tender offer, or where applicable, within three (3) months from the end of the reopened tender offer, to implement a squeeze-out procedure by the transfer of Tronics’ shares which would not have been tendered to the offer.

Solid basis for future growth

With the addition of Tronics, which provides an immediate entry to the rapidly growing market for inertial sensors, TDK has implemented a further key element in its strategy to broaden and strengthen its portfolio of sensor technologies. Comments Joachim Zichlarz, Corporate Officer and Senior Vice President of TDK, as well as Chairman of the Management Board, CEO and CFO of EPCOS: “With the successful completion of the tender offer and the conclusion of our agreement with Thales, we have created a solid basis for further developing Tronics’ business under the roof of TDK and, at the same time, boosting our innovativeness and market strength in one of the future’s most promising technological fields. Moreover, TDK expects strong synergies with its own cutting-edge thin-film and assembly technologies.”

Pascal Langlois, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Tronics comments: “Tronics’ shareholders have recognized the strong financial and industrial merits of the acquisition by TDK. Its solid financial basis and extensive know-how in materials and production engineering now provide a very good basis to grow further Tronics’ inertial products and MEMS technologies. This is a great step in the company’s development as we will benefit from TDK’s leading and developing position as a powerful component manufacturer in industrial, automotive and consumer electronics markets.”

Weisl-AndreasAndreas Weisl (38), former Vice President Europe of Korean LED manufacturer Seoul Semiconductor (SSC), has taken on the position of CEO at Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH based Munich, Germany, with effect from November 11, 2016.

The European headquarters has been consistently successful, establishing themselves since 2010. The global success story of SSC, which is marked by rapid growth, has been successfully implemented in Europe for many years now. SSC is among the leading companies in global markets and throughout the European LED market.

In his role as General Manager for Central and Northern Europe since 2010, and as Vice President Europe since 2014, Mr. Weisl is part of the SSC executive and is responsible for business developments in Europe. Mr Weisl has contributed significantly to the company’s success and looks back on more than eleven years of experience in the area of LEDs before coming to SSC in 2010. Previously he served as a manager, among other roles, at Osram Opto Semiconductors.