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INVECAS Inc. and GLOBALFOUNDRIES announced today that INVECAS will provide IP and end-to-end ASIC design services as a part of the foundry’s FDXcelerator Partner Program, an ecosystem designed to facilitate 22FDX SoC designs for tomorrow’s intelligent systems. The collaboration accelerates the adoption of FDX technology in applications spanning Internet-of-Things (IoT), mobile, RF connectivity, and networking markets.

INVECAS will work closely with GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ technology teams to develop and verify a range of intellectual property (IP) for the company’s 22FDX process. Moreover, INVECAS will offer comprehensive ASIC design services to help customers realize SoC designs with high confidence and low risk.

“Our objective is to provide silicon-proven IP solutions and system-level expertise to address the difficult issues of design complexity facing ASIC designers today,” said Dasaradha Gude, chairman and CEO, INVECAS. “We are glad to be an initial partner in GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ FDXcelerator Program, a ground-breaking initiative to enable a broad range of customers and accelerate time-to-volume for 22FDX.”

“We are pleased to expand our strategic relationship with INVECAS and welcome them as an initial member of the FDXcelerator Partner Program,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of product management at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “In addition to the comprehensive portfolio of FDX-optimized IP, our customers can now access INVECAS’ full suite of services to realize their SoC designs on time and with highest quality.”

With the recent announcement of the company’s next-generation 12FDX technology, the FDXcelerator Partner Program builds upon GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ industry-first FD-SOI roadmap, a lower-cost migration path for designers on advanced nodes. By participating in FDXcelerator and continuing to expand its IP offering to support a wider range of FDX customers, INVECAS is well positioned as a leader in the adoption and growth of the FDX platform. Moreover, the FDXcelerator Partner Program broadens the technology collaboration between the companies, including tighter interlock around quality, qualification and development methodology.

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:  SNPS) today announced that TSMC is recognizing Synopsys with three “2016 Partner of the Year” awards for Interface IP and joint development of 7-nanometer (nm) mobile and HPC design platforms. Synopsys and TSMC have been collaborating for more than 16 years, most recently to accelerate the adoption of FinFET technology for optimum power, performance and area for the 7-nm process. This is the 6th consecutive year Synopsys has received both IP and electronic design automation (EDA) accolades from TSMC.

“TSMC and Synopsys share a common goal to provide an extensive portfolio of proven IP and design tools supporting TSMC’s latest process technologies,” said Glenn Dukes, vice president of strategic alliances and professional services at Synopsys. “Our strong engineering collaboration with TSMC on its 7-nanometer FinFET process results in a proven path that designers can adopt to help achieve their time-to-market goals.”

“Through OIP collaboration, TSMC and Synopsys continue to provide our mutual customers with certified design implementation tools and high-quality IP optimized for TSMC’s leading process technologies,” said Suk Lee, TSMC senior director of the Design Infrastructure Marketing Division. “With its DesignWare IP and Galaxy Design Platform, Synopsys helps companies achieve their design goals and quickly ramp into volume production.”

Today during the NXP FTF China Tech Forum keynote, NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) kicked off its 10th year anniversary celebration since its founding as a standalone semiconductor company, with NXP Chief Executive Officer, Rick Clemmer, highlighting the key trends that are driving the company’s growth – ADAS, Internet of Things (IoT), security, automotive and payments.

“As NXP celebrates a decade, we’re reminded of how important innovations in security and connectivity, key partnerships and ecosystem convergence has been in both the evolution of a smarter world and our company growth,” said Clemmer. “We are celebrating today with customers, employees and partners, but more importantly we are looking towards the future – a future of more secure connections for a smarter world. Here at NXP FTF China, we are demonstrating our vitality notably in automotive, IoT, payment and transit technologies.”

NXP FTF China is taking place at the Shenzhen Intercontinental Hotel, September 28-29. At the event, the company announced key collaborations and unveiled new solutions for IoT, automotive and smart kitchens. Announcements include:

  • Establishing Security Standards for Smart Cars in China with Cross-sector Collaborations

    NXP announced it is collaborating with Changan Automobile and Neusoft to establish the China Auto Security Common Interests Group (CIG). The group brings together a hardware-based industry cooperative organization for automotive security with local automotive and software partners in the global market. CIG will adopt “NXP 4 plus 1 security framework” – the highest level of car information security today. The CIG will work together to develop comprehensive industrial solutions and will collaborate to establish industry standards to contribute to the innovation of China’s automotive industry.

  • Driving Mobile Transit and Contactless Payment in China

    NXP and Xiaomi Inc. today announced they are successfully deploying best-in-class technologies to implement secure, convenient mobile transit experiences countrywide across China’s popular metro stations and public bus lines. Since initial launch of the mobile transit services in June, activation rates grew more than 15 percent in Shanghai and more than 20 percent in Shenzhen among commuters. And with Xiaomi’s recent launch of Mi Pay, featuring NXP’s embedded secure element (eSE) technology, consumers will benefit from the highest level of security for transactions from both bank and transportation accounts.
  • NXP and Midea Demonstrate New Smart Kitchen Appliances

    NXP is collaborating with Midea to achieve breakthrough R&D innovations in smart kitchen appliances. NXP has brought revolutionary changes to Midea products through technological innovations: the semiconductor-heating cube demonstrated at the Tech Forum is the first result of this cooperation. With a sleek appearance, it features the MHT1004N solution based on NXP’s RF technology and is small in volume, lightweight and easy to carry, offering users with a more convenient cooking experience. As a major milestone in NXP’s cooperation in R&D of smart kitchen solutions in China, the launch of the semiconductor-heating cube heralds broader cooperation between the two parties in the field of smart home appliances.
  • Integrated Innovation to Push New Solutions for Secure Connected cars

    NXP announced its expansion of the industry leading MagniV microcontrollers product line and introduced a broad portfolio of hardware, software and integrated motor control solutions designed to dramatically speed time to market.  The new integrated solution would radically simplify system development and shorten design cycles.

    In addition, NXP also extended its leadership in secure car access technology to car-side systems with the introduction of the NJJ29C0 Low Frequency transceiver. As a leader in advanced key fob designs, NXP now enables full system solutions that combine longer-range performance and enhanced convenience for end-users, together with reduced costs, faster time-to market and greater design freedom for OEMs and their tier one suppliers.

  • New Innovative Technologies Designed in China, Built in China, For China

    At NXP FTF China, NXP officially unveiled the i.MX 6ULL – the lowest power ARM® Cortex-A7-based applications processor in the market.  The i.MX6 ULL processor, designed for the growing IoT consumer and industrial, mass markets, delivers up to 30 percent more power efficiency than its nearest competitors and is available at breakthrough prices.

    NXP also announced it is expanding the Kinetis E Series with KE1xZ and KE1xF ARM® Cortex® -M based MCU families to bring higher performance with greater memory densities and robust IP integration to the series making them ideal for high-end home appliances, motor control and smart lighting applications.

    NXP today introduced the industry’s first automotive 15W wireless charging solution, qualified to meet stringent automotive and industrial grade requirements. Compatible with WPC Qi and PMA charging standards, this complete solution allows automakers to easily transition from 5W to 15W capabilities, giving drivers a faster in-vehicle charging experience for mobile phones, tablets and wearables.

    In addition, the company announced that Cannice Technology, an original design manufacturer based in China, has unveiled a production-ready true wireless earbuds design.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.75 billion in orders worldwide in August 2016 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.03, according to the August Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Book-to-Bill Report published by SEMI.  A book-to-bill of 1.03 means that $103 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide bookings in August 2016 was $1.75 billion. The bookings figure is 2.3 percent lower than the final July 2016 level of $1.80 billion, and is 5.0 percent higher than the August 2015 order level of $1.67 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in August 2016 was $1.71 billion. The billings figure is approximately the same as the final July 2016 level of $1.71 billion, and is 8.4 percent higher than the August 2015 billings level of $1.58 billion.

“The book-to-bill ratio has been at or above parity since December of last year with current monthly bookings and billings levels at $1.7 billion,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “Given the current data trends, North American equipment suppliers are clearly benefiting from strong investments by device manufacturers in the second half of the year.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

  Billings
(3-mo. avg)		 Bookings
(3-mo. avg)		 Book-to-Bill
March 2016  $1,197.6 $1,379.2 1.15
April 2016  $1,460.2 $1,595.4 1.09
May 2016  $1,601.5 $1,750.5 1.09
June 2016  $1,715.2 $1,714.3 1.00
July 2016 (final) $1,707.9 $1,795.4 1.05
August 2016 (prelim) $1,708.1 $1,753.9 1.03

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), September 2016

The data contained in this release were compiled by David Powell, Inc., an independent financial services firm, without audit, from data submitted directly by the participants. SEMI and David Powell, Inc. assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the underlying data.

The data are contained in a monthly Book-to-Bill Report published by SEMI. The report tracks billings and bookings worldwide of North American-headquartered manufacturers of equipment used to manufacture semiconductor devices, not billings and bookings of the chips themselves. The Book-to-Bill report is one of three reports included with the SEMI Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS).

MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) today announced highlights of its twelfth annual business conference, MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress 2016 in Scottsdale, AZ on November 9-11, 2016. Spanning mobile & wireless, automotive, medical devices, energy, and the intersection of human-computer networks, speakers will share some of the most compelling examples of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)/sensors technology with an executive audience from the MEMS and sensors supply chain.

AT&T VP of Product Development for Internet of Things (IoT) Solution Cameron Coursey will offer a carrier’s perspective on technologies advancing the IoT, including low-power wide-area cellular technologies, standard radio module configurations, embedded SIMs, cloud-based data storage and virtualized networks. As part of his keynote, Coursey will explain how MEMS/sensors suppliers can play a more pivotal role in IoT applications such as asset monitoring, wearables, connected cars and smart cities.

During his keynote, Local Motors General Manager Phillip Rayer will exhort Congress attendees to fearlessly embrace co-creation and open collaboration, which he believes could change the world of transportation. As a case in point, Rayer will share his company’s experiences working with a global network of inspired innovators as Local Motors prepares the first 3D-printed autonomous car for highway-ready certification.

“Invention, co-creation and collaboration will continue to fuel the greatest achievements in MEMS and sensors,” said Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS & Sensors Industry Group. “Attendees of this year’s MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress will hear how both titans of industry and nimble innovators approach technological innovation holistically — leveraging internal and external ecosystems to introduce meaningful products to market. And for the first time, they can also delve deeper into current, near-term and future MEMS/sensors solutions during breakout sessions led by both business and academic experts.”

Other highlighted presentations include:

For the complete agenda, please visit: http://msigevents.org/msec2016/agenda/

Building on a record of past successes, SEMI today announced the fifth SEMI European 3D Summit.  The advanced semiconductor summit will take place on 23-25 January, 2017 at Minatec in Grenoble, France, with the theme “European 3D Summit 2017 – Creating High Density Systems.”

The 2017 SEMI European 3D Summit will continue to explore a wider scope of 3D topics that include 3DIC Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) technology and associated challenges.  In addition, the Summit will include discussions on 2.5D, 3D FO-WLP/ e-WLB, glass interposers, and 3D alternative technologies for Heterogeneous Integration and High Density Systems.  Leading thought leader keynote and technical speakers will present their approaches and strategies for 3D Integration technologies, with particular attention on current adoption for applications such as: high-end memories, performance applications, mobile, imaging, and automotive.

In the past few years, the increasing use of 3D technology in microelectronics devices has reshaped the electronics market. As in previous SEMI European 3D Summits, SEMI will highlight the latest business challenges and opportunities in the 3D sector with a market briefing, where attendees will hear from 3D and packaging industry experts discuss business and market insights and reverse engineering analysis.

Up to 30 companies working in 3DIC and advanced packaging will have the opportunity to exhibit their technologies and solutions at SEMI European 3D Summit exhibition. Located adjacent to the conference auditorium, the exhibition will be a high-traffic hall giving exhibitors many opportunities to interact with potential customers and manufacturers.  In addition to high-caliber speakers and exhibitors, The SEMI European 3D Summit will provide attendees with numerous networking opportunities throughout the event, including networking lunches, coffee breaks, a gala dinner, and a complimentary one-on-one business meeting service.

SEMI will also arrange for attendees a chance to visit the Minatec Showroom, near the conference amphitheater, for a taste of the latest innovations currently in development within the Grenoble tech hub.

The European 3D Summit steering committee includes executives from: ams AG, BESI, CEA-Leti, Evatech, EV Group, Fraunhofer-IZM, Globalfoundries, imec, Scint-X, SPTS, STMicroelectronics and SUSS Microtec.

The SEMI European 3D Summit consistently has a high industry turnout with stellar satisfaction rates (96% overall satisfaction rate, 2012-2016).

Please visit www.semi.org/European3DSummit to find out how to register as an attendee or how to book a booth as an exhibitor.

Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. and Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co, Ltd. (Shanhai Capital), today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which a consortium led by Shanhai Capital will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Analogix for over $500 million. China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund Co., Ltd. (China IC Fund) also joined Shanhai Capital’s fund as one of the limited partners. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in late 2016.

Analogix’s high-speed, mixed-signal semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) for high-performance display applications are used in mobile devices, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), and other high-performance electronic products from leading electronics brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Microsoft, Google, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus, and HTC. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and the majority of its engineering operations are located in Beijing, China. Current investors include leading venture capital firms: DCM Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners, Keytone Ventures, and the Woodside Fund.

“We are very happy to have reached this agreement, which provides significant value to our shareholders,” said Dr. Kewei Yang, Analogix Semiconductor’s chairman and CEO. “The financial support of Shanhai Capital propels our growth while maintaining the direction, organization, and determination to serve our customers. I am especially excited that we all share the same vision of building Analogix into a much broader and more capable global semiconductor leader.”

“We are pleased to establish our relationship with Analogix, a company whose technology leadership is recognized by the world’s leading OEMs, and we look forward to facilitating Analogix’s continued growth,” said Mr. Xianfeng Zhao, Chairman of Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co, Ltd. “With the added investment, we can leverage the strength of the company’s core technology and business expertise, extend our business into adjacent high-growth markets, and build a world-leading semiconductor company. We expect an IPO in China in the near future.”

Today, at the OLEDs World Summit in San Diego, Kateeva, a OLED production equipment developer, reported that its YIELDjet FLEX system has earned a commanding lead in the key organic layer deposition step in the OLED Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) market. Since the novel inkjet printing solution debuted in manufacturing in 2014, the company has secured the vast majority of available TFE orders. Customers include the world’s largest flat panel display manufacturers located in three key Asia regions.

TFE is a critical step in the flexible OLED manufacturing process. It gives thinness and flexibility to the OLED device, and helps reduce overall manufacturing costs. OLEDs utilizing TFE are revolutionizing the consumer electronics industry by enabling exciting new mobile products that are bendable, foldable and even roll-able. Kateeva’s YIELDjet FLEX system helped catalyze the transition to the new display technology by solving key technical challenges that previously made mass-producing OLEDs with TFE, including flexible OLEDs, economically unviable.

Kateeva CEO Alain Harrus attributed the company’s market momentum to the swift migration to flexible OLED mass production by display leaders. “That fast manufacturing transition speaks to the spirited innovation within the display industry, where leaders are testing the limits of physics, chemistry and engineering ingenuity, and making substantial R&D investments to commercialize revolutionary displays. We’re privileged to partner with these trail-blazing companies, and pleased that our YIELDjet technology is enabling their processes.”

The YIELDjet FLEX tool is the first system to emerge from Kateeva’s YIELDjet platform. The YIELDjet platform is Kateeva’s foundational technology. Introduced in late 2013, it was the first inkjet printing manufacturing equipment platform engineered specifically for OLED mass-production. OLED technology was already transforming rigid smart phone displays with vibrant color and extraordinary image quality. With new high-yield mass-production equipment, OLED technology would enable the next leap—freedom from glass substrates—a breakthrough that would unleash tantalizing new flexible products.

Kateeva’s YIELDjet FLEX system has enabled a rapid transition from glass encapsulation to TFE in new OLED production lines. The company’s precision deposition solution for the TFE organic layer deposition process is fast, offers good planarization, few particle defects, high material utilization, good scalability, and easy maintenance. These advantages deliver dramatically higher TFE yields and lower mass-production costs, making the system a powerful alternative to vacuum evaporation technologies which had reached their technical limits.

Today, barely two years after its debut, Kateeva’s YIELDjet FLEX tool is the undisputed leader in the industry.

At the OLEDs World Summit, Kateeva technologist, Neetu Chopra, Ph.D. will reveal how YIELDjet technology will soon be applied to mass-produce the RGB OLED layer to enable affordable OLED TVs. Dr. Chopra will present her talk today at 4:35pm.

NuMat Technologies, a pioneer in the design and integration of atomically engineered materials into gas delivery, separation and purification systems, and The Linde Group, a gases and engineering company, have announced a collaborative partnership focused on the development of next generation separation and storage technologies that critically depend on material performance. The first of its kind partnership will pursue commercial applications that leverage NuMat’s innovations in Metal-Organic Frameworks (“MOFs”), an emerging class of ultra-high surface area materials which can be programmed to selectively interact with targeted gases and chemicals.

“We are excited to partner with Linde, a global leader in the gas industry, to develop cutting-edge solutions for the most demanding customer requirements,” commented NuMat CEO Ben Hernandez. “We see enormous potential to pair our respective material and system technologies to unlock cost-advantaged production economics, packaging innovations and improved environmental outcomes across the full gas life-cycle.”

The companies have formed joint teams to work on multiple projects on an on-going basis, including opportunities which address both near-term market needs and those which could be transformative.

“As a leading global technology company, sustained research and development is vital to Linde’s long-term business success and the success of our customers. In order to ensure we have availability to state-of-the-art technologies it is important that we work with partners who are leading in their field, such as NuMat. With this agreement we welcome NuMat into our global research network and look forward to collaborating to deliver MOF based technology solutions that provide value to our customers,” says Carl Jackson, Head of Electronics Technology and Innovation, The Linde Group.

Intel Corporation today announced the appointment of Robert “Bob” H. Swan as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective Oct. 10, 2016. Swan will report to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and oversee Intel’s global finance and IT organizations, as well as the Corporate Strategy Office. He replaces Stacy Smith, who, as previously announced, is taking a broader role within Intel leading manufacturing, sales and operations. Smith served nine years as Intel’s CFO.

“I’m thrilled to join Intel, a company where incredible innovation is supported by strong financial management,” Swan said.

“Bob brings a wealth of leadership and financial experience to Intel. His financial acumen and strategic insight will be welcome additions to our leadership team as Intel’s transformation continues,” Krzanich said.

Swan, 56, joins Intel from growth equity firm General Atlantic where he served as an operating partner working closely with the firm’s global portfolio companies on growth objectives. Prior to General Atlantic, he served nine years as the CFO of eBay Inc. Before that, he was CFO at Electronic Data Systems Corp and at TRW Inc. He also served as CFO, COO and CEO of Webvan Group Inc. Prior to that, Bob served in a number of senior finance roles at General Electric.