Tag Archives: letter-wafer-business

SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$11.0 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The billings figure is 5 percent higher than the second quarter of 2016 and 14 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago. The data is gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from over 95 global equipment companies that provide data on a monthly basis.

Worldwide semiconductor equipment bookings were $11.3 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The figure is 30 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago and 5 percent lower than the bookings figure for the second quarter of 2016.

The quarterly billings data by region in billions of U.S. dollars, quarter-over-quarter growth and year-over-year rates by region are as follows:

 

3Q2016

2Q2016

 3Q2015

3Q2016/

2Q2016
(Qtr-over-Qtr)

3Q2016/

3Q2015
(Year-over-Year)
Taiwan

3.46

2.73

2.85

27%

22%
Korea

2.09

1.53

1.56

36%

34%
China

1.43

2.27

1.70

-37%

-16%
Japan

1.29

1.05

1.43

22%

-10%
Rest of World

1.13

1.31

0.58

-14%

95%
North America

1.05

1.20

1.18

-12%

-11%
Europe

0.53

0.37

0.34

42%

57%
Total

10.98

10.46

9.64

5%

14%

Totals may not add due to rounding; Source: SEMI/SEAJ

QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK), a developer of ultra-low power programmable sensor processing, display bridge and programmable logic solutions, today announced that it has joined GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ FDXcelerator Partner Program, a collaborative ecosystem that facilitates 22FDX system-on-chip (SoC) design and reduces time-to-market for customers.

“QuickLogic’s partnership with GLOBALFOUNDRIES adds a unique dimension to the FDX program by offering customers ultra-low power embedded FPGA (eFPGA) Intellectual Property, complete software tools and a compiler,” said Brian Faith, president and CEO at QuickLogic Corporation. “This new capability provides users with a high level of design and product flexibility which will help lower costs and allow products to be easily customized to meet various and evolving market requirements.”

“GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ FDXcelerator program is a comprehensive design ecosystem that provides customers with the support and resources they need to get FDX FD-SOI technologies to market as quickly as possible,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of Product Management at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “Leveraging QuickLogic’s FPGA expertise will provide inherent hardware flexibility for FDX-based SoC designs and gain a critical time-to-market advantage for a broad range of embedded, battery powered and IoT applications.”

The FDXcelerator Partner Program builds upon GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ industry-first FD-SOI roadmap, a lower-cost migration path for designers on advanced nodes that is optimized for low power applications. By participating, FDXcelerator Partners commit to provide specific resources, including EDA tools, IP, silicon platforms, reference designs, design services and packaging and test solutions. The program is based on an open framework which enables members to minimize development time and cost while simultaneously leveraging the inherent power and performance advantages of FDX technology.

Current members of the FDXcelerator Partner Program also include Synopsys, Cadence, INVECAS, VeriSilicon, CEA Leti, Dream Chip, and Encore Semi.

Infineon, a Germany-based world leader in semiconductor solutions, celebrated the Grand Opening of its new warehouse and Gallium Nitride (GaN) cleanroom at its Mesa facility located at 550 W. Juanita Ave. The multi-million-dollar expansion project added approximately 11,500 square foot and will create more than 20 new high-quality jobs.

“Infineon has been an important part of Mesa’s technology community for years and it is great to see them expand their facility,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said. “It’s exciting when a business in Mesa is on the cutting edge of new semiconductor technology.”

GaN is a new semiconductor material that will help increase the efficiency and performance of power electronics used in everyday life such as power adapters for laptops.

“It’s wonderful to see a business like Infineon show such a strong commitment to Mesa and District 3,” Vice Mayor and District 3 Councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh said. “We certainly hope that they will continue to grow their Mesa operation and remain a great partner in our business community.”

In attendance at the Grand Opening were Infineon management and employees from the U.S.; Villach, Austria; Munich, Germany; and Kulim, Malaysia. The event was hosted by Juergen Woehl, Managing Director, of Infineon EPI Services based in Mesa. Guest speakers included Bob LeFord president of Infineon Americas; Steffen Metzger, head of Infineon GaN projects based in Munich; and Alex Miehr, head of Materials Management, Munich.

Dr. Juergen Woehl, Managing Director, Infineon Epi Services, said, “As a leader in semiconductor technology, our Mesa facility underlines Infineon’s commitment to work on advanced materials here in Mesa and we were delighted to celebrate the expansion of our site with our executives, employees and state and local representatives.”

Infineon Technologies AG, headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany, is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. In the 2016 fiscal year (ending September 30), the Company reported sales of about Euro 6.5 billion with some 36,000 employees worldwide.

ClassOne Technology (www.classone.com), manufacturer of advanced wet processing equipment for ≤200mm substrates, announced the formation of a Board of Advisors. This body will be made up of highly-regarded senior executives from the semiconductor industry who will provide their perspective and guidance to ClassOne as it navigates the expansion of its operations. Three distinguished industry notables, Larry Murphy, Eric Choh and Tom Pilla have been named to the board.

“ClassOne is experiencing very rapid growth right now, and we wanted to incorporate the broad perspective and deep experience that these gentlemen can bring to our effort,” said Kevin Witt, President of ClassOne Technology. “Larry, Eric and Tom are long-respected leaders in this industry and have already proven to be a huge asset. We are fortunate and honored to have them on our team.”

“We are delighted to add our support and endorsement to ClassOne,” said Larry Murphy. “We’ve seen the customer focus and innovative technology that this company is bringing to the industry. ClassOne is disrupting the old status quo and delivering much-needed high-performance electroplating and wet process equipment to the smaller-substrate markets — markets that have been generally underserved.”

Larry Murphy is presently CEO at PROOF Research. Previously, he had been CEO at Thompson Technology Group, VP and GM of North America & Europe SSG Sales at Applied Materials, and VP and GM of the Semitool Business at Applied Materials. Earlier, he had served as President and COO at Semitool for six years, and before that, as President and CEO at Tosoh SMD for more than 14 years.

Eric Choh has spent more than 30 years in the semiconductor industry with extensive experience in wafer fab operations and advanced technology development. Most recently he was the VP/GM of GLOBALFOUNDRYS’ Fab 8. Mr. Choh had also held a number of senior positions at AMD, including VP of Advanced Process Development and Executive Managing Director of the AMD/UMC Alliance.

Tom Pilla now holds the position of Global Supply Chain Director and Electronic Materials/Business Manufacturing Director of Litho Materials at Dow Chemical. Previously, he served as VP of Operations at Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, VP of Operations at Rodel, and Global Supply Chain Director at Rohm and Haas.

ClassOne Technology offers a range of cost-efficient wet-processing tools specifically for emerging markets and other users of 3″ to 8″ wafers. The company’s mission is to provide advanced technology equipment at more affordable prices — to address the budget constraints that smaller-substrate markets typically have and fill a niche that larger equipment manufacturers historically have not addressed.

ClassOne’s current product line-up includes the Solstice family of high-performance, multi-purpose electroplating tools and the Trident families of Spin Rinse Driers and Spray Solvent Tools. All are specifically designed for processing ≤200mm wafers. Solstice systems are available both for development and production and are priced at less than half of what similarly configured plating systems from the larger manufacturers would cost. This is why Solstice is often described as delivering “Advanced Plating for the Rest of Us.” ClassOne supports customers with world-class process development, deployment and service around the globe.

SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today announced the hire of David Anderson as president of the SEMI Americas region.  Reporting to SEMI‘s president and CEO, the president of SEMI Americas has P&L responsibility as well as ownership of all Americas region programs and events, including SEMICON West.

David Anderson will be responsible for SEMI Americas activities in establishing industry Standards, advocacy, community development, expositions, and programs.  With broad experience in the semiconductor device industry, and leadership positions in associations, consortia, and on boards of directors, Anderson brings the diverse skills necessary to lead SEMI’s Americas region.

Anderson has past experience at Fairchild Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, the Semiconductor Industry Suppliers Association, and SEMATECH.  At SEMATECH, in addition to other industry-advancing achievements, he helped launch the global ISMI (International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative) effort to improve the productivity and cost performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and operations.

Most recently, Anderson was CEO and chairman of Novati Technologies, a specialty manufacturing fab and provider of semiconductor and related process technology development and commercialization services.  Novati’s solutions included semiconductor, MEMS, sensors, microfluidics, silicon-photonics, and novel materials. Prior to that, he held executive leadership positions for development foundries ATDF and SVTC Technologies.

“Dave’s vast experience in semiconductor equipment, as well as in a wide range of silicon devices, provides a practical understanding of the full electronics manufacturing supply chain,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “He has built global organizations and communities both at SEMI member companies and in SEMI partner consortia.  This will enable Dave to hit the ground running at SEMI.  Dave already has solid relationships with many of SEMI’s members in both the Americas and worldwide.  As I head toward my announced retirement, I’m confident that Dave will strengthen SEMI’s Global Executive Team and will lead the Americas organization to success in our SEMI 2020 initiative.”

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.49 billion in orders worldwide in October 2016 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.91, according to the September Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.  A book-to-bill of 0.91 means that $91 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 October 2016 was $1.49 billion. The bookings figure is 5.1 percent lower than the final September 2016 level of $1.57 billion, and is 12.2 percent higher than the October 2015 order level of $1.33 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in October 2016 was $1.63 billion. The billings figure is 9.0 percent higher than the final September 2016 level of $1.49 billion, and is 19.8 percent higher than the October 2015 billings level of $1.36 billion.

“Total equipment billings increased 9 percent in October over September, while bookings contracted 5 percent,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “As the result, the book-to bill ratio for October dropped below parity for the first time in 11 months, even though bookings and billings activity remains at elevated levels relative to last 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
May 2016

$1,601.5

$1,750.5

1.09
June 2016

$1,715.2

$1,714.3

1.00
July 2016

$1,707.9

$1,795.4

1.05
August 2016

$1,709.0

$1,753.4

1.03
September 2016 (final)

$1,493.3

$1,567.2

1.05
October 2016 (prelim)

$1,627.5

$1,487.2

0.91

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

MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) (“MACOM”), a leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave and photonic semiconductor products, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (NASDAQ:AMCC) (“AppliedMicro”), a global leader in Connectivity and Computing solutions for next-generation cloud infrastructure and Data Centers, for approximately $8.36 per share, consisting of $3.25 in cash and 0.1089 MACOM shares per share of AppliedMicro. This price for each share of AppliedMicro represented a 15.4% premium over the company’s closing price of $7.25 on Friday, November 18th. MACOM intends to divest the well-positioned but non-strategic Compute business within the first 100 days of closing.

Transaction Highlights Include:

  • Transaction valued at approximately $770 million for AppliedMicro’s approximately $165 million in TTM revenue (including the Compute business) and $82 million of cash and short-term investments at September 30, 2016
  • MACOM and AppliedMicro’s pro forma combined TTM revenue was approximately $709 million including AppliedMicro’s Compute business, or approximately $644 million excluding the Compute business
  • AppliedMicro’s Connectivity business is highly complementary to MACOM’s product portfolio, through the addition of market-leading OTN framers, MACsec Ethernet networking components and the industry’s leading single-lambda PAM4 platform
  • Transaction to accelerate MACOM’s significant growth in optical technologies for Cloud Service Providers and Enterprise Network customers serving the high-growth, high-margin Data Center market
  • AppliedMicro’s leadership PAM4 solutions based on FinFET technology and custom engagements with top-tier Data Center and service provider customers is expected to strengthen MACOM’s competitive position with those customers
  • MACOM expects to improve the profitability of AppliedMicro by divesting the Compute business and by delivering on substantial revenue and cost synergies
  • Excluding the Compute business, MACOM expects this transaction to be accretive to its non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP EPS, in MACOM’s fiscal year ending September, 2017
  • MACOM to benefit from over $600 million of tax net operating loss carry forwards

Commenting on the transaction, John Croteau, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This transaction will accelerate and expand MACOM’s breakout opportunity in Enterprise and Cloud Data Centers. MACOM will now be able to provide all the requisite semiconductor content for optical networks – analog, photonic and PHY – from the switch to fiber for long haul, metro, access, backhaul and Data Center. AppliedMicro’s 100G to 400G single-lambda PAM4 platform should perfectly complement MACOM’s leadership in analog and photonic components for Data Centers.

“Notably, the IEEE recently recommended the adoption of AppliedMicro’s single lambda PAM4 solution to be an industry standard for enterprise and Data Center connectivity, positioning this technology as the solution of choice going forward. Additionally, AppliedMicro’s Connectivity business aligns well with MACOM’s differentiated, high-growth business model, offering non-GAAP gross margins well in excess of MACOM’s long term target operating model, long product life cycles, and sticky customer relationships.”

“AppliedMicro also provides value-added technologies including SerDes, high speed analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters with industry-leading engineering competencies and long product lifecycles. Importantly, we expect that this transaction will establish MACOM with an incumbent position supplying strategic components and enterprise and cloud Data Center customers.”

MACOM intends to divest AppliedMicro’s well-positioned Compute business within 100 days from closing the transaction, as the business does not strategically align with MACOM’s long-term focus. AppliedMicro has been exploring strategic options for the Compute business and there is known strategic interest among several potential buyers and investors. MACOM will continue to support Compute customers and partners during this transition.

“This is an exciting day for AppliedMicro, and we are pleased to be joining forces with MACOM. The transaction affirms the value that our employees have created and provides a strong path forward for our Connectivity business while delivering AppliedMicro stockholders a robust premium,” said Paramesh Gopi, President and CEO, AppliedMicro. “This transaction will create an industry powerhouse with the scale, deep customer relationships, innovative technology, and enabling products that will help deliver explosive growth in Enterprise and Cloud Data Centers. In addition, this agreement provides a promising path forward for the Compute business, which is in the process of bringing AppliedMicro’s highly-competitive third-generation X-Gene processor to market. X-Gene is well-positioned to address the large opportunity for mainstream server processors with its proven high performance cores, scalable interconnect and high per socket memory capabilities.”

MACOM intends to commence a tender offer to purchase each outstanding common share of AppliedMicro for approximately $8.36 per share, consisting of $3.25 in cash and 0.1089 MACOM shares per share of AppliedMicro. MACOM will assume certain equity awards held by AppliedMicro employees. The transaction value is approximately $770 million in diluted equity value, or approximately $688 million net of AppliedMicro’s cash position of approximately $82 million as of September 30, 2016. The transaction is expected to be accretive to MACOM’s non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP EPS in fiscal year 2017, excluding the Compute business. AppliedMicro stockholders are expected to own approximately 15% of the combined company on a pro forma basis. MACOM expects to pay the cash portion of the acquisition price from cash on hand. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. MACOM currently expects the transaction to close in the first calendar quarter of 2017.

Evercore is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Ropes & Gray LLP is serving as legal counsel to MACOM.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is serving as legal counsel to AppliedMicro. The board of directors of AppliedMicro received a fairness opinion from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Needham & Company, LLC.

Conference Call and Slide Presentation Information

MACOM will host a conference call on Monday, November 21 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (6:00 a.m. Pacific Time). The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet with a slide presentation and can be accessed by all interested parties on the Investor section of MACOM’s website at http://ir.macomtech.com/. On the call will be John Croteau, MACOM’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and Robert McMullan, MACOM’s Chief Financial Officer. Investors and analysts are invited to participate on the call. To listen to the live call, please go to the Investor section of MACOM’s website and click on the Conference Call link at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download, and install any necessary audio software.

When: Monday, November 21, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Dial in: 1+(877) 837-3908; outside the U.S. 1+(973) 872-3000
Participant Code: 24085998
Live Webcast: http://ir.macom.com/events.cfm

For those unable to participate during the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call and will be available on MACOM’s website for 7 days. The replay dial-in number is 1-(855) 859-2056 and the pass code is 24085998. International callers should dial +1(404) 537-3406 and enter the same pass code at the prompt. Additionally, the conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by all interested parties for approximately 60 days in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://ir.macomtech.com/.

Further details of the transaction are set out in MACOM’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 21, 2016.

About MACOM

MACOM enables a better-connected and safer world by delivering breakthrough semiconductor technologies for optical, wireless and satellite networks that satisfy society’s insatiable demand for information.

Today, MACOM powers the infrastructure that millions of lives and livelihoods depend on every minute to communicate, transact business, travel, stay informed, and be entertained. Our technology increases the speed and coverage of the mobile Internet and enables fiber optic networks to carry previously unimaginable volumes of traffic to businesses, homes, and datacenters.

Keeping us all safe, MACOM technology enables next-generation radars for air traffic control and weather forecasting, as well as mission success on the modern networked battlefield.

MACOM is the partner of choice to the world’s leading communications infrastructure, aerospace and defense companies, helping solve their most complex challenges in areas including network capacity, signal coverage, energy efficiency, and field reliability, through its best-in-class team and broad portfolio of analog RF, microwave, millimeterwave, and photonic semiconductor products.

MACOM is a pillar of the semiconductor industry, thriving for more than 60 years of daring to change the world for the better, through bold technological strokes that deliver true competitive advantage to customers and superior value to investors.

Headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts, MACOM is certified to the ISO9001 international quality standard and ISO14001 environmental management standard. MACOM has design centers and sales offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

MACOM, M/A-COM, M/A-COM Technology Solutions, M/A-COM Tech, Partners in RF & Microwave, and related logos are trademarks of MACOM. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about MACOM, please visit www.macom.com.

About AppliedMicro

AppliedMicro Circuits Corporation (Nasdaq:AMCC) is a global leader in computing and connectivity solutions for next-generation cloud infrastructure and data centers. AppliedMicro delivers silicon solutions that dramatically lower total cost of ownership. Corporate headquarters are located in Santa Clara, California. www.apm.com.

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global fan-in wafer-level packaging (WLP) market is expected to reach USD 4.75 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of almost 10%.

This research report titled ‘Global Fan-In WLP Market 2016-2020’ provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. The report also presents a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors manufacturing fan-in wafer-level packages in North America, APAC, and Europe.

The increasing number of fabs globally has pushed the demand for IC packaging solutions. The vendors are setting up new fabs in different countries to produce memory devices like dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and not AND (NAND). The transition of semiconductor industry such as miniaturized semiconductor electronics, because of emerging technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), is also driving the global fan-in WLP market.

The surging demand for compact electronic devices in sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, industrial manufacturing, and healthcare has generated the need for miniaturized semiconductor ICs. With the emergence of products such as 3D ICs and MEMS devices, the electronic equipment is becoming compact and user-friendly, which involves changes in IC designing such as finer patterning.

Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Technavio’s hardware and semiconductor analysts categorize the global fan-in WLP market into five major segments by application. They are:

  •    CMOS image sensor
  •    Wireless connectivity
  •    Logic and memory IC
  •    MEMS and sensor
  •    Analog and mixed IC

The top three segments by application for the fan-in WLP market are:

Analog and mixed ICs

The global analog and mixed IC shipments amounted to 27.57 billion units in 2015 and will reach 40.93 billion units by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 8.22% during the forecast period.

The demand for analog ICs from different segments (such as consumer electronics, communications, and automotive) is gradual but significant. The rising demand for smartphones, phablets, and tablets worldwide is driving their demand in the communications segment. The increasing pace of new product development, the declining cost per function of ICs, and the reduced product replacement cycle have contributed to the high demand for semiconductor ICs and, therefore, analog ICs. The rapid technological developments in the semiconductor industry and the development of efficient analog ICs (which deliver optimized performance) have also increased the proliferation of analog ICs in the global market space.

Wireless connectivity

The global shipments in the wireless connectivity segment amounted to 2.71 billion units in 2015 and will reach 4.79 billion units by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 12.07% during the forecast period.

The wireless connectivity segment includes the demand for fan-in WLP solutions from technologies such as Wi-Fi, RF transceivers, Bluetooth, DC/DC converters, audio/video codecs, RF filters, gyroscopes, and accelerometers, which assist in providing optimum wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi technology is adapting to new protocol versions such as Wi-Fi Direct, 802.11ac, and 801.11ad. With continuous evolution of new technologies and continuous integration of Wi-Fi capability into mobile devices, the demand for wireless connectivity solutions will increase during the forecast period.

According to Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead semiconductor equipment analyst from Technavio, “The global Wi-Fi chipset market is experiencing the transition to 5th Wi-Fi generation, the 802.11ac with MIMO. An increasing number of customers are likely to adopt the technology due to an improvement in speed by up to 1.3 GHz over a long distance.”

Logic and memory ICs

The global shipments in the logic and memory IC segment amounted to 3.51 billion units in 2015 and will reach 4.79 billion units by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 6.42% during the forecast period.

Technological development has led to the introduction of better electronic devices across sectors, such as high-powered smartphones, performance-packed automobiles, automated machinery in the industrial sector, and electronic devices in the healthcare sector for better monitoring of patients. This has increased the demand for better processing to ensure efficient background operations.

The demand for high-powered processors has increased the demand for logic ICs, especially for automation purposes. This will trigger the demand for fan-in WLP solutions in the logic IC segment as they constitute an integral part of IC packaging at the manufacturing level.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavio’s research analysts in this report are:

  •    STATS ChipPAC
  •    STMicroelectronics
  •    TSMC
  •    Texas Instruments

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Gigaphoton Inc., a manufacturer of light sources used in lithography, has announced that the company has designated 2016, the 16th anniversary of its inception, as the year of its entry into a new stage of development, and has set its sights on achieving new levels of growth.

Established on August 1, 2,000, Gigaphoton commemorated its 15th Anniversary last year. At the time of its establishment, Gigaphoton’s share of the DUV excimer laser market was approximately 10%. Today, however, the company has achieved cumulative sales of over 1,300 units with a 2015 market distribution share of some 60% and levels of record sales. Against this backdrop, Gigaphoton has designated 2016 as the entry point to its second development phase, and aims to achieve even more impressive growth. In addition to continuing its excimer laser business activities in the semiconductor lithography industry, Gigaphoton plans to expand into new fields like FPD manufacturing with its GIGANEX series. Gigaphoton’s EUV light sources have successfully attained reliable outputs of 250W, and the company intends to transcend beyond this achievement by accelerating development focused on implementing mass production of the product.

Towards achieving this goal, Gigaphoton began construction work on a new building this fall as a part of its investment in the future. Scheduled to be completed in June 2017, this endeavor will increase manufacturing space by 50% while increasing production scale by up to 70%. The company is also hiring additional staff to augment the company structure in an effort to ensure it is capable of delivering higher levels of reliability, and can satisfy customer needs more swiftly and attentively than ever before.

Hitoshi Tomaru, President & CEO of Gigaphoton says, “Since the company’s inception, we at Gigaphoton have remain committed to the manufacture and sale of excimer lasers for semiconductor lithography, and presently we are embarking on an exciting new stage of development. Going forward, we intend to dedicate efforts towards our GIGANEX series and EUV products, which offer highly valued solutions, while also improving the quality of our existing DUV lasers and augmenting our customer support structure. Through such efforts, we are committed to continuing to serve as a company that grows together with our clients.”

Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the third quarter 2016 when compared to second quarter 2016 area shipments according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

Total silicon wafer area shipments were 2,730 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 0.9 percent increase from the 2,706 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. New quarterly total area shipments are 5.4 percent higher than third quarter 2015 shipments and are at their highest recorded quarterly level.

“Global silicon wafer demand continued to grow during this quarter,” said Dr. Volker Braetsch, chairman SEMI SMG and senior vice president of Siltronic AG. “Year-to-date shipments are trending slightly above the same period as last year.”

Silicon* Area Shipment Trends

Millions of Square Inches

3Q 

2015

2Q 

2016

3Q 

2016

Q1 + Q2 + Q3 

2016

Q1 + Q2 + Q3 

2015
Total

 

2,591

2,706

2,730

7,973

7,930

 

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or “chips” are fabricated.

All data cited in this release is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.

The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.