Tag Archives: letter-wafer-business

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of the Secretary of Defense have awarded Raytheon Company [NYSE: RTN] a $14.9M contract to further enhance its process for producing gallium nitride-based semiconductors. The new agreement follows a previous GaN Title III contract, completed in 2013, and aims to increase the performance, yield and reliability of Raytheon GaN-based, wideband, monolithic, microwave-integrated circuits and circulator components.

GaN is a semiconductor material that can efficiently amplify high power radio frequency signals at microwave frequencies thereby enhancing a system’s range and raid handling, while reducing size, weight, power and cost. It is used in a broad spectrum of military radars and defense systems, including the U.S. Navy’s Air and Missile Defense Radar and Next Generation Jammer.

“We have only scratched the surface when it comes to harnessing the game-changing power that gallium nitride technology can bring to military applications,” said Colin Whelan, vice president of Advanced Technology in Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business unit. “This contract will build on the 17-year, two-hundred-plus million-dollar investment Raytheon has made in maturing GaN. Over the next two years, we will further refine our GaN process to push the limits of radio frequency performance while maintaining or increasing yield and reliability.”

The first demonstrator of this technology will be incorporated into Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems’ Next Generation Jammer program, which is scheduled for low-rate initial production in 2018.

POET Technologies Inc.(OTCQX:POETF) (TSX-V:PTK), a developer of opto-electronics fabrication processes for the semiconductor industry, today announced that on October 17, 2016, it entered into an Agreement with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to expand POET’s research and development (R&D) operations in Singapore.

POET, through its acquisition of DenseLight Semiconductors, reaffirmed its strategic intent to expand its R&D and manufacturing operations in Singapore. POET will establish an Integrated Photonics center within its current operations to further develop and commercialize differentiated photonics and opto-electronic products. This is expected to increase market penetration and enhance market acceptance of the POET portfolio as it is introduced. This center signifies the growing importance of integration in photonics applications as a means to drive increased adoption and improve POET’s competitive positioning. The Singapore operations will further the development and production of POET’s key technologies, including those developed with the joint program POET established with the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore earlier this year. The planned initiatives are expected to gradually add up to 30 engineers and scientists to POET, as the R&D center is established.

“EDB’s support will be instrumental in helping us drive the growth of intellectual property, talent and operations in Singapore, thus providing a foundation for compound semiconductor and photonics growth in the region”, said Chairman Mr. Ajit Manocha. “I have been engaged with Singapore for much of my career and value the nurturing and enduring partnerships with the EDB throughout. We chose Singapore because of EDB’s initiative to grow the compound semiconductor and photonics ecosystem in the region, and we are thankful to the EDB for supporting our Integrated Photonics Center of Excellence in Singapore. The country’s business-friendly climate and support from government agencies truly set it apart. We look forward to continuing to work with the EDB as we accelerate the commercialization of our highly differentiated technologies serving a variety of applications and markets.”

“This support from the EDB could potentially allow POET and its subsidiaries, DenseLight and BB Photonics, to accelerate product and revenue growth by leveraging Singapore’s R&D efficiencies, infrastructure, learning institutions and human capital and its strong high-technology manufacturing base”, said CEO Dr. Suresh Venkatesan. “Current projects in Singapore include the research and development of the POET Platform for Display applications, as well as the commercialization of POET, DenseLight and BB Photonics Intellectual Property in the fast growing Data Communications and Sensing markets.

“EDB is committed to developing the compound semiconductor industry through partnerships with companies to perform critical R&D and manufacturing in Singapore. Innovations in compound semiconductor technology can enable the next generation of optical communication solutions needed for increasing requirements in data centers. We are delighted to partner with POET Technologies to lead DenseLight, a company with a strong Singapore core of talent and activities, to greater heights”, said Mr. Pee Beng Kong, Director for Electronics, EDB.

The Company is eligible to receive support up to a maximum of S$10,699,000 over five years pursuant to the EDB letter of offer, subject to headcount and expenditure thresholds. Should the terms of the support agreement with the EDB not be satisfied by the Company, the EDB reserves the right to request repayment of any support advanced to the Company.

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY), a developer of RFID-enabled solutions, and long-standing partner NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI), are proud to announce a new industry first innovation, providing 12-inch wafers for long range solutions in addition to the current industry standard 8-inch. This solution will deliver a significant increase in production capacity, improved assembly quality and efficiency, and most importantly, a reduction in manufacturing waste and electricity. Avery Dennison is the first to provide inlays with NXP’s new 12-inch offering.

A larger wafer diameter allows more semiconductor devices to be produced from a single wafer, doubling the amount of dies per wafer compared to existing 8-inch wafer formats. This increased utilization of existing materials simultaneously reduces both chemical and packaging waste and energy consumption.

The innovation is another positive step in making the manufacturing process more sustainable, while simultaneously increasing production to meet future industry demand. “We worked closely with NXP to create a solution that would truly offer a higher production output and at the same time be more sustainable,” said George Dyche, director, Global RFID Innovation and Product Line Management, Avery Dennison RFID.

The chips can also be incorporated into Avery Dennison’s SmartFace Technology, which removes the plastic material in RFID products and replaces it with a paper substrate to reduce environmental impact. SmartFace Technology has already been used in a number of Avery Dennison RFID Inlays and the introduction of the new wafer will reduce the environmental impact of RFID solutions further.  “Sustainability has long been part of our approach to do business together. We are proud to work closely with our partners across the entire value chain to address the environmental and social impacts of our solutions,”  added Helen Sahi, senior director, Sustainability, Avery Dennison.

“Bringing together both parties’ expertise, Avery Dennison and NXP introduce this innovation for more sustainability in semiconductor industry. Our collective responsibility drives us to work collaboratively to address the environmental and social impacts of our solution proactively, while the 12-inch wafers significantly increases NXP’s supply capacity,” said Ralf Kodritsch, segment manager RFID Solutions, NXP.

Businesses worldwide are recognizing the increasing value of RAIN RFID in this area. By building on innovation and providing technologies that directly address societal demands, exciting times and opportunities for the RAIN RFID industry lie ahead.

SEMICON Europa 2016, opening in less than two weeks in Grenoble, will explore the issues facing Europe’s semiconductor and electronics industries, including processes, materials, equipment and supply chain. SEMICON Europa (October 25-27) is a leading exhibition and conference dedicated to the future of electronics in Europe.

As semiconductor manufacturers target new high-growth European strength areas, SEMICON Europa connects the European ecosystem and the global manufacturing supply chain by offering new business opportunities like advanced packaging, MEMS, imaging, power electronics, flexible hybrid electronics, automotive, smart manufacturing, medtech and addressing the demands of the IoT.

Executive keynotes include:

  • GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden: “FDX and FinFET: Differentiated Technologies for Diverging Markets” presented by Dr. Rutger Wijburg, senior VP and GM
  • Intel Israel: “How Technology and Equipment March Forward Hand-in-Hand” presented by Maxine Fassberg, CEO
  • CEA-Leti: “European Chance in Industry and Technologies” presented by Marie-Noëlle Semeria, CEO

In addition, companies such as Infineon, STMicroelectronics, ABB, ASML, Applied Materials, SOITEC, imec and Fraunhofer, and hundreds more, will present the latest trends, technologies, processes and techniques in electronic applications, design and manufacturing.

This year for the first time, Iot Planet will co-locate with SEMICON Europa. The combined shows are expected to attract 7,000 professionals and more than 600 visiting companies, giving attendees the opportunity to conduct business up and down the supply chain.  New programs, like the B2B Matchmaking Event 2016, offer visitors and exhibitors an opportunity to prearrange appointments.

SEMICON Europa is co-located with 2016FLEX Europe which covers the field of large-scale electronics, with emphasis on printed, flexible and organic electronics and its convergence with conventional semiconductor manufacturing.

Register now and take advantage of our early pricing for conferences, forums, and select sessions. To register for SEMICON Europa 2016, please visit: www.semiconeuropa.org

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (“SMIC”; NYSE:  SMI; SEHK: 981), the largest and most advanced foundry in Mainland China, today held the groundbreaking ceremony of a new 12-inch wafer fab in Shanghai to meet SMIC Shanghai’s increasing production and development needs.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Shanghai Government have placed a high value on and provided strong support for the new project. Guests and leaders from the IC industry and investment funds attended the ceremony. The Chairman of SMIC, Dr. Zixue Zhou, and the CEO and Executive Director of SMIC, Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, together laid the foundation stone for the new project.

SMIC has 8-inch and 12-inch wafer fabs in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Italy, and the company’s revenue has continued to hit record highs recently. SMIC booked record revenue of US $1.3245 billion in the first half of 2016 (a year-on-year increase of 25.4%). SMIC has achieved 17 consecutive quarters of profit and is close to full production capacity. Revenue is expected to maintain rapid growth of 20% annually over the next three to four years. SMIC will manage production capacity and arrange facility expansions based on customer and market demand.

The Chairman of SMIC, Dr. Zixue Zhou, said: “The start of our new 12-inch wafer fab in SMIC Shanghai will not only help to meet our growing customer demand for advanced production, but also further strengthen and expand SMIC itself.”

SEMI today announced the retirement of Dennis (Denny) McGuirk, SEMI’s president and CEO. McGuirk has served on the board of directors and has led SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, since November 2011. McGuirk will continue to lead SEMI in his current capacity until a successor is appointed.

While at SEMI, McGuirk has had responsibility for driving member satisfaction through SEMI’s global operations – anchored by eight international SEMICON expositions – and SEMI products and services including: Standards, market intelligence, business and technical programs, and industry advocacy. Over the past five years, the electronics manufacturing supply chain has undergone major changes as digital mobility, industry consolidation, and regional investment shifts have reshaped the industry. During this period, McGuirk provided stewardship and new direction to SEMI’s operations, expositions, communities, and partnerships.

“Upon joining, Denny realigned SEMI’s operations to be financially sustainable,” said Y.H. Lee, chairman of SEMI’s board of directors. “Denny has been a consistent and hospitable SEMI ambassador at our SEMICON tradeshows around the globe. We thank Denny for his service and many contributions and wish him well in his retirement.”

“After five years at SEMI, the time is right for me to retire. I am grateful to have worked with SEMI’s exceptional members and outstanding employees – the semiconductor industry is one of the most innovative and fast-paced industries in the world, where only the truly excellent thrive. It’s been great to lead a truly global association such as SEMI with achievements at both regional and international levels. I’m committed to ensure a smooth transition to my successor for the continued success of SEMI.”

A leading executive search firm has been engaged to assist in identifying and evaluating candidates, who can assume the responsibility to continue to focus on the growth and prosperity of SEMI members and drive SEMI’s 2020 vision.

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ:  MENT) today announced that it has acquired Galaxy Semiconductor, a provider of test data analysis and defect reduction software for the semiconductor industry. With this acquisition, more design, test, and product engineers will now have access to Galaxy’s powerful solutions for maximizing device yields, improving test quality, reducing DPM (defects per million), and enhancing device characterization efforts.

“The acquisition of Galaxy Semiconductor provides a significant opportunity for Mentor to expand the breadth of our overall design-to-silicon product offering,” said Joe Sawicki, vice president and general manager of Mentor Graphics Design-to-Silicon Division. “The combination of Mentor’s Tessent® silicon test products along with Galaxy’s test data analysis products provides the industry with end-to-end solutions that span all aspects of design-for-test, device characterization, yield ramp, and cost-optimized high-quality manufacturing test.”

“The Galaxy team is excited to be a part of Mentor, an EDA industry leader with best-in-class products in design-for-test, design-for-manufacturing and automotive electronics design — all of which are highly complementary to Galaxy’s product line,” said Bertrand Renaud, former chief operating officer for Galaxy Semiconductor. “Through the acquisition, Mentor will be able to expand Galaxy’s worldwide sales and support and accelerate the next-generation solutions, which will provide even greater value to customers.”

Today, SEMI announced an exceptional lineup of keynotes at SEMICON Japan’s “SuperTHEATER” focusing on innovation and insights into the future of the electronics supply chain. SEMICON Japan 2016, the largest exhibition in Japan for electronics manufacturing, will take place at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo on December 14-16. Registration for the exhibition and programs is now open.

Japan’s semiconductor fab equipment capital expenditure (front-end facilities, both new and used including discretes and LED) is forecast to increase 12 percent (to US$5.0 billion) in 2017, according to the August SEMI World Fab Forecast report.

On December 14, keynotes will focus on the future:

  • Semiconductor Executive Forum – “The Creation of New Business Opportunities” keynotes:
    • Toshiba: Yasuo Naruke, corporate senior executive VP, on “Toshiba Storage Business Strategy; Utilizing Big Data to Win Productivity”
    • TSMC: Jack Sun, VP of R&D and CTO, on “New Frontiers of Semiconductor Innovation”
    • Murata Manufacturing: Hiroshi Iwatsubo, executive VP, on “Business Strategy and Technology Trends”
  • Opening Keynotes – “Into the Future” keynotes:
    • IBM Research:  Dario Gil, VP, Science and Solutions, on “The Cognitive Era and the New Frontiers of Information Technology”
    • University of Tsukuba: Yoichi Ochiai, media artist and assistant professor, Digital Nature Group, on “The Age of Enchantment”

The SEMI Market Forum, also on December 14, with the theme “Outlook and Growth Opportunities in the Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain” will offer presentations from IHS Markit, VLSI Research Inc., and SEMI.

Highlights on December 15 include Industrial IoT Forum, Autonomous & Connected Car Forum, and U.S. Commercial Service IT Forum. The Technology Trend Forum on December 16 focuses on “The Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Innovation for All.” In addition, SEMICON Japan features forums on Manufacturing Innovation and IoT Innovation.

Attendees at SEMICON Japan will explore the key technologies and business models necessary to grow in the coming years. The SuperTHEATER offers nine keynote forums, all with simultaneous English-Japanese translation, with global top executives.

Platinum sponsors of SEMICON Japan include Disco Corporation, Screen Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. and Tokyo Electron Limited. Gold sponsors include: Advantest Corporation, Applied Materials, Inc., ASE Group, Daihen Corporation, Ebara Corporation, Fasford Technology Co., Ltd., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, JSR Corporation, Lam Research Corporation, Nikon Corporation, Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. and VAT Ltd.

For more information and to register for SEMICON Japan, visit www.semiconjapan.org/en/

Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC), announced today that it has named Fusen Chen as President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) effective October 31, 2016. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of K&S, effective October 3, 2016. Jonathan Chou, Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and interim CEO, will continue to serve as the CFO of the Company.

“Fusen is the ideal person to lead K&S at this exciting and critical time for the Company,” said Garrett E. Pierce, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The semiconductor equipment industry is experiencing rapid change. The need for form-factor reductions, performance improvements and energy efficiency result in greater semiconductor complexity requiring comprehensive Advanced Packaging solutions. While K&S continues to be the market leader in wire bonding, by leveraging its strong technological platform and strategically investing in R&D, the Company is now well positioned to take advantage of these new Advanced Packaging growth opportunities. With his deep familiarity of the semiconductor equipment industry, strong understanding of the enabling technologies, proven track record in developing new products and driving revenue and profitability growth, Fusen has the experience, intellect and determination essential to further drive K&S growth and expansion. I would also like to thank Jonathan for his strong stewardship of the Company over the last year.”

“I’m incredibly excited and honored to join K&S,” said Fusen Chen. “K&S has a proud history as a market and technology leader in the semiconductor equipment industry. I look forward to working with the highly talented employees of the Company as we focus on executing new business growth and accelerating innovation of both new and core products to continue delivering maximum value to our customers, partners, employees and shareholders.”

Fusen joins K&S from Mattson Technology, Inc. where he was the President and CEO. Under his leadership the company turned around years of losses to generate significant revenue growth and achieved sustained profitability.

Fusen previously served as an executive vice president at Novellus Systems, with the responsibility for all semiconductor business units. Prior to this position, he was the chief technology officer (“CTO”) at Novellus, with the responsibility for defining the company’s technology strategy and direction. As the CTO, Fusen was Novellus’s primary executive interface with customers in Asia.

Prior to Novellus, Fusen spent 10 years at Applied Materials, most recently as the group vice president and general manager for the company’s copper physical vapor deposition and interconnect product business group. Before joining Applied Materials, he worked at LSI Logic and SGS-Thomson Microelectronics.

Fusen earned his Ph.D. degree in materials science and engineering from the State University of New York and a B.S. degree in material science and engineering from the Tsing Hua University (Hsinchu, Taiwan).

Brewer Science was honored by the Missouri Association of Manufacturers with a Made in Missouri Leadership Award (MMLA) for Sustainability Leadership. The award honors innovative Missouri manufacturers and leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing.

Brewer Science received recognition for the development and implementation of a robust and strategic environmental program, which led to a program that was certified Zero Waste to Landfill The impact of this certification reinforces Brewer Science’s commitment to the environment, both internally and externally.

“Environmental responsibility does not require an ROI – it is a simple truth and it adds value to our company, but more importantly to the global community,” said Tom Brown, Executive Director, Corporate Production and Sustainability. “Reducing the environmental footprint at Brewer Science has also had a positive impact on the region and in our approach to business by allowing us to contain costs through improved efficiencies.”

“In addition to monitoring and managing our waste, Brewer Science has continued a partnership with the community by helping stakeholders properly dispose of their waste,” said Matt Beard, Director of Integrated Management Systems. “By working with the City of Rolla, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, and the Phelps County Commission, Brewer Science provides area residents with community collections that have enabled them to properly dispose of almost 811,000 pounds of waste over the past 11 years.”

Brewer Science is a developer and manufacturer of materials, processes, and equipment for the fabrication of semiconductors and microelectronic devices. With its headquarters in Rolla, Missouri, Brewer Science supports customers throughout the world with a service and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia. Brewer Science has earned the Zero Waste to Landfill certification from GreenCircle Certification LLC.