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MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation, a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, announced the appointment of Gary Tanner to its Board of Directors. Mr. Tanner’s appointment became effective on August 17, 2015. Mr. Tanner’s appointment fills a vacancy on MagnaChip’s Board of Directors created as a result of the Board increasing the number of directors on the Board to eight directors from seven directors.

Mr. Tanner served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of International Rectifier Corporation from January 2013 to July 2015. Mr. Tanner also served as a Director of STATS ChipPac from September 2012 to July 2015. Mr. Tanner previously served as Director, Chief Executive Officer and President of Zarlink Semiconductor, Inc. until it was acquired by Microsemi Corporation in October 2011. Before joining Zarlink in 2007, Mr. Tanner was Vice President of Operations of Legerity, Inc. from 2002 to 2007. During his tenure with Intel Corporation from 1993 to 2002, Mr. Tanner held various management positions managing multiple domestic and international locations. Prior to joining Intel in 1993, Mr. Tanner held various management roles in fab operations at National Semiconductor, Texas Instruments and NCR Corporation.

“We are delighted to appoint Gary Tanner to MagnaChip’s Board of Directors,” said Doug Norby, MagnaChip’s non-executive chairman of the board. “Gary’s global experience and expertise in the semiconductor industry will be a great asset and will enable him to become a valuable contributor to MagnaChip.”

ON Semiconductor Corporation this week announced that Gilles Delfassy has joined its Board of Directors. The Board also appointed Mr. Delfassy to its Science and Technology Committee.

“We are pleased to have Gilles Delfassy join our Board of Directors,” said Dan McCranie, chairman of ON Semiconductor’s Board of Directors. “Gilles is highly respected as an expert in the global semiconductor and wireless electronics industries, having spent the majority of his 35-year career at Texas Instruments. He brings strategic insight and an impressive track record of successful new business development, including systems solutions and the integration of companies through acquisition both in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, Gilles has extensive marketing and global manufacturing experience, making him a very valuable addition to the Board.”

At Texas Instruments (TI), Mr. Delfassy served as Senior Vice President & Executive Officer, General Manager leading the company’s worldwide wireless communications business, growing it to the number one position in the global market. Prior to founding and leading TI’s Wireless Terminals Business, Mr. Delfassy served as TI’s European Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Department Manager. In this position, he played a primary role in the definition and significant growth of TI’s worldwide DSP strategy. Previously, Mr. Delfassy was TI’s European Automotive and Microcontrollers Business Unit Manager, during which time he built a profitable business that was ultimately worth several hundred million dollars. He presently serves as a director of Imagination Technologies.

By Taylor Sholler, SEMI

With trade policy dominating headlines in recent weeks, all eyes were on Maui in the waning days of August as trade ministers from twelve nations convened for perhaps the final time to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  Such a pact between Pacific Rim economies would account for 40 percent of the world’s GDP.  However, last-minute hurdles on dairy, autos, and drug provisions proved to be the negotiators’ undoing and ministers left Hawaii with the promise of at least one more round of exhaustive deliberations in the fall.

Such is the pathway for a multilateral agreement like the TPP.  By all accounts, significant progress has been made but getting 12 countries to concur on a high-standard agreement to reduce both tariffs and non-tariff barriers has been arduous to say the least.  The business community remains optimistic nonetheless and will continue to support TPP conclusion— key for the U.S. SEM industries which export 80% of their products— later this year.

Conversely, a sector-specific trade agreement is a bit more straightforward and industry welcomed news just a week earlier that an agreement-in-principle was reached on the expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).  Originally agreed to in 1996, the ITA fosters free trade in tech and has sorely needed an update to account for the vast progress made through industrial innovation.  While this effort was not without its own obstacles, World Trade Organization (WTO) members came to an agreement in Geneva on July 24th to cut tariffs on more than 200 ICT products after more than three years of negotiations.

This deal between more than 50 nations is seen a major victory for the global economy and the semiconductor equipment and materials industries in particular. SEM-related items account of more than a dozen of the products on the expansion list, including machines and apparatus to manufacture boules, wafers, semiconductor devices and flat panel displays among other products of interest to SEMI members.

WTO trade ministers will now take the list back to their respective capitals for domestic consultations.  By November 1st, participating members must submit a draft schedule detailing their plans for national implementation.  The process should culminate during the WTO’s 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December 2015, with tariff elimination slated to begin July 2016.

The expanded agreement represents 97 percent of world trade in information technology products—an estimated $1.3 billion annual market.  However, the deal also contains a commitment to work to tackle non-tariff barriers in the IT sector, and to keep the list of products covered under review to determine whether further expansion may be needed to reflect future technological developments.

In what was already been a successful year for trade liberalization, negotiators should soon celebrate implementation of the largest WTO-driven tariff elimination deal in 19 years.  The process has breathed fresh life into the promise of sectoral trade pacts driven by market demand and targeted negotiations.  SEMI has worked closely with ITA negotiators throughout the process to ensure the inclusion of SEM items in the expanded list and this is something we hope to replicate in other market opening accords like the Environmental Goods Agreement as well.

The semiconductor supply chain is comprised of the most innovation and technologically advanced products in the world and trade agreements like the ITA play an exceedingly helpful role in the advancement of our industry.  WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo and trade negotiators around the world should be commended for their persistence on this important expansion effort. SEMI will continue to support the great work happening in Geneva and elsewhere to remove barriers to trade and improve business operations for our members.

For a complete list of items included in the expanded ITA, please visit:  https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/ITA-expansion-product-list-2015.pdf

For those with trade-specific questions or concerns, SEMI maintains a dedicated international policy staff, led by Jonathan Davis, Global Vice President of Advocacy ([email protected]).

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming SIA Award Dinner, taking place on Thursday, Dec. 3 in San Jose, Calif. Mr. Panetta, who has also served as CIA director, White House chief of staff, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and as a member of Congress, will offer insight on how the strength of U.S. technology, and a vibrant U.S. semiconductor industry in particular, are critical to our country’s standing in the world and to our economy and national security.

“Leon Panetta is one of America’s most respected leaders and experts on foreign policy,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “The semiconductor industry is a global industry with global challenges. We must ensure smart government policies are in place here at home so our industry can remain strong, and we must work closely with counterparts overseas to ensure we can play on a level playing field in the global markets. Given Mr. Panetta’s extensive and diverse experiences on the domestic and international stages, we very much look forward to his keen perspectives on these matters as we welcome him as the keynote presenter at this year’s SIA Award Dinner.”

Mr. Panetta has dedicated much of his life to public service. He served as the 23rd defense secretary from July 2011 to February 2013. Before joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Panetta served as the director of the CIA from February 2009 to June 2011. Previously, he spent 10 years co-directing with his wife, Sylvia, the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. The Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit center that seeks to instill the virtues and values of public service in young men and women.

From July 1994 to January 1997, Mr. Panetta served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, he was director of OMB, a position that built on his years of work on the House Budget Committee. Mr. Panetta represented California’s 16th (now 17th) congressional district from 1977 to 1993, rising to House Budget Committee chairman during his final four years in Congress. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a law degree, both from Santa Clara University.

The SIA Award Dinner also will feature the presentation of the semiconductor industry’s highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award.

Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc., a global fabless semiconductor company, today provided an update on the closing of its pending acquisition by Uphill Investment Co. for $23.00 per share in cash.

ISSI and Uphill continue to make progress with respect to the closing conditions in the merger agreement.  In particular, ISSI has completed the internal restructuring of its operations in Taiwan as contemplated by the merger agreement.  As a result of the restructuring, all of the assets and employees to be divested have been transferred to ISSI’s Chingis Technology subsidiary.  ISSI has entered into a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement with MediaTek Capital Corp. to sell Chingis for $27.1 million.  The Chingis sale is subject to regulatory approvals in Taiwan and is expected to close shortly before the closing of ISSI’s acquisition by Uphill.  The acquisition of ISSI by Uphill (after ISSI’s divestiture of its Chingis subsidiary) is also subject to regulatory approval in Taiwan and the application for such approval is expected to be submitted in the next few days.

Additionally, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has advised ISSI that it is undertaking an investigation of the proposed acquisition of ISSI by Uphill and that the investigation will be completed no later than August 31, 2015.  ISSI and Uphill have provided information to CFIUS and are cooperating fully with the process.

Upon the satisfaction of the foregoing conditions and the other conditions in the Merger Agreement, ISSI and Uphill still expect to complete the merger by the end of the current calendar quarter.

ISSI is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and markets high performance integrated circuit.

Trends and innovations for low and ultra-low power integrated circuits are the focus of the Low Power Conference at the SEMICON Europa 2015 in Dresden, October 6-8.  With more than 400 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors expected, SEMICON Europa is the leading European semiconductor industry exposition.

Energy efficiency and low power technologies in electronic components have major significance in Europe as European companies hold a strong market position in these application areas. From the Internet of Things (IoT) to automotive electronics and medical technology to future mobile communication, a broad range of application areas exist.

Two major European research initiatives are driving low-power IC technology developments.  The first consortium, called “Silicon Impulse” at CEA-Leti in Grenoble, focuses on low power ICs. The eight partners – which include the chip manufacturer STMicroelectronics – are researching energy-efficient computer systems, ultra-low power solutions for the IoT, and robust chips for deployment in rough environments.  The second consortium, called THINGS2DO (an acronym for “Thin but Great Silicon to Design Objects”) is composed of eight partners. The project focuses on the value-added supply chain for circuit development and design for Fully Depleted Silicon on Insulator (FDSOI) technology being adapted for the requirements of automotive electronics, aerospace technology, industry automation, and the IoT.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES recently announced that the company will invest US$250 million in Dresden by the end of 2017.

“Industrial competitiveness is increasingly driven by innovative chip technologies,” emphasizes Rutger Wijburg, SEMICON Europa keynote speaker and senior VP and GM of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “We see the new focus of our Dresden site on building energy-efficient, high-performance, and cost-effective 22nm FDSOI chips as a great opportunity to keep pushing forward the development in areas such as Industry 4.0, the IoT, and a future-oriented, innovative automotive industry from Germany and Europe.”

At the Low Power Conference at SEMICON Europa 2015, Wijburg will explain the details in his keynote presentation on “Low Power Technology and its Application in SoC, Energy-Efficient Designs and IoT from a Foundry Perspective.” In addition, Olivier Thomas, Silicon Impulse Consortium at CEA-Leti, will present on “FDSOI: A New Era for Energy Efficiency” and Michel Haond, STMicroelectronics (Crolles), will present on “Why is Fully Depleted SOI Best for Ultra-Low Power?”

Materials and equipment for the semiconductor industry are still the main focus at SEMICON Europa 2015. Additionally, the event has grown to include imaging, power electronics, chip design, and packaging. The conference packages for Automotive, MedTech, and Industry 4.0 are also new this year. SEMICON Europa 2015 is co-located with the Plastic Electronics 2015, with conferences and exhibitions in the field of flexible, large area, and organic electronics. For more information on SEMICON Europa 2015, visit www.semiconeuropa.org.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation, a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, announced today it is hosting its first Foundry Technology Symposium at the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai, China, on September 22, 2015.

MagnaChip plans to discuss its current and future semiconductor foundry business roadmap, specialty technology processes, target applications and end-markets. This symposium is a direct response to the increased interest and demand coming from our Chinese fabless customers for advanced analog and mixed-signal specialized foundry technologies.

During the symposium in Shanghai, MagnaChip, which is the largest Korea-based analog and mixed-signal foundry service provider, will highlight its technology portfolio with discussions focused on mixed-signal, low power technologies in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) for high-performance analog and power management applications, Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) and Non-Volatile Memory (NVM). In addition, MagnaChip will present technologies used in applications including smartphones, tablet PCs, automotive, LED lighting, consumer wearables and IoT. MagnaChip will also review its customer-friendly design environment and on-line customer service tool known as “iFoundry”.

“We are very pleased to host our first Foundry Technology Symposium in Shanghai and intend to provide a beneficial and an educational event for all of our participants,” said YJ Kim, Chief Executive Officer of MagnaChip. “Through our technology symposiums in Taiwan, the United States and now in Shanghai, we are better able to serve our global customers with our long history of successful foundry service and expertise.

A multitude of fabless companies, IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers) and other semiconductor companies are expected to attend MagnaChip’s Shanghai technology symposium. To sign up for the event, and to receive more detailed information regarding the symposium, please visit www.magnachip.com or ifoundry.magnachip.com.

ON Semiconductor Corporation today announced that Alan Campbell has joined its Board of Directors.

“Alan Campbell is an outstanding addition to our Board of Directors,” said Dan McCranie, chairman of ON Semiconductor’s Board of Directors. “He brings significant industry knowledge, coupled with his extensive financial background at Freescale Semiconductor. Mr. Campbell will be a valuable addition to the Board, as we continue to grow our business through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, while aligning the company toward our vision of becoming the premier supplier of energy efficient system solutions worldwide.”

Mr. Campbell brings more than 30 years of global industry experience to the Board of ON Semiconductor. He served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Freescale Semiconductor from May 2004 to June 2014. During his tenure at Freescale, Mr. Campbell guided Freescale through its initial public offering (IPO) in 2004, a leveraged buyout in 2006 and a second public offering of shares in 2011. Prior to serving as CFO, Mr. Campbell served as Senior Vice President and Director of Finance of the Semiconductor Product Sector (SPS) division of Motorola, Inc. from February 2000 to May 2004. He also serves as a director of Dialog Semiconductor.

ON Semiconductor is a leading of semiconductor-based solutions.

Qualcomm Incorporated subsidiary Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., today announced it entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Ikanos Communications, Inc., a high performance broadband networking semiconductor and software provider enabling both central office and home gateway solutions. Qualcomm Atheros will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Ikanos for $2.75 per share in cash, and assume all outstanding indebtedness at the closing of the transaction.

According to the company’s press release, the acquisition is intended to expand Qualcomm Atheros’ footprint in the carrier fixed line segment with the addition of high performance broadband access and modem technologies critical to enhancing users’ connected experiences in the home.

Ikanos’ board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends the offer to Ikanos stockholders. The transaction is expected to close before the end of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions, including a minimum tender of a majority of outstanding shares of Ikanos and regulatory clearances in certain non-US jurisdictions.

“Qualcomm Atheros has always viewed the home gateway as the enabler for consumers to not only access the Internet for browsing and downloading content and video streaming, but also as the hub of the Internet in the home for a variety of reliable and high quality services,” said Rahul Patel, senior vice president and general manager, connectivity, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The combination of Qualcomm Atheros’ broad home gateway IP portfolio, including Wi-Fi, powerline, small cell, and Ethernet switch technologies, and Ikanos’ advanced wired modem technology, is designed to create a complete solution for a wide range of home gateway products to better serve the carrier segment.”

The acquisition of Ikanos provides Qualcomm Atheros access to a wide array of technologies, including A/VDSL2 and G.fast modem technology and chipsets for consumer premises equipment (CPE) and central office (CO) infrastructure. Ikanos also offers multi-mode gateway processor and accelerator technology for fiber, LTE, Ethernet and hybrid-copper applications. In addition, Ikanos inSIGHT software allows remote diagnosis, management and optimization of the broadband connection and quality-of-service, and voice over IP (VoIP) integrated access devices and bridges. Ikanos’ strong central office product portfolio, as well as its technology collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent in the area of fixed access communications, enables Qualcomm Atheros to offer a strong product portfolio in the ultra-broadband access space, including G.fast.

“Qualcomm Atheros and Ikanos have a long history of collaboration in the carrier space and share a common vision for the connected home. Bringing the two companies together enables Qualcomm Atheros to accelerate implementation of its strategy for the connected home, and to move the home gateway forward as a key enabler for new carrier applications and services,” said Omid Tahernia, president and chief executive officer, Ikanos.

SEMI Taiwan PV Committee announced the newly-elected vice chairs: Cafer Huang, general manager at Giga Solar Materials Corp., and Swean Lin, president at Green Energy Technology Inc. The global PV industry has been impacted by a steep decline in panel pricing and governmental duties in recent years, but the two new vice chairs of SEMI Taiwan PV Committee hopes to unify the committee and the members to help boost the competitiveness of Taiwan’s PV industry as a whole and to bring more opportunities.

While Taiwan faces serious challenges from declining PV pricing and strong competition from China, the chair of SEMI Taiwan PV Committee, Peng Heng Chang, CEO at Motech Industries, Inc., said that the best strategy for Taiwanese PV makers to profit and survive is to build stronger collaborative partnerships in research and development of underlying technologies, plus tighter integration of the entire supply chain. “We will be striving to help the industry forge advanced strategic partnerships that enable Taiwanese makers to continue to play a critical role in the worldwide clean energy industry,” said vice chair Swean Lin.

Members of SEMI Taiwan now include leading manufacturers across the entire supply chains of semiconductor, PV, and solar batteries. Since its inception in 2008, the SEMI Taiwan PV Committee has created two additional committees for PV Module and HCPV in response to changes and demand of global markets. SEMI remains focused on bringing more opportunities to Taiwan’s PV and semiconductor supply chains through international business matchmaking. Just as the SEMI Taiwan-Turkey PV Delegation Trip in May 2015 opened up collaboration between the two countries, SEMI is now organizing another delegation trip, to India, in November with hopes to expand Taiwan’s PV industry to new territories.

PV Taiwan 2015 will be held on 14-16 October at Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1. With a focus on the needs of global markets, the event is organized into seven pavilions ─ PV Systems, Battery & Energy Storage, Equipment & Materials, Testing & Certification, HCPV, Cross-Strait,  and Innovative Technology & Products of PV Systems ─ to showcase the comprehensive capabilities of Taiwan’s PV supply chains in R&D and manufacturing.

In addition, PV Taiwan 2015 has scheduled six major forums on the agenda: Market Development, New Generation PV Tech, Advanced Technology Symposium, Efficient Energy Storage & Smart Grid Forum, PV System & Architecture Forum, and Executive Summit. The event also offers an exceptional venue for industry professionals to network, exchange, and explore business ventures.