10/24/2011 

Imec and Lam Research have developed a quantitative evaluation method for wafer drying techniques. Silicon nano-pillar test structures with high aspect ratios (up to 28) demonstrate the mechanisms of pattern collapse and sticking in the wafer drying step.

10/21/2011 

Awaiting "stability in the overall economic outlook," semiconductor device makers spent 40.4% less with North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment year-over-year in September 2011. The September book-to-bill ratio published by SEMI fell to 0.75.

10/20/2011 

Brewer Science Inc. and EV Group (EVG) will both commercialize ZoneBOND technology for temporary wafer bonding, thin wafer processing, and debonding applications.

10/19/2011 

Mattson Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSN) won acceptance for its Helios XP rapid thermal processing (RTP) system for process of record from a major Asian foundry.

10/19/2011 

Nanotech accelerator SVTC Technologies, wet chem equipment maker Amerimade Technology, and chemicals company Shanghai Sinyang Semiconductor Materials will collaborate on electroplating processes for TSV that are production-ready for advanced packages and MEMS.

10/18/2011 

Once you've chosen an outsourcing partner, focus on the details. Mark Danna of Owens Design shares how to write a project specification that is adaptable and designed to bring a project in on time and on budget.

10/17/2011 

Demand for NAND devices will grow more than 20% in 2011, while DRAM demand will decline by more than 1%. Other trends? 45nm and smaller nodes are increasing market share, says Semico.

10/17/2011 

ERS uncrated the ERS AirCool 3 wafer thermal test system with modular options and easy integration into all major wafer prober systems.

10/13/2011 

RASIRC debuted the Steamer Turbo for specialty applications in the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, featuring integrated gas blending control.

10/13/2011 

ATREG's Barnett Silver reports from SEMICON Europa, where the overall mood on the show floor is optimistic yet cautious, with hope for strong growth by mid-2012. Key themes include a slowdown in 200mm demand, an elite membership for 450mm, and keen interest in MEMS.

10/12/2011 

Edwards Limited expanded its iXH harsh process dry pump family with the iXH500H series of 500m³/h pumps optimized for flat panel display (FPD), solar, and advanced semiconductor processes requiring high gas flows and flexible pump temperature profiles.

10/12/2011 

While the market has currently softened, early-2011 momentum will carry the year's semiconductor silicon sales to a higher total than 2010, said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI, noting the figures are an industry record. Growth will continue at "modest levels" through 2013.

10/10/2011 

Imec and tool vendor ASML have signed a new 5-year deal to continue collaboration on lithography technologies, both immersion and EUV, as well as associated components -- including new sensors to help calibrate lens alignment and dose.

10/07/2011 

Singapore has launched the Manufacturing Productivity Technology Centre at A*STAR's Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. GlobalFoundries signed a 5-year Manufacturing Productivity Enhancement master plan agreement with SIMTech, working on materials recycling, wafer transport, and more.

10/06/2011 

Analog semiconductors will buck the trend of contraction in the overall chip industry, growing 13.8% in 2011, 8.6% in 2012, then 12.8% in 2013.

10/05/2011 

Jan Willis from the eBeam Initiative summarizes the group's annual event at SPIE BACUS 2011, with presentations on both improving wafer quality and mask write times at the 20nm node. Other presentations dealt with EUV masks and a lack of funding support.

10/04/2011 

The maturing MEMS market and increased adoption of secondary equipment for semiconductor manufacturing have led deposition and etch tool supplier memsstar Limited to expand in Livingston, Scotland. memsstar added new positions in logistics, administration, and skilled and semi-skilled engineering to its jobs roster in conjunction with the expansion.

10/04/2011 

The fab-lite (or asset-lite) trend in IC industry has spread quickly and caused a good deal of debate about the future of chip making, says IC Insights in its latest research bulletin from The McClean Report. Fab-lite integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) from the US and Europe are now joined by large Japanese IC makers -- Toshiba, Renesas, Sony, and Fujitsu -- increasing utilization of third-party foundries.

10/03/2011 

Mark Danna, Owens Design, continues his series on the right way to outsource a project. Take these 3 steps before deciding on an outsourcing partner: Check references, consult your professional network, and do some online research.

10/03/2011 

FSI International (Nasdaq:FSII) will ship an ORION single wafer cleaning system to a leading Asian semiconductor foundry for 28nm FEOL cleaning.