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TSMC’s capital expenditures hit US$3.10 billion in 1H: capex raised to US$4.8 billion

29 July 2010 | Fab Management
TSMC has accelerated its capacity expansion plan for 2010 as demand continues to be strong on that back of growing revenue in the second quarter and guidance of further revenue increase in the third quarter. TSMC’s current capacity plan calls for an overall increase by 14% to 11,299 200mm equivalent wafers, compared with 11,247 8-inch equivalent wafers planned in the last quarter. TSMC guided that 300mm wafer capacity would increase by 36% in 2010 under the current plan. Capital expenditure will be raised again from US$4.8 billion to US$5.9 billion in 2010. Read more >>

News

Carl Zeiss demonstrates successful overlay metrology system for double patterning

29 July 2010 | Lithography
The jointly developed ‘PROVE’ overlay metrology system between Carl Zeiss and SEMATECH has successfully passed a key development milestone, according to the partners. The system has achieved .5nm repeatability and 1.0nm accuracy in image placement, registration and overlay measurement for double patterning photomasks, a key requirement for extending 193nm ArF lithography to the 32nm node and below. Read more >>

TSMC holds groundbreaking ceremony for Fab 15

16 July 2010 | Cleanroom
TSMC's groundbreaking ceremony for Fab 15In a renewed effort to add capacity ahead of the curve and return to historical capital spending patterns, TSMC has held a groundbreaking ceremony in Taichung’s Central Taiwan Science Park for its latest 300mm facility, Fab 15. The fab will be comprised of two manufacturing cleanrooms and an office building having a capacity of over 100,000wspm when fully ramped. Construction is expected to take approximately 10 months. TSMC said it expected to begin equipment move in for Phase 1 in June 2011, with volume production of 40nm and 28nm technology products for customers in the first quarter of 2012. The fully ramped cost of the facility was said to be US$9.34 billion. Read more >>

Yield issues dog 32nm roll-out for AMD at GlobalFoundries

16 July 2010 | Wafer Processing
Process yield problems are to blame for a slight delay in new microprocessor shipments from AMD, using GlobalFoundries 32nm process, according to Dirk Meyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMD. In a conference call with financial analysts to discuss second quarter results, 32nm devices would start shipping and generating revenue in the fourth quarter of 2010, not in the third quarter as previously guided. The yields were not where they expected them to be in the quarter and meant they were unable to ramp production as planned.
Read more >>

Tool Order: Metryx reports improving acceptance of mass metrology for 300mm production

16 July 2010 | Wafer Processing

GlobalFoundries elects to invest in production ready EUV lithography for Fab 8 in 2012

15 July 2010 | Lithography

TI snags more bargains with purchase of 2 fabs from Spansion Japan

15 July 2010 | Cleanroom

Toshiba breaks ground on Fab 5 NAND flash facility

15 July 2010 | Cleanroom

Tool Order: Foundries place multiple orders for Mattson’s strip system

13 July 2010 | Wafer Processing

Editor's Blog & Chip Shots

Is Samsung on path to succeed Intel as top semiconductor firm?

30 July 2010 | Editor's Blog
The latest semiconductor company rankings from IC insights for the first-half of 2010 show that with the strong performance from memory manufacturers and in particular segment leader Samsung, the gap between number one ranked, Intel and number 2 ranked Samsung has shrunk rapidly. Read more >>

IC industry capacity consolidation

17 June 2010 | Editor's Blog
Bill McClean, IC InsightsIC Insights keeps a close watch on IC capacity trends as an indicator of future IC ASPs and overall IC industry strength. Since 2Q07, IC suppliers have been paring down their older capacity (i.e., ≤200mm wafers). The decline in ≤200mm capacity picked up speed in 2009 and is expected to continue throughout 2010 as memory manufacturers steadily close or upgrade their 200mm fabs to produce 300mm wafers. Read more >>

Micron re-enters NOR flash business

11 February 2010 | Editor's Blog

Bill McClean, IC Insights: 10 Reasons to be optimistic about the IC industry in 2010

05 February 2010 | Editor's Blog

RIP, R&D: New innovation models taking hold as semiconductor industry’s R&D progress slows

14 January 2010 | Editor's Blog

Bill McClean, IC Insights: The “Reset” Economy and the 2010 IC Industry

06 January 2010 | Editor's Blog

What has Applied Materials raided from Semitool?

26 November 2009 | Editor's Blog

Latest Jobs

Amonix, Inc.: Supply Chain Manager, Solar Cell

17 June 2010 - Seal Beach, California

Equipment Field Engineer

17 June 2010 - Germany, with extensive global travel

Amonix, Inc.: Semiconductor Packaging Engineer

17 June 2010 - Seal Beach, California

Process Engineer Intevac, Inc

14 January 2010 - Santa Clara, CA,

Head Of Thin Film Engineering Solarpro

14 January 2010 - Silistra, Europe

Going Places

Verigy COO Jorge Titinger adds president title to role

22 June 2010
Jorge TitingerSemiconductor test company Verigy has promoted its current COO to the role of president and COO as of July 1st 2010. Jorge Titinger will report to Keith Barnes, chairman and CEO, who renounces the role of president, which he has held since joining the company in 2006. Jorge has worked with such companies as KLA-Tencor, Applied Materials and FormFactor over the course of his career. Read more >>

Jason Rim promoted to spearhead Rite Track’s Asian semiconductor sales

22 June 2010
Brian Renner, Rite Track's VP of salesRite Track has bolstered its Asian business approach with the appointment of Jason Rim as the leader of its Asian sales team. Jason joined the company in 2009 as current director of strategic process technology, prior to which he held several senior positions with major semiconductor companies. This additional role will see Jason drive the company’s regional sales in the important Asian market from Rite Track’s Asia headquarters in Singapore. Read more >>

Former Asyst head goes to Brooks Automation as new President

06 April 2010
Stephen S. SchwartzThe former Chairman, CEO and President of now defunct Asyst Technologies, Stephen S. Schwartz has been appointed President of Brook Automation. Schwartz will become a member of a newly formed Office of the Chief Executive with Robert J. Lepofsky, Chief Executive Officer, and Martin S. Headley, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. His role will be to develop and implement the corporate strategic plan, executing to the annual operating plan and increasing the rate of profitable growth of the company. Read more >>

Product Briefings

New Product: UVision 4 defect inspection system from Applied handles patterning layers at 22nm

17 June 2010 | Wafer Processing
UVision 4 system from Applied MaterialsProduct Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has launched the ‘Applied UVision’ 4 wafer inspection system, enabling IC manufacturers to detect yield-limiting defects in the critical patterning layers of 22nm and below logic and memory devices. UVision 4 extends Applied’s DUV laser imaging technology to deliver the sensitivity and productivity needed to rapidly locate and identify defects previously unseen by any other inspection system. The UVision 4 system is already the tool of record at multiple leading flash manufacturers where it is used for 32nm production and in the development of 22nm and EUV lithography processes. Read more >>

New Product: Applied Materials’ InVia system tackles HAR liner film deposition for TSV structures

15 April 2010 | Wafer Processing
‘Applied Producer InVia’ dielectric deposition system. Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has added to its line of 3D chip packaging solutions with the launch of its ‘Applied Producer InVia’ dielectric deposition system. Using a unique CVD process and chemistry, the InVia system deposits the critical oxide liner film layer in high aspect ratio (HAR) through-silicon via (TSV) structures. Providing conformal coverage over the full depth of these challenging features, the InVia process enables robust electrical isolation of the TSV – which is vital for reliable device performance.  Read more >>

New Product: Crossing Automation enhances Spartan EFEM with 450 wafers per hour (wph) throughput

26 March 2010 | Critical Components
Crossing Automation enhances Spartan EFEM with 450 wafers per hour (wph) throughputProduct Briefing Outline: Crossing Automation has announced that it has improved its Spartan equipment front end module (EFEM) performance, enabling it to achieve 450 wafers per hour (wph) throughput. By upgrading Spartan’s production-proven software algorithms for wafer move paths, Crossing Automation now has the highest throughput capability of any commercially available EFEM, while maintaining Spartan’s established reliability and cleanliness performance. Read more >>

Recruitment News

Facility Manager’s Development Program ‘09 begins in September

22 July 2009
CREATEArizona State University's (ASU) developed training program for professionals has announced details for the 2009 ‘Facility Manager's Development Program' (FMDP), due to start in September this year. Read more >>

Axcelis cuts one-fifth of global workforce

22 May 2009
Further to its approximately 14% cut in staff numbers in October 2008 – only seven months ago, Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has again announced that it is letting staff go in a further attempt at cutting operating costs to stay competitive. Approximately 235 staff, or 20% of its global workforce will be axed from the company’s books, yielding an estimated $25 million in savings per annum. Read more >>

Xilinx looks to restructuring

16 April 2009 | Comments (1)
Xilinx semiconductor plant in DublinXilinx, Inc. has announced plans to restructure the company, including getting rid of 6% of its workforce, or 200 employees, which would have a pre-tax charge of US$11-US$13 million for the June quarter, mostly dealing with severance pay expenses. Read more >>

Special Features

300mm activity report: Special Memory Focus

01 March 2008
Mark Osborne, Editor-in-Chief, Semiconductor Fabtech Read more >>

300mm activity report: January to April 2008

01 March 2008 | Comments (1)
Mark Osborne, Editor-in-Chief, Semiconductor Fabtech Read more >>

300mm Prime and the road to 450mm: Part 1

01 December 2007 | Comments (1)
Mark Osborne, Editor-in-Cheif, Semiconductor Fabtech Read more >>