Online information source for semiconductor professionals
Top Story
UMC sets 2010 capex budget at more than double ’09 levels
05 February 2010 | Fab Management
Continuing its conservative approach to capital expenditure and capacity additions, UMC is raising CapEx for 2010 to between US$1.2 and US$1.5 billion. CapEx for 2009 was reported as US$550 million. The increased spending was due to strong demand for leading-edge technology, which is capacity constrained at its two, 300mm fabs. UMC said that overall fab utilization fell slightly in the fourth quarter to 86%, down from 89% in the seasonally strong third quarter. Utilization rates are expected to remain in the high-80’s for the first quarter of 2010 and wafer shipments to be flat with the previous quarter.
Read more >>News
VLSI Research awards Oerlikon Systems a Five Star customer satisfaction rating
09 February 2010 | Fab Management
VLSI Research has awarded Oerlikon Systems a ‘five star rating’ for customer satisfaction in 2009. The five star ratings are handed out by chip equipment users (representing 95% of the world’s semiconductor market) and compiled by VLSI Research as part of their 2009 Customer Satisfaction Report.
Read more >>Micron, Nanya develop 42nm copper DRAM; production 2H 2010
09 February 2010 | Wafer Processing
Production partners Micron Technology and Nanya Technology had developed a 42nm DDR3 DRAM device that uses copper metalization with 2Gb density. The new 42nm process now makes 1.35-volts the standard, mainstream voltage requirement, compared to 1.5-volt with previous generations. The partners are also preparing a 3X node migration, which is being developed in R&D.
Read more >>Linde’s new dopant gas range lowers ion implantation costs by 20%
05 February 2010 | Materials and Gases
Linde North America has launched its new sub-atmospheric dopant gas
source for the semiconductor and related industries. The Genii
Sub-Atmospheric Gas Sources are used for ion implantation and use
chemical complexing or electrochemical generation to deliver a high
performance as required by IC manufacturers.
Read more >>Tool Order: Major logic foundry places follow-on order for Ultratech’s LSA systems
05 February 2010 | Wafer Processing
TowerJazz teams with Soitec on BSI platform development
05 February 2010 | Materials and Gases
MEMC raising silicon prices on better semiconductor demand
04 February 2010 | Materials and Gases
Editor's Blog & Chip Shots
Bill McClean, IC Insights: 10 Reasons to be optimistic about the IC industry in 2010
05 February 2010 | Editor's Blog
Are you uncertain about the 2010 IC industry recovery? It may help to consider these actual data points and current expectations that offer support for an increasingly positive outlook for the IC industry this year. The 10 points listed should provide the reader with some encouragement with regard to the IC industry and its suppliers in 2010. Is it clear skies and smooth sailing for the rest of the year? Not, quite. Some potential “pot holes” on the road to 2010 success include: a possible spike in oil prices to greater than US$100 barrel; a major terrorist attack that weakens consumer confidence and the economy along with it; and/or, another major shock to the financial system like a major collapse of a country’s economy.
Read more >>RIP, R&D: New innovation models taking hold as semiconductor industry’s R&D progress slows
14 January 2010 | Editor's Blog
Guest blog by Tod Higinbotham, Executive Vice President, Process Solutions, ATMIThe recent economic downturn has taught us that semiconductor technology research and development must change if the industry is to prosper. Circuit design, advanced materials, and innovative process and process flows compel our industry to rethink outdated R&D techniques as we search for a better way to realize the potential of today’s most advanced integrated circuit technology. Read more >>
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
Out with the old fabs and in with the new - not
23 November 2009 | Editor's Blog
Foundry fun and games continue
11 November 2009 | Editor's Blog
No double booking - yet!
29 October 2009 | Editor's Blog
Latest Jobs
Process Engineer Intevac, Inc
14 January 2010 - Santa Clara, CA,
Head Of Thin Film Engineering Solarpro
14 January 2010 - Silistra, Europe
IMEC: Various management and research roles
14 January 2010 - Leuven, Belgium
Applied Materials: c-Si Solar Cell Device Engineer
14 January 2010 - Santa Clara, California, USA
KSK Surya: Head of Module Assembly Engineering
14 January 2010 - San Jose, California, USA
Going Places
AZ Electronic Materials appoints new CEO
19 January 2010
AZ Electronic Materials has appointed Geoff Wild as chief executive
officer. Wild will succeed Thomas von Krannichfeldt who retires from the
position after five years. von Krannichfeldt remains a member of the
board.
Conexant gains new senior vice president of product marketing
12 January 2010
Conexant Systems has announced that Phillip E. Pompa has joined the
company as senior vice president of product marketing. Pompa will lead
Conexant’s worldwide marketing campaign to gain shares in all targeted
segments and work closely with Conexant’s sales and engineering teams
to define differentiated new products. He will report directly to
Christian Scherp, Conexant’s co-president.
Intevac welcomes Luke Marusiak back as executive VP of emerging equipment
07 January 2010
Intevac has announced that Luke Marusiak will re-join the company as
executive vice president of emerging equipment, where he will be
responsible for Intevac’s solar and semiconductor businesses. Marusiak
has previously served as the company’s CEO and COO.
Product Briefings
New Product: ASM’s new PowerFill epitaxial technology enables void free filling of deep trenches
21 January 2010 | Wafer Processing
Product Briefing Outline: ASM International has developed its ‘PowerFill’ epitaxial silicon (Epi Si) trench fill process, which enables void free filling of deep trenches with doped, epitaxial silicon. PowerFill is claimed to be about 3 times faster than competing processes, reducing manufacturing costs and creating an additional degree of freedom in power device design. Fairchild Semiconductor is the first customer to qualify the process for its advanced power management devices, having completed verification at its fab in Korea. ASM believes the new process enables power management devices and circuits to be realized in a smaller footprint thereby reducing die cost and form factor.
Read more >>New Product: SOLA xT from Novellus incorporates monitoring of ultra-violet thermal process
14 January 2010 | Wafer Processing
Product Briefing Outline: Novellus Systems has introduced its next-generation ultra-violet thermal processing (UVTP) system, the SOLA xT. The SOLA xT is used in the manufacturing of advanced logic devices at 45nm and below and incorporates a proprietary UVTP treatment process that modifies the physical characteristics of a previously-deposited film through exposure to ultraviolet light and heat. The new system, featuring on-board UV monitoring and a customizable optics assembly, provides process flexibility and extendibility over multiple device generations. The first SOLA xT system will be shipped to UMC's Fab 12i in Singapore.
Read more >>New Product: Eco-Snow technology improves efficiency of photomasks and reticle cleaning
14 January 2010 | Lithography
Product Briefing Outline: Eco-Snow's advanced, automated MaskClean 150 System is a dry CO2 alternative to conventional cleaning methods for removing particulate and light organic contamination from the surface of photomask substrates. The system is helping a major U.S. photomask manufacturer save money and improve the quality of its photomasks and reticles with a cleaning technology designed for the 28nm DRAM half-pitch technology node. The system reclaims masks by removing contaminants left behind by wet cleaning; preserves mask quality by reducing the number of erosive wet cleaning cycles required and reduces the cycle time required to create masks, since fewer cleanings are needed.
Read more >>Recruitment News
Facility Manager’s Development Program ‘09 begins in September
22 July 2009
Arizona 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, 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 >>