Hynix Semiconductor has said it expects to start 54nm DRAM production in the second half of 2008 for both DDR2 and DDR3, 1Gb and 2Gb densities. Compared to its 60nm technology, Hynix claims a 40 percent reduction in die size for the 54nm devices. 

ASE’s wafer level packaging and redistribution process facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan has purchased several production mask aligners and coat/bake/develop clusters for 200 and 300mm wafer level processing. 

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials’ CMP Technologies has said that its newest plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan has achieved ISO 9001:2000 status for the manufacture of CMP polishing pads. The audit of Rohm and Haas’ CMP Technologies Asia-Pacific Manufacturing and Technical Center was completed by Det Norske Veritas Certification. 

Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden is the first institute in that country to have installed an FEI Titan scanning/transmission election microscope (S/TEM), which will be used for support research on functional microstructures of materials and interfaces in thin films with an emphasis on electronic materials, semiconductors, superconductors, dielectrics, ferroelectrics and magnetic materials. 

Evans Analytical Group (EAG) has completed the acquisition of Micro Electronic Failure Analysis Services, Inc. (MEFAS), based in Lake Forest, California USA, making it one of the largest players in the world for electronic failure analysis. The MEFAS acquisition is the latest that EAG has undertaken; recently it has acquired AMER (December 2006) and Accurel Systems (May 2007). 

Nova Measuring Instruments has opened a new development and demonstration center in Hsin Chu, Taiwan, which will become the main lab for customer requirements in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Richardson, Texas-based CVInc. Business Solutions has ordered Surfect Technologies’ Ascent 200 electroplating tool for wafer bumping applications.