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Editor's Blog
The blog is written by Semiconductor Fabtech's Editor-in-Chief, Mark Osborne. Mark is also the Senior News Editor for Photovoltaics International and the PV-Tech website. He has launched multiple technology titles in print and online covering manufacturing in the automotive, shipping, semiconductor and solar sectors in a publishing career spanning three decades. Mark started blogging in 2005, the first technology editor to do so and has worked online since 1996. A veteran manufacturing technology journalist and editor, Mark as been responsible for a series of innovative formats for delivering technical content to an engineering-based audience. Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Reports: END OF AN ERA
28 July 2011
There will be no further quarterly conference calls from VSEA, and that
includes for the benefit of myself and anyone else that is interested in
the ion implant space - to compare and contrast the niche but
fascinating area of this semiconductor technology area.
Read more >>SEMICON West: Losing a job I didn’t know I had lost!
07 July 2011
It’s that time of year again, when bags are packed and the semiconductor
suppliers head-off to San Francisco for SEMICON West. Though not
attending myself this year, due to an inconsiderate eldest daughter
being in a stage show in London next week, I did find out that I have
been sacked from a job I had undertaken for a few years that is
organised by SEMI in conjunction with SEMICON West.
Read more >>If you can’t beat them buy them!
04 May 2011
Big news today is that ion implant market leader Varian Semiconductor
Equipment Associates is to be acquired by Applied Materials for
approximately US$4.9 billion. Though this is most definitely a semiconductor play for Applied, it does raise some issues over Applied’s motives as Varian launched the Solion implanter to the solar manufacturing industry a year ago, having poured significant capital into developing the technology. Read more >>
Intel to go revolutionary
26 April 2011
Otellini’s revolutionary comments were on the back of announcing they
would increase capital spending in 2011 by a further US$1.0 billion.
Much of that added spending would directed at the 14nm node though some
would be allocated to ramp at the 22nm node that bit bigger as demand
was proving extremely strong for its latest MPU’s.
Read more >>Guest blog: A Perspective on the Impact of Japan’s Disaster
30 March 2011
This guest blog was provided by Bill McClean, IC Insights, covering
new analysis of the impact on the semiconductor industry from the recent
disasters in Japan. One thing we have learned in over 30 years of analyzing the
semiconductor market is that when the forecasting environment is at its
most confusing state (e.g., the memory market bubble of 1984, the
internet bubble of 2001, the financial collapse of 2008/2009, etc.), the
best thing to do is go back to basics.
Read more >>It all goes Pete Tong for Nikon!
29 March 2011
VLSI Research has announced its Top 10 wafer fab equipment supplier
rankings for 2010 and its not one company’s position that hits you with a
sledge hammer but its growth in terms of percentage compared to 2009.
As the headline states clearly (though the cockney rhyme may not) Nikon
is has had a terrible time against its nemesis, ASML.
Read more >>Could energy supply be the near-term issue for Japanese IC industry?
15 March 2011
In what is clearly a lucky break for the majority of the semiconductor
industry in Japan, the massive earthquake and tsunami that followed has
not been directly disruptive as it could have been. Having collected official statements from countless company websites
since last Friday’s initial earthquake (those will get added to the top
story running report tomorrow), few facilities are out of action. But?
Read more >>Taiwan DRAM consolidation takes unusual twist
01 February 2011
This guest blog has been written by Lane Mason and Jim Handy of semiconductor market research firm, Objective Analysis.On January 31st, Elpida Memory announced an agreement under which it would purchase all of Powerchip's DRAM output. The agreement is intended to allow Elpida to expand its production capacity without capital expenditures. Powerchip will phase out its own branded DRAMs and Elpida will purchase all of its commodity PC DRAM production from Powerchip. Elpida's 300mm Hiroshima fab will allocate its capacity away from commodity DRAMs towards Mobile DRAMs. Read more >>
TSMC and 450mm wafers: Chang goes ka-ching
27 January 2011
Muted references by Intel that its recently announced D1X Fab would
450mm capable is starting to look more like 'doable' if you take veteran
leader of TSMC, Morris Chang at his word. Speaking in a conference call
with financial analysts, Chang was in pumped-up mode after a capacity
sold-out year and expectations of the same this year.
Read more >>What wafer size will Intel’s D1X be?
26 October 2010 | Comments (1)
Hats off to C.J. Muse the semiconductor analyst at Barclays Capital for
contemplating that Intel’s new fab, D1X could be primed to be its first
450mm fab. Full details of the speculation can be viewed here at
EETimes. The fact that Intel said very little about its most
significant new fab expansion plan in many years certainly adds fuel to
the conspiracy theories.
Read more >>