Online information source for semiconductor professionals
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. Goodbye Moore’s Law, hello Len’s Law
18 June 2009
Much chatter and condemnation has gone Len Jelinek’s way since declaring the end of scaling for the majority of the industry when we reach the 18nm node in 2014. This is due to economics, not technical barriers - something that gets the 'Moore’s Law forever' folks all hot under the collar.
Read more >>When demotion is a promotion
15 June 2009
Last week's news that TSMC would enter the Solar and LED markets and not as a foundry supplier, coincided with Morris Chang taking back the reins of daily management of the company and Rick Tsai moving to run the new business venture. This was taken as a demotion for Tsai and a form of retribution for his actions to cut TSMC’s workforce as the foundry struggled with record low utilization rates. Apparently, there had been worker protests over the redundancies, which had impacted TSMC’s reputation.
Read more >>
ASM’s Levitor RTP technology rises from the ashes
10 June 2009 | Comments (3)
One of the white elephants of modern semiconductor equipment design would have to be ASM’s Levitor RTP technology. After years of development and no customers, (one I can recall, though that could have been an eval-only deal), ASM pulled the plug on the development of the tool last year as it struggled to restructure its front-end fab equipment operations. ASM had hoped to off-load the unique but unwanted technology but that had proved too difficult, especially since the collapse in capital equipment sales and lack of access to capital.
Read more >>It’s all up from here, according to IC Insights
02 June 2009
In a rather excited email, Bill McClean at IC Insights has called a bottom to the current semiconductor cycle and without actually using the word, hailed the next up-cycle for an industry desperate for good rather than bad news.
Read more >>Think quarterly, stupid
14 April 2009 | Comments (2)
Turning all the doom and gloom forecasting on its head and things don’t look that bad, according to IC Insights. In particular, take a look at recovering sales at the largest foundry, TSMC and it's up from hereon in for the rest of year and possibly beyond.
Read more >>Is this round of fundraising by Hynix and Micron a good thing?
10 April 2009
Both Hynix and Micron are seeking to raise capital. Hynix got the green light from its former creditor banks to raise approximately US$519 million, while Micron is hoping to gain US$450 million by offering stock and convertible senior notes. Both companies have burnt through billions in the last few years while spending on new capacity and filling the hole in accounts as losses continued unabated.
Read more >>Micron says Taiwan Memory Co deal didn’t make sense: Sour grapes or astute business decision?
03 April 2009 | Comments (1)
Not surprisingly Steve Appleton, Micron’s Chairman and CEO had a few words to say during its timely earnings conference call last night over the decision by the Taiwanese Government to partner with Elpida on process technology IP, the yet to be established Taiwan Memory Co DRAM enterprise.
Read more >>Taiwan Memory Co: madness or monumental?
01 April 2009
Words uttered by someone in the Taiwan Government to someone asking a question on the ‘sidelines’ of some event not related to the subject at all has sparked a flurry of stories suggesting that Elpida has been selected to partner with the beleaguered DRAM industry on the island.
Read more >>KLA-Tencor jobs cuts tell another story
31 March 2009 | Comments (5)
Innovation, node migrations and yield improvement strategies once meant that KLA-Tencor could ride out the worst of an economic or semiconductor specific downturn better than most equipment suppliers, which were more dependent on production expansions to make sales.
Read more >>Powerchip’s Chairman makes a point
25 March 2009 | Comments (1)
Desperate times mean desperate remarks from DRAM producers, especially those in Taiwan such as Powerchip Semiconductor (PSC). Chairman Frank Huang has been quoted as saying that there is the likelihood of a DRAM shortage in the 3Q09, due to the level of production cuts announced by many manufacturers.
Read more >>