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Unlike the PV industry that has seen wafer prices decline by as much as 70% in 2011, semiconductor silicon wafer revenue actually increased by 2%, while shipments decreased 3%. Though SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) didn’t say why shipments were lower but revenue higher, consolidation in the market coupled to the continued migration to 300mm wafers at the expense of smaller sized substrates could be the key underlying reason for the trends in 2011. Read more >>

An attempt to regain lost revenue has led to MEMC Electronic Materials’ decision to cut its global workforce by 20%, or over 1,300 employees. The cuts, only 250 of which will be from its US workforce, will see the company’s semiconductor segment reduced by 41% and its solar materials staff by approximately 47%. Among other activities, the company will also idle its 6,000MT Merano, Italy polysilicon facility, which it says it will close unless “dramatic feedstock, power and other cost reductions are achieved” in the near future. Read more >>

Air Products has launched a research and development program into electronic materials in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Laboratory at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, China. The project's aim is to accelerate the product development of materials for the microelectronics industry.
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By Chuck Extrand, Entegris, Chaska, Minnesota, USA - ABSTRACT - Polymers, commonly referred to as plastics, are widely used in the manufacturing of microelectronic devices. In addition to their many desirable properties, such as low cost, light weight, strength, ductility and ease of processing, polymers can be created free of metals and inorganic constituents that may interfere with sensitive clean room fabrication processes in multiple ways. For example, the loose molecular structure of polymers may allow the unwanted permeation of gases and simple liquids in fabrication facilities. This paper will provide a brief introduction to factors that influence permeation through polymers, discussing polymer structure background and its relation to permeation, and the influences of various polymer properties on permeation. Read more >>

Mark Thirsk & Mike Corbett, Linx Consulting LLC, Massachusetts, USA Read more >>

C. S. Park, G. Bersuker, S. C. Song, P. Kirsch & B. H. Lee, SEMATECH, Austin, Texas; R. Jammy, IBM assignee to SEMATECH
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