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The SIA has said that year-on-year growth for the semiconductor industry would be in line with its mid-year forecast of 28.4%, despite many market research firms expecting 30% and above growth rates in 2010. According to the SIA, global sales of semiconductors in the second quarter of 2010 grew to US$74.8 billion, an increase of 7.1% from the first quarter total of US$69.9 billion. June 2010 sales of US$24.9 billion were 0.5% higher than May when sales were US$24.8 billion. Read more >>

TSMC has accelerated its capacity expansion plan for 2010 as demand continues to be strong on that back of growing revenue in the second quarter and guidance of further revenue increase in the third quarter. TSMC’s current capacity plan calls for an overall increase by 14% to 11,299 200mm equivalent wafers, compared with 11,247 8-inch equivalent wafers planned in the last quarter. TSMC guided that 300mm wafer capacity would increase by 36% in 2010 under the current plan. Capital expenditure will be raised again from US$4.8 billion to US$5.9 billion in 2010. Read more >>

The jointly developed ‘PROVE’ overlay metrology system between Carl Zeiss and SEMATECH has successfully passed a key development milestone, according to the partners. The system has achieved .5nm repeatability and 1.0nm accuracy in image placement, registration and overlay measurement for double patterning photomasks, a key requirement for extending 193nm ArF lithography to the 32nm node and below. Read more >>

In a renewed effort to add capacity ahead of the curve and return to historical capital spending patterns, TSMC has held a groundbreaking ceremony in Taichung’s Central Taiwan Science Park for its latest 300mm facility, Fab 15. The fab will be comprised of two manufacturing cleanrooms and an office building having a capacity of over 100,000wspm when fully ramped. Construction is expected to take approximately 10 months. TSMC said it expected to begin equipment move in for Phase 1 in June 2011, with volume production of 40nm and 28nm technology products for customers in the first quarter of 2012. The fully ramped cost of the facility was said to be US$9.34 billion. Read more >>

Process yield problems are to blame for a slight delay in new microprocessor shipments from AMD, using GlobalFoundries 32nm process, according to Dirk Meyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMD. In a conference call with financial analysts to discuss second quarter results, 32nm devices would start shipping and generating revenue in the fourth quarter of 2010, not in the third quarter as previously guided. The yields were not where they expected them to be in the quarter and meant they were unable to ramp production as planned.
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Mass metrology specialist, Metryx has seen a sharp recovery in business, with multiple Mentor mass metrology system orders received, including both new and repeat business, according to the company. Significantly, the orders come from companies based around the world, including the US, Europe and Asia. Read more >>

In another aggressive move to push ahead of its foundry competitors, GlobalFoundries is side-stepping the purchase of pre-production EUV tools and moving directly to production tool sets at Fab 8 in upstate New York, according to Gregg Bartlett, Senior Vice President of Technology and R&D at the foundry, during a keynote address at SEMICON West. The EUV tool, expected to be supplied by ASML will be installed in the second half of 2012, Bartlett said. Read more >>

Following-on from its 300mm equipment purchases from bankrupt Qimonda, Texas Instruments has snagged 2 fabs in Japan from insolvent, Spansion Japan, including 300mm fab equipment. The financial details were not disclosed. TI plans to ship the 300mm equipment, which was capable of 65nm production and below to it’s recently opened 300mm RFAB and will support capacity expansion under TI’s Phase II plan. Read more >>

Toshiba and SanDisk are once again teaming to operate another 300mm mega-fab at Toshiba’s Yokkaichi Operations in in Mie Prefecture, Japan with the start of construction of delayed Fab 5, NAND flash facility. The fab will be constructed in two phases, with the pace of investment reflecting market trends. On completion of its second phase, Fab 5 will be comparable to Fab 4, with a ground area of some 38,000m2. Fab 4 has an estimated capacity of over 210,000wspm. Construction work is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2011. Read more >>

Two leading semiconductor foundries based in Asia have placed multiple orders for Mattson Technology’s Suprema and Aspen 3 Strip systems. The systems will be used for various photoresist strip processes as they ramp their production volumes. All tools will be delivered to both customers by the end of the current third quarter. Read more >>