Online information source for semiconductor professionals

The SIA has reported that worldwide semiconductor sales in August 2008 grew by 5.5 percent to $22.7 billion compared to August 2007, which saw sales of $21.5 billion. Sales were up on July 2008 by 2.4 percent. All regions showed a small increase month-on-month except the Americas, which showed a decline in sales of -0.8 percent and a decline of -7.3 percent, year-on-year. Read more >>

A Korean based IC manufacturer has purchased an InSight 3DAFM system from Veeco Instruments as well as announcing that another customer has accepted the same tool for Critical Dimension (CD) Reference Metrology for Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) modeling. Read more >>

Carl Zeiss has acquired approximately 40 percent of Karlsruhe start-up Nanoscribe GmbH, a developer of 3D laser direct lithography systems used for the manufacture of 3D micro and nano-structures. Terms of the deal were not announced. Carl Zeiss will also be involved in the development of the technology. Read more >>

Although Taiwan-based DRAM manufacturer Nanya Technology recently raised NT$20 billion from a five-year syndicated loan, its company spokesperson, Pai Pei-lin, has told Bloomberg that the cash injection would last a ‘few quarters’ before it would need to raise more funding, sometime in 2009. Read more >>

X-FAB UK Ltd., the semiconductor manufacturer, has announced that it has cut its annual energy costs by over £30,000 following the installation of six 37kW ABB HVAC drives on its three cooling towers. The installation of the ABB drives by Drive Control, the local ABB HVAC partner, cost £15,000, according to the company, all of which will be recouped by the company in the space of six months. Read more >>

At the 2008 International Symposium on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV), ASML expects to present on new developments in EUV lithography that it claims show a production worthiness for the technology down to 11nm. The lithography equipment supplier has dubbed the production tool its 'NXE' series with the design having been completed and evolved from its optical TWINSCAN platform, and has orders for five of these systems from memory and logic customers, the company said. Read more >>

Market research firm, IC Insights has revised downwards its worldwide semiconductor market forecast for 2008. Price erosion, specifically in NAND flash and logic devices was cited for a revenue reduction of $5.2 billion compared to its previous forecast in the middle of the year. In its mid-year report, IC Insights projected semiconductor sales to reach $670.68 billion. The revised forecast puts sales at $$660.73 billion for 2008, a $6 billion decline. Read more >>

Private equity firm Bayside Capital has bought substantially all the assets of surface preparation equipment manufacturer Akrion Systems. The companies said the transaction includes a major investment from Bayside and positions Akrion for growth in both the semiconductor and solar cleaning equipment markets. Customers will benefit from the transaction through new product introductions, enhanced service levels, and expanded R&D. Read more >>

ARM is to develop a comprehensive 32nm and 28nm Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) design platform based on IBM’s processes that will employ high-k metal-gate (HKMG) technology. ARM will develop and license a design platform that includes logic, memory and interface products for the Common Platform technology alliance that includes IBM, Chartered and Samsung. This will be a multi-year collaboration, ARM said. Read more >>

The worlds largest and most profitable semiconductor foundry has announced preliminary details regarding what it claims will be categorized as a full node process for the 28nm node, employing options on high-k metal gate (HKMG) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) materials depending on the IC application and customer requirements. TSMC said that several customers were already working on designs with TSMC for the 28nm node, while initial production is expected in the first quarter of 2010. The 28nm node would be treated by the ITRS as a half-node technology, between 32nm and 22nm. Read more >>