Online information source for semiconductor professionals

GlobalFoundries, a joint venture between AMD and the Advanced Technology Investment Co. (ATIC), has been launched and will service the manufacturing needs of AMD while providing additional information of technologies to third-party customers.

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NXP semiconductors announced its 4Q08 results Monday, March 2, 2009. 

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The transaction to make AMD fabless has now been secured with AMD receiving US$700 million from ATIC for a 65.8% share of its Dresden fabs under ‘The Foundry Company,’ as well as taking over US$1.1 billion in debt. ATIC is also initially injecting US$1.4 billion in new capital. The Foundry Company has been valued at US$4.3 billion. Read more >>

After much hype and speculation over the weekend, concerning the possible outsourcing of Intel Corp’s ‘Atom’ microprocessor fabrication to TSMC, the companies have officially announced that Intel would port its Atom processor CPU cores to the TSMC technology platform including processes, IP, libraries, and design flows to boost third party System-on-Chip (SoC) development of the core. The new agreement does not include a foundry deal for production outsourcing from Intel to TSMC. Read more >>

UK-based LOT Oriel Group, a supplier of leading-edge scientific instruments for industry and academia, have announced that they have been selected as the exclusive distributor for Nanometrics Metrology Systems’ products throughout Europe. This distribution agreement will serve to bolster LOT’s growing product range, according to the company. Read more >>

IC sales in January were down 11.9% compared to December, 2008, according to the latest report from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Worldwide sales were $15.3 billion in January, a decline of 28.6 percent compared to January 2008 sales of $21.5. The decline was attributed to the fall in demand from key markets such as PC, mobile phone and automotive. January is typically a slow month for IC sales. Read more >>

The largest supplier of NOR flash memory devices, Spansion Inc., has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in America, following its Japanese subsidiary, Spansion Japan Ltd., entering into bankruptcy proceedings in early February. The company said it would continue operations while the restructuring took place and hoped that it could restructure is considerable debt, which has been a feature of Spansion since its spin-off from AMD in 2005. Spansion had never been profitable. Read more >>

Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, the global leader in supplying chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries used in semiconductor and data storage manufacturing, has acquired copper CMP manufacturer, Epoch Material Co., Ltd. in an agreement costing US$66 million.    Read more >>

DRAM manufacturers may not see the financial benefits of the expected rebound in memory device prices until the second half of 2009, but they can take comfort from the latest forecast from IC Insights that claims that prices will rise from 1Q09 onwards. The report forecasts that prices will hit bottom, ending the precipitous year-on-year declines due to the massive overcapacity and now weakening demand. Read more >>

According to Digitimes, China-based equipment start-up, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) has secured orders for its 300mm etch tool from TSMC. Formed in 2004, and partially funded by KLA-Tencor, AMEC has a host of veteran semiconductor technologist within its management team. Founder, Dr. Gerald Yin worked for Intel Corp, Lam Research and spent 13-years with Applied Materials, before starting AMEC. Read more >>