Online information source for semiconductor professionals

A major European semiconductor manufacturer has ordered two ‘WaferWoRx’ 300 Probing Process Analysis Systems from Rudolph Technologies. The orders were placed as part of a multi-tool agreement signed in June 2008. Read more >>

PDF Solutions is to acquire Triant Holdings for $1.75 million in cash, which includes existing customer contracts, technologies and employees. Applied Materials had acquired a 12.5 percent equity in Triant Technologies for an investment of $2.2 million in 1999. Triant is known for its fault detection software technology. Read more >>

Lam Research has opened a new 3,600-plus square foot facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan that will become Lam’s global center for customer training, related to its 200mm and 300mm etch processing tools. Read more >>

The Advanced Metallization Conference, being held from September 23-25 in San Diego, will feature workshops, presentations and talks, one of which will be hosted by SEMATECH. The workshop, entitled “Manufacturing and Reliability Challenges for 3D ICs using TSVs,” will address the applications, manufacturing processes and reliability challenges of 3D IC integration with TSVs at the conference on September 25th. Read more >>

Tegal Corporation, the semiconductor equipment supplier, has announced that it is entering into a partnership with software solutions company CIMAC. The aim of the collaborative move is to work on enhancing operating systems and user interfaces for Tegal’s AMS PVD thin-film deposition systems. Read more >>

Although some time away from December’s IEEE International Electron Devices (IEDM) annual technical meeting, IBM and its joint development partners AMD, Freescale, STMicroelectronics, Toshiba and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), have announced the fabrication of working SRAM devices at the 22nm node. The conventional six-transistor design has an area of 0.1μm², making it the smallest cell size ever fabricated. Read more >>

The Microelectronic Inspection Equipment (MIE) business unit of Vistec Semiconductor Systems is to be purchased by KLA-Tencor from Vistec’s owner, Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Read more >>

UMC has joined the SEMATECH research consortium to partner on 22nm-and-below process technologies. UMC previously partnered with SEMATECH’s former subsidiary, ATDF, in 2006 that saw the companies carry out pre-production work on 45nm and 32nm technologies such as dual work function metal gates, and mobility enhancement structures. Read more >>

Applied Materials is expanding its equipment manufacturing capabilities in Taiwan with the construction of an extension to its Tainan Manufacturing Center at a cost of $17 million. Demand for its AKT flat panel display equipment and SunFab Thin Film Solar equipment was the reason for the expansion, which should be completed in mid-2009, Applied said. Read more >>

IBM is planning a $1.5 billion investment in its New York operations in conjunction with New York State, which will see the State invest $140 million in economic development grants. The total investment of $1.5 billion by IBM will go towards accelerating New York State's in nanotechnology research and development, creating up to 1,000 new jobs. Read more >>