SEAJ Predicts 11.2% Decline for Equipment in Fiscal 2008
Sales of semiconductor production equipment in Japan are expected to decrease in fiscal 2008 for the first time in six years after setting an all-time high in fiscal 2007, which ended in March, the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan said. The association projects an 11.2% decline.

Agilent Acquires MTS Systems Nano Business
Agilent Technologies has acquired the Nano Instruments business unit of MTS Systems for an undisclosed sum to strengthen its portfolio for imaging, characterizing, and quantifying nano-mechanical material properties.

Intel Dedicates Fab 28 in Kiryat Gat
Intel dedicated Fab 28 in Kiryat Gat. The new fab is next to Intel's old Fab 18, now Fab 1 of Numonyx Inc.

Dainippon Screen Acquires Cypress's Silicon Light Machines
Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (DNS) of Kyoto, Japan  announced that DNS has acquired Silicon Light Machines (SLM), a Cypress subsidiary.

Entegris Sets Up Bangalore Office to Serve India Customers
Entegris Inc. announced the opening of a wholly owned subsidiary in Bangalore, India.

Applied Materials CTO Outlines Solar Gains
Mark Pinto, who is the Chief Technology Officer for Applied Materials, also has responsibility for the Energy and Environmental Services Group, talks about the solar business at Applied Materials.

Semiconductor International Announces 2008 Best Product Award Winners
Semiconductor International bestowed its 2008 Editors' Choice Awards for excellence in semiconductor manufacturing on 20 commercially proven industry products (www.semiconductor.net/awards).

STATS ChipPAC Announces Early Results of Notes Offer
STATS ChipPAC Ltd. announced the early results of the cash tender offer and consent solicitation in respect of its $150 million of 7.5% senior notes.

CVD Equipment Corp. Announces New Orders
CVD Equipment Corp. announced that new orders for the three month period ending June 30, 2008 were $4.9M. This represents an increase of 53% over the same period in 2007.

EV Group Named Among VLSI Research's 10 Best Suppliers
EV Group (EVG), based in St. Florian/Inn, Austria, said the company has been ranked as one of the world's 10 best small suppliers of wafer processing equipment by VLSI Research Inc.

Suss MicroTec Leads Ranking of Material Handling Suppliers
Suss MicroTec has been ranked again among the best suppliers in the 2008 VLSI Research Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Lux Research Report Says Thin-Film Solar to Advance
After years of heady growth in the PV market led largely by crystalline silicon, thin-film technology has reached a critical mass, according to a report from Lux Research entitled "Solar State of the Market Q1 2008: The End of the Beginning."

Freescale Redundancy Terms Cut Prior to Exit
Freescale Semiconductor slashed the redundancy entitlement of its workers at East Kilbride by about 30% only months before its plans to axe the plant emerged and the Scottish Government is now being asked to force the US electronics giant to reverse this cut, The Herald can reveal. 

Worldwide YoY Chip Sales Up 7.5% in May
Worldwide sales of semiconductors of $21.8B in May were 7.5% higher than the $20.3B reported for May 2007, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today.

KLA-Tencor Authorizes 15 Million Share Repurchase
KLA-Tencor Corp. today announced that its Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of 15 million of the company's outstanding shares.

Solarfun Signs Supply Agreement with GCL Technology
Solarfun has entered into a long-term polysilicon supply agreement with Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of GCL Silicon Technology Holdings Ltd.

SEAJ: Orders for Japan-Made Equipment Fall for 15th Month
Orders in May for chipmaking equipment manufactured by Japanese makers fell 44.6% from a year before to 88.9 billion yen, down for the 15th consecutive month, an industry group said Thursday, the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan said.

Taiwan May Allow 300 mm Fabs in China, With UMC Impact
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs may be ready to allow local chipmakers to either set up 300 mm-wafer fabrication plants in China or acquire such facilities in the mainland.

Major Deal Between IBM And New York In The Works
State officials and IBM Corp. are working on a deal to invest $90M in state aid to spur more than $2B in private-sector investment over five years at IBM facilities in East Fishkill and Albany.

Cambridge NanoTech Ships 100th ALD System
Cambridge NanoTech announced the shipment of their 100th ALD System to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India.