Most Viewed Articles for the Week of February 23, 2009
David Lammers, News Editor -- Semiconductor International, 2/27/2009
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The SPIE Advanced Lithography conference, held in San Jose over the past five days, prompted Intel’s director of lithography to express concerns about the EUV mask infrastructure. Plenary speakers took the SPIE podium with their own views of lithography’s future. Those stories complemented several others in our Top Five this week about troubles on the memory chip front, including the dire situations at Qimonda and Spansion and a 200 mm specialty DRAM fab closure by Micron Technology.
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Lithographers Struggle to Find Answers Below 20 nm
Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media — Semiconductor International, 2/23/2009
Intel Corp.’s director of lithography Sam Sivakumar expressed considerable concern about the readiness of the EUV infrastructure at a Nikon seminar preceding the SPIE Advanced Lithography conference. “Serious gaps exist on the mask and inspection fronts,” he said, arguing that improvements are needed in the industry’s ability to measure EUV blanks and patterned reticles.
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Qimonda Sets End-of-March Deadline for New Investors
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 2/24/2009
Mincing no words, Qimonda issued a statement saying that any new investors must commit by the end of March, or the DRAM manufacturer will “likely be liquidated.” Workers in Richmond, Va., are seeking severance payments that Qimonda now says it cannot afford to make.
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Micron to Close 200 mm Boise Fab, Impacting 2500
Staff — Semiconductor International, 2/24/2009
With demand for memories continuing to deteriorate, Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton said the company will close a 200 mm specialty DRAM fab in Boise, Idaho. Earlier hopes for an improved DRAM environment “have not materialized,” Appleton said.
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Spansion Lays Off 3000 as It Seeks Sale
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 2/24/2009
Spansion Inc. is reducing its workforce by ~3000 employees, or 35%, “as the flash memory company resizes the organization due to current market conditions” and “explores various strategic alternatives.” Spansion sent deposits to workers’ bank accounts over the weekend for unused vacation time and time worked.
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SPIE Looks to Innovation, New Markets
Alexander E. Braun, Senior Editor — Semiconductor International, 2/24/2009
Speakers at the opening session of the SPIE Advanced Lithography conference described new opportunities in solar, LEDs and flat panels, while warning that traditional scaling and design practices may be untenable. “Scaling dictates that when the number of transistors is doubled on a chip, each one must burn half as much power, otherwise the chip will burst into flames,” said IBM Fellow Bernie Meyerson.
SPIE Looks to Innovation, New Markets
02/24/2009
