Most Viewed Stories for the Week of March 16, 2009
David Lammers, News Editor -- Semiconductor International, 3/20/2009
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Readers sought an eclectic mix of business and technology news this week, according to our latest Top 5 list. A story on VLSI Research Inc.’s ranking of equipment suppliers came out on top, followed by an Applied Materials wire saw that improves thin-wafer throughput. A Cornell-DuPont CNT research project, Singapore’s need for more skilled workers, and an optimistic look at chip demand from IC Insights rounded out the list.
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VLSI Research Ranks Top Equipment Suppliers
Staff — Semiconductor International, 3/17/2009
VLSI Research Inc. said ASML overtook TEL for the second spot in its annual ranking of equipment suppliers. Applied Materials remained on top, while KLA-Tencor and Lam Research were in the fourth and fifth spots. The Top 10 declined slightly faster than the total IC manufacturing equipment industry, which dwindled 25.1% to $41.8B.
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Two-Wire Saw Lowers Solar Cell Cost
Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media — Semiconductor International, 3/16/2009
Applied Materials today released a new wire saw platform that cuts thinner wafers while overcoming growing issues with load capacity for crystalline silicon (cSi) photovoltaics manufacturing. The net effect is improved throughput, lower silicon use and cost reduction of up to 18 cents per watt.
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Ink Enables CNTs for Transistors, Solar
Alexander E. Braun, Senior Editor — Semiconductor International, 3/18/2009
Scientists at Cornell and DuPont have invented a method for preparing single-walled CNTs for suspension in a semiconducting “ink,” which can then be printed into thin flexible electronics as transistors and photovoltaic (PV) materials. The relatively simple process involves treating CNTs with fluorine-based molecules.
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Not Enough Singaporeans to Fill Cleantech Jobs
Jamie Lee — The Business Times Singapore, 3/16/2009
Some 1200 jobs are up for grabs in the clean technology industry this year, says Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB). Most of the jobs would be created from investments by wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems and solar cell manufacturer Renewable Energy Corp., said Goh Chee Kiong, EDB’s director of cleantech.
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IC Insights: Industry Poised for Rebound
Philip Garrou, Microelectronics Consultants of North Carolina — Semiconductor International, 3/12/2009
IC Insights Inc. reported that chip average selling prices (ASPs) increased 4% in January over the previous month, with NAND ASPs jumping 17% and MPUs also showing strong pricing. If traditional patterns hold true, the current downturn will be followed by strong growth in 2010 and 2011, IC Insights President Bill McClean told an IMAPS Global Business Council meeting in Arizona.
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