This month we have some important news out of the VLSI Symposium, including Sematech's progress on high-mobility channels. SMIC is getting ready to produce 45 nm devices, and we have an exclusive report on that from News Editor Dave Lammers. Remember you can keep up to date with these items and more at our Wafer Processing Technology Channel:

Laura Peters, Editor-in-Chief
lpeters@reedbusiness.com

IBM Takes Gloves Off for 32 nm Low-Power Competition With TSMC
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/26/2008

IBM engineers described the Fishkill alliance's low-power 32 nm process technology, which includes a high-k/metal gate stack, at the 2008 Symposium on VLSI Technology. IBM Vice President Gary Patton said the insertion of high-k will give the partners several advantages over foundry rival TSMC, which plans to stick with an oxide/poly gate stack. "Poly oxynitrides are going to be quite a bit more expensive than using high-k/metal gate at 32 nm," Patton said. More

Sematech Reports Progress at VLSI Meeting
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/23/2008

At the 2008 Symposium on VLSI Technology, Sematech researchers described progress with gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon germanium channels. Though these materials have higher levels of mobility than silicon, the dielectrics present unique deposition and reliability challenges. Also, Sematech and University of Florida researchers presented work on the effect of strain on GaAs devices. More

Intel Scales Floating Body Cell Memory
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/19/2008

Intel researchers presented a planar floating body cell (FBC) memory at the Symposium on VLSI Technology using a thin silicon on insulator (SOI) technology. The FBC cell could be introduced at the 16 nm technology generation or beyond, sharply increasing the density of cache memory compared with conventional six-transistor SRAM technology, said Mike Mayberry, director of components research. More

Aviza Develops Etch/PVD/CVD Tool for 3-D IC R&D
Sally Cole Johnson, Contributing Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/17/2008

Aviza is offering a small-footprint cluster tool targeted for 3-D ICs using through-silicon vias (TSVs). More

ASMI Rejects Applied's Offer for ALD, PECVD Businesses
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 6/16/2008

Following the recent unsolicited offer by capital equipment giant Applied Materials to ASM International (ASMI) for its atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) businesses with a value between $400M to $500M, ASMI announced that its management and supervisory boards have considered the offer, and have no interest to sell the ALD and/or PECVD activities, but is willing to have discussions on the matter. More

VLSI Research Ranks Top Equipment Vendors
Staff — Semiconductor International, 6/11/2008

Keithley Instruments, SEN Corp. and Varian Semiconductor came out on top in their respective categories in the annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by VLSI Research Inc. The market research firm announced the results of its annual survey of semiconductor makers regarding vendors of process diagnostics equipment and small and large suppliers of wafer processing equipment. More

Silicon Wafer Revenue Up 22.5% in 2007
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 6/11/2008

In contrast to 300 mm wafer demand, the 200 mm segment showed clear signs of deceleration during and after 2Q07. Shipments fell to 5.4 million wpm in the fourth quarter, Gartner reported. More

SMIC Says 45 nm Process Ready Next Year
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/10/2008

SMIC plans to have its 45 nm process in volume production by the second half of 2009, starting with a low-power process aimed at mobile devices, cameras and personal navigation systems. SMIC is seeking customers among local Chinese companies, as well as with "top-tier fabless and IDM companies that have expressed interest in working with SMIC on 45 nm," said Chiou Feng Chen, vice president of marketing. More

Intel May Be Pushing Applied to Buy ASMI
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/9/2008

Gartner Inc. equipment analyst Dean Freeman said the bid by Applied Materials to buy the ALD and PECVD businesses at ASM International may relate to a desire by Intel Corp. to see ASMI's technology in Applied's hands. "Intel has a way of marrying small companies that have technology they want with larger suppliers," Freeman said, who speculated that Applied may be readying its own expanded ALD push. More