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Dear Subscriber,
Like seemingly every company today, foundries are challenged to grow revenues and profits. Leading-edge 65 nm processes have been relatively slow to catch on, as fabless companies avoid the bleeding edge where design costs are becoming painful. At the same time, the top foundries are challenged to bring on expensive new 45 nm and 32 nm processes, and at a pace that keeps up with the IBM-led Fishkill alliance which includes foundry members. Whether the top foundries decide to adopt high-k dielectrics at the 32 nm node, for example, is a fascinating cost/reward question. At the trailing-edge, Chinese cities and provinces appear eager to invest public funds in private foundries, which may change the supply-demand picture for foundries everywhere. To read these articles and more, please go to:
www.semiconductor.net/news
David Lammers, News Editor
david.lammers@reedbusiness.com
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| Sept. 16 Webcast: Evolving CMP for Scaling |
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In this webcast, panelists will discuss the demands for low-damage processes and excellent uniformity as well as new ways to address those challenges, particularly in copper metallization and barrier steps for interconnects. Panelists include: Mark Buehler of Intel Corp., Jan Vaes of IMEC, Reinhold Dauskardt of Stanford University, and Rajiv Singh of the University of Florida.
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| This Week's Top Stories... |
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Most Viewed Articles for the Week of September 1, 2008
In this week's top stories, Tom Mariano of Foliage argues that there are unexplained areas of R&D efficiency in the industry. In PV news, Dow Corning has developed a solar encapsulant that increases solar panel production rates, thus lowering solar power costs, and EU PVSEC attendees are up in arms over Spanish incentives for its solar industry. Also, TSVs were the focus of Tegal executives when they acquired Alcatel Micro Machining Systems, and KLA-Tencor President and COO John Kispert has resigned. More
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| Video Highlights from SEMICON West 2008 |
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Unable to get to every booth you wanted at SEMICON West? Check out SI's 'Live from SEMICON West' video showcase to view interviews discussing new products and solutions introduced at the show.
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Sponsored by: Edwards, TMC, EV Group, Siemens, and Festo
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AMD Fab-Lite Strategy Announcement In Two Weeks, Analyst Says
Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 9/4/2008
Advanced Micro Devices Inc's tight-lipped manufacturing strategy may soon be disclosed and, according to John Lau, an analyst with Jeffries & Co. "Our channel checks indicate that AMD may announce its official fab-lite strategy in two weeks." More
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SEMI's Forum Considers Slow Growth, Memory Pains, Design Capability Decline
Alexander E. Braun, Senior Editor — Semiconductor International, 8/25/2008
At a SEMI-organized event, Bob Johnson, research vice president at Gartner, said, "We're entering a situation where we may have a demand weakness caused by the economy, with inflated inventories and production levels. If demand falters, we could see production pullbacks and delays in capacity expansion plans." More
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Specialized Foundries Find Niche
Mike Walsh, ON Semiconductor, Phoenix — Semiconductor International, 8/1/2008
The evolving semiconductor foundry model is not entirely positive news for markets where cost may be a secondary consideration. Markets, such as military and aerospace, have unique requirements that are not always synergistic with the needs of the markets that are really driving the volume demand for silicon. More
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| Webcast: Innovation at Risk - Intellectual Property Challenges and Opportunities |
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A new white paper published by SEMI provides a detailed study of various IP challenges facing the equipment and materials industry and offers recommendations for improving the situation. This on demand webcast features an overview of the SEMI findings and further discussion by a panel of industry executives.
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AmpTech Opens for GaAs, InP Foundry Services
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 7/31/2008
AmpTech Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.) is opening its doors as a commercial foundry specializing in gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) processes aimed at RF IC and optoelectronic applications. More
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SMIC Lays Foundation for Shenzhen Fab
Yao Gang, Editor-in-Chief, SI China — Semiconductor International, 6/30/2008
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC, Shanghai) and Shenzhen officials laid a foundation stone in the Shenzhen Grand Industrial Zone, kicking off their 200/300 mm Shenzhen manufacturing project. More
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IBM Takes Gloves Off for 32 nm Low-Power Competition With TSMC
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/26/2008
IBM engineers returned home from the 2008 Symposium on VLSI Technology, held this year in Honolulu, to argue that its adoption of a gate-first high-k/metal gate implementation at the 32 nm generation will put IBM and its partners ahead of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. More
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Fab Repurposing Raises New Opportunities
Thomas Morrow, SEMI Vice President Global Expositions and Marketing, SEMI, San Jose — Semiconductor International, 6/20/2008
Previously dedicated to logic, memory and other products, many 200 mm fabs have been repurposed to foundry applications. Conversion to MEMS is another possible option for legacy fabs. More
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UMC Joins Sematech Research Consortium
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 7/28/2008
United Microelectronics Corp. is joining Sematech (Austin, Texas) as a full member with a focus on "research and development for exploratory technologies on 300 mm wafers, including 22 nm and beyond process generations." UMC's decision to join Sematech comes three years after rival foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. decided in July 2005 to drop out of Sematech’s full R&D program. More
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UMC Offices Raided by Taiwan Prosecutors
Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News — Electronic News, 8/28/2008
An insider-trading investigation has led Taiwan prosecutors to raid UMC's offices. The investigation is in connection to alleged personal purchases of ProMOS Technologies shares in 2006, according to a UMC statement. More
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SMIC to Fab Spansion’s 43 nm MirrorBit ORNAND2 Flash
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 8/21/2008
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) will manufacture Spansion Inc.'s 43-nm MirrorBit ORNAND2 flash memory on 300-mm wafers. More
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Displays Going Down, Solar Up at Applied
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 8/13/2008
Applied Materials Inc. CEO Mike Splinter said though foundry utilization is in the 92% range, the transition to 65 nm technology has been delayed by "design complexities." Splinter said he expects 2009 to show a rebound in silicon equipment orders. More
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TSMC, UMC Report July Sales, Weakened By Lagging Demand
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 8/8/2008
Both TSMC and UMC announced July sales that were weakened by the global economic slowdown. More
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UMC Chairman, CEO Jackson Hu Resigns
Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News — Electronic News, 7/16/2008
UMC said Stan Hung has been elected as chairman and Shih-Wei Sun will take over the position of CEO. More
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Philips Completes TSMC Share Divestiture
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 8/14/2008
Royal Philips Electronics has sold approximately 383 million shares of common stock in foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) to long-term financial investors, thereby completing its multi-phased plan to exit its shareholding in TSMC. More
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