The light-emitting diode (LED) market has gone through two cycles of major growth, but an even bigger "third cycle" based on super-efficient lighting looms ahead, reports SST's Bob Haavind from a recent SEMI breakfast at Teradyne near Boston on March 10. And the wide range of problems to be tackled will make it an attractive target for those now in the semiconductor processing markets.
Checks into key chipmakers in Korea and Taiwan suggest current demand for equipment is still on the rise, with planned capex increases imminent and capacities set to increase into 2011, according to one industry analyst.
Showa Denko says it will spend ¥200M for a new JV in China to supply photoresist solvent for domestic manufacturers of semiconductors and LCD panels, expanding its business in Asia outside Japan.
X-Fab says it has come up with an embedded nonvolatile memory process that combines the benefits of quickly accessible SRAM with nonvolatile data retention of EEPROM or flash memory, achieving same or better functionality using significantly less chip area.
Crossing Automation says it is riding a wave generated in part by last year's acquisition of Asyst's frontend component technologies, with multiple new design wins and repeat business, says top exec Robert MacKnight.
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From the SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference, listen to experts tell SST about their advances in lithography, resists, metrology and design. Tune in to these exclusive podcasts now!
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Dual Channel Pulse Testing Simplifies RF Transistor Characterization
Device engineers and test managers are under tremendous pressure to make sure products get to market quickly and perform reliably. This is especially true of RF ... Sponsored By:
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High Precision Ion Beam Milling with Time of Flight Compensation
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Backside Circuit Edit on Full-Thickness Silicon Devices
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Recent Developments in TEM Applications for the IC Industry
Scaling ICs to the 45-nanometer node or beyond requires precise measurement of film thickness, interfacial roughness, and chemical distribution. At those nodes, ... Sponsored By:
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A New Method of Wafer-Level Plan-View TEM Sample Preparation by DualBeam
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is extremely important for obtaining high-resolution images with high materials contrast. Until now, plan-view TEM samples ... Sponsored By:
FEI Company
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