ElectroIQ Blogs

by the editors of ElectroIQ.com

Read opinions/analysis on the day's news, tradeshow updates, and more. We blog about solar, semiconductor, advanced packaging and nanotech manufacturing industries.

WaferNEWS Watch: Spotlight on VSEA; LAVA flows uphill

Barclays' CJ Muse points has a handful of key takeaways from Varian Semi. Equip. Associates' Aug. 19 analyst day, which he says collectively point to the company outpacing the rest of the wafer-fab equipment sector: Still optimistic about 2H10....

What analysts say about Intel's Infineon wireless buy

Intel (INTC) and Infineon (IFNNY) announced today that Intel will buy Infineon's Wireless Solutions Business. According to Craig Berger CFA, CPA of FBR Capital Markets, Intel feels compelled to build out its mobile product suite, including ARM baseband...

Read the ElectroIQ Blog

Insights From the Leading Edge

by Dr. Phil Garrou

Dr. Phil Garrou gives his insight into leading edge developments in 3-D integration and advanced packaging, reporting the latest technical goings on from conferences, conversations, and more.

IFTLE 13 3D In and Around the Moscone Part 3

……….Finishing our look at the 3D related events at the recent Semicon West exhibition. EVGMarkus Wimplinger , Corp Tech and IP Director, shared that 3D and TSV have been a main focus for EVG during the downturn and they feel these technologies have served...

IFTLE 12 3D at the DAC , 3D Survey at the GSA

The importance of of suitable design tools for 3D IC have been detailed previously [ see IFTLE 9 “3D In and Around the Moscone Part 1”, Aug, 2010; PFTLE 102 The 4 Horsemen of 3D IC”,10/16 2009; PFTLE 70 “Deep in the Heart of Texas” 04/04/2009 ]. Well,...

Read the 3D Blog

Chipworks Real Chips

by Dick James

DICK JAMES is a 40-year veteran of the semiconductor industry and the senior technology analyst for Chipworks, an Ottawa, Canada-based specialty reverse engineering company. Chipworks analyses a broad range of devices, giving Dick a unique overview of what technologies make it into the real world of semiconductor production.

Winbond Adopts Qimonda’s Buried Wordline Technology – Metal Gates Come to DRAMs

Before Qimonda’s unfortunate demise last year, they delivered an impressive paper at IEDM 2008 [1] describing a “buried wordline” (BwL) DRAM stack-cell structure. This was a marked change from their earlier technology, as until this point all of their...

Read the Chipworks Blog

Test Points

by Linda Rae

Observations and opinions about semiconductor test, and the factors that drive how test plays a strategic role throughout the semiconductor design and production process.

Tier 1 Fabs are Consolidating. How Does that Affect Test?

The industry’s consolidation of Tier 1 semiconductor fabs has been well documented. Given the tremendous sums of capital required to build and operate a fab, that concentration is hardly surprising.Gartner Group, for instance, has predicted that by 2014...

Did the Recession Affect The Pace of Innovation?

When profits are squeezed or become non-existent, that typically eliminates any company’s ability to fund its future, to invest in new product development initiatives or longer-term research projects. In the semiconductor industry, with its insatiable...

Read the Test Points Blog

Pete's Posts

by Peter Singer

Pete's Posts covers topics germane to the electronics and solar industries, including semiconductor and photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing, advanced packaging, nanotechnology, MEMS and circuit board assembly.

10 million solar roofs in U.S. bill passes

The Ten Million Solar Roofs Act of 2010 (S. 3460) was was passed by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee by a vote of 13 to 10 on July 21, 2010. It was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a member of the Senate energy and environment committees and...

Where Have All the New Apps Gone?

Increasingly, we are hearing about consolidation in the semiconductor industry. Bill McClean of IC Insights has perhaps pointed this out most clearly, noting that the top 10 capacity leaders held about 60% of the total 2009 worldwide IC capacity, and the...

Read Pete's Posts

Small Tech Talk

by Peter Singer

Small Times' Small Tech Talk Blog places news about MEMS and nanotechnology in context and analyzes trends in Small Tech.

Announcing New Online Seminar: Understanding Nanotechnology Safety

Registration is now open for an online seminar on nanotechnology safety. This seminar is of interest to anyone concerned about the potential health hazards of exposure to nanoengineered materials. Hear from world class presenters: Mark Bünger Research...

Promising Nano Spam from Russia

Every once in a while, I receive an interesting e-mail that reeks with promise. I am overwhelmed with curiousity. Will someone please contact Gannady and report back to me!? "Dear ladies and gentlemen, I offer for purchase made by me 254 inventions in...

Read the Small Tech Talk Blog