Mitsubishi is to act as exclusive agent for AmberWave Systems strained silicon technology in Japan. Strained silicon increases the speed of ICs by some 20-30% and reduces power consumption. Mitsubishi will now begin offering strained silicon test wafers and starter kits to Japanese companies looking to integrate strained silicon into their manufacturing processes. It will also work to help AmberWave license its intellectual property to Japanese manufacturers. AmberWave claims to be the first company to have a commercialised version of this new material and process. Its (epsilon)MOS strained silicon technology is based on more than a decade of materials research and development begun at MIT.

Mitsubishi is to act as exclusive agent for AmberWave Systems strained
silicon technology in Japan. Strained silicon increases the speed of ICs
by some 20-30% and reduces power consumption. Mitsubishi will now begin
offering strained silicon test wafers and starter kits to Japanese
companies looking to integrate strained silicon into their manufacturing
processes. It will also work to help AmberWave license its intellectual
property to Japanese manufacturers.
AmberWave claims to be the first company to have a commercialised version
of this new material and process. Its (epsilon)MOS strained silicon
technology is based on more than a decade of materials research and
development begun at MIT.

STMicroelectronics and Hynix withdrew from International Sematech at the
end of 2002. The membership now consists of AMD, Agere Systems,
Hewlett-Packard, Infineon Technologies, IBM, Intel, Motorola, Philips,
TSMC and Texas Instruments.