News

Wednesday 1st January 2003

IMEC is setting up a 300mm silicon research platform initiative. The aim is to perform advanced process research at least two generations ahead of manufacturing. IMEC’s local Flemish government will provide funding of EUR37.18mn for the construction of the cleanroom. The goal of the research platform is to demonstrate novel device architectures and to perform research on process steps and modules. It will be built around the world’s most advanced lithography clusters such as 157nm and extreme ultraviolet (EUV). The new fab will be located next to current IMEC facilities. Strategic long-term partnerships with a core set of equipment suppliers and major IC manufacturers will be set up to carry the investments. This new lab will also allow the freeing up of space in the current 200mm cleanroom for research into a broad range of nanotechnology domains.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Bookham Technology has agreed to acquire the Optical Transmitter and Receiver and Optical Amplifier businesses of Nortel Networks. As part of the combination, Nortel Networks has also agreed to enter into a $120mn supply agreement with Bookham.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Motorola’s Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS) is to transfer its all-copper, 0.13µm HiPerMOS7 (HiP7) technology to Tower Semiconductor’s 200mm Fab 2 facility, under a transfer and licensing agreement. Motorola product prototyping by Tower customers could begin on HiP7-based technology as early as Q1 2003. Tower intends to use HiP7 as the 0.13µm technology platform for its analogue, digital and mixed-signal processes, as well as for its proprietary CMOS Image Sensor and microFLASH technologies. The transfer of HiP7-based technology to Fab 2 is due for completion in Q4 2003.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Austriamicrosystems’ Full Service Foundry unit announced availability of its BiCMOS process, which is based on a 0.35µm CMOS mixed-signal base technology licensed from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC). The 3.3V RF process offers high-speed npn-transistors with an fmax of more than 35GHz, as well as CMOS transistors with the option of 5V I/Os.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

IMEC is setting up a 300mm silicon research platform initiative. The aim is to perform advanced process research at least two generations ahead of manufacturing. IMEC’s local Flemish government will provide funding of EUR37.18mn for the cleanroom construction.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

STMicroelectronics’ first 0.13µm Flash memories are being supplied in engineering sample quantities. Ramp to volume will begin in Q4, 2002. The devices were developed at ST’s Center of Excellence for Non Volatile Memories in Agrate, Italy.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Wacker has decided on a new production location for 300mm silicon wafers - Freiberg, Germany. From August 2004, the initial capacity will be 60,000 wafers per month. This could ultimately increase to 150,000 per month.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Philips Electronics is to dissolve its Components division. Telecom speaker activity will be combined with Mobile Display Systems (MDS) and moved to Philips Semiconductors, offering a single source for the telecom and PDA markets.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Bookham Technology has agreed to acquire the Optical Transmitter and Receiver and Optical Amplifier businesses of Nortel Networks. As part of the combination, Nortel Networks has also agreed to enter into a $120mn supply agreement with Bookham. Approval of the deal by Bookham’s shareholders is need at an extraordinary general meeting to be held on November 5, 2002.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

An agreement has been made between Taiwan’s UMC foundry and IMEC’s Europractice IC Service.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

SEZ Group made Q3 net sales of CHF51.2mn, compared with CHF78.3mn in Q3 2001. The quarter also resulted in a net profit of CHF5.6mn.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) and Luxell Technologies are in dispute over a license agreement. Luxell is seeking damages in excess of $25mn for breach of contract. CDT failed to make a scheduled payment, it is claimed.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Agere Systems and Infineon Technologies have formed an alliance to jointly develop high-performance chips based on the 802.11 wireless networking standard.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Aneric is to be exclusive distributor in Asia for German company iCADA, a producer of reticle management solutions. Aneric has already supported the first installation of an iCADA system in December 1999 at a Singaporean customer.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

JSR Micro is to officially open its new manufacturing plant in Leuven, Belgium, on the November 20, 2002. The plant will focus on the production of advanced deep ultraviolet (DUV) photoresists and developers.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

IMEC is setting up a 300mm silicon research platform initiative. The aim is to perform advanced process research at least two generations ahead of manufacturing. IMEC's local Flemish government will provide funding of EUR37.18mn for the cleanroom construction.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

STMicroelectronics' first 0.13micron Flash memories are being supplied in engineering sample quantities. Ramp to volume will begin in Q4, 2002. The devices were developed at ST's Center of Excellence for Non Volatile Memories in Agrate, Italy.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

IBM has a newly-developed, high-performance microprocessor - the 64-bit PowerPC 970 derived the POWER4 server processor. The new chip is aimed at the desktop, low-end server and pervasive markets.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Harvard Univeristy chemists believe they have developed a previously unknown catalytic mechanism that can grow nanolaminates at the rate of 32 monolayers per cycle (Science, October 11, 2002). The authors see this as a

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Wacker has decided on a new production location for 300mm silicon wafers - Freiberg, Germany. From August 2004, the initial capacity will be 60,000 wafers per month. This could ultimately increase to 150,000 per month. The EUR430mn investment could create more than 600 new jobs. President/CEO Dr Peter-Alexander Wacker says:

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing closed its eight-for-ten rights offering. The company expects to issue a total of 1.1bn new ordinary shares. As expected, gross proceeds from the offering were SGD1.11mn, translating to approximately $620mn.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Philips Electronics is to dissolve its Components division. Telecom speaker activity will be combined with Mobile Display Systems (MDS) and moved to Philips Semiconductors, offering a single source for the telecom and PDA markets. Digital display and wireless activities will move to Philips Consumer Electronics.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

SZ Testsysteme's managing board has filed for bankruptcy. Negotiations with banks have not led to a satisfactory outcome with regard to a sufficient financing framework despite far-reaching agreements with key suppliers and employees.

Wednesday 1st January 2003

Bookham Technology has agreed to acquire the Optical Transmitter and Receiver and Optical Amplifier businesses of Nortel Networks. As part of the combination, Nortel Networks has also agreed to enter into a $120mn supply agreement with Bookham. Approval of the deal by Bookham's shareholders is need at an extraordinary general meeting to be held on November 5, 2002.