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The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Intel and Royal Caribbean International teamed up to integrate Intel-powered tablets onboard the Quantum of the Seas, the world’s first “smartship.” Royal Caribbean is installing 15,000 Intel-based Dell Venue tablets at point-of-sale locations on the new ship. When will Applied Materials’ proposed acquisition of Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) happen? “Timing-wise we still think that it ... » read more

Fab Tool Biz Faces Challenges In 2015


After a slight downturn in 2013, the semiconductor equipment industry rebounded and experienced a solid upturn in 2014. The recovery was primarily driven by tool spending in the foundry and [getkc id="93" kc_name="DRAM"]sectors. Another big and ongoing story continued to unfold in 2014. In late 2013, [getentity id="22817" e_name="Applied Materials"] announced a definitive agreement to acquir... » read more

How To Test IoT Devices


At a recent event, test experts said the IC industry needs a new paradigm in testing chips for the [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"] (IoT). The message was fairly simple to interpret. Existing automatic test equipment (ATE) is well suited to test today’s digital, analog, and mixed-signal chips, though it may be ill-equipped or too expensive to test IoT-based devices. But wha... » read more

One-On-One: Jeffrey Schloss


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about genomics, DNA sequencing and semiconductor technologies with Jeffery Schloss, director of the Division of Genome Sciences at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The NHGRI is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. SE: The NHGRI is involved in several projects... » read more

What’s Next For DNA Chips?


The field of genomic personalized medicine is an emerging and promising area. Using lab systems called DNA sequencers, these units could provide vital information about an individual’s genetic makeup. In this area, several companies are developing next-generation DNA sequencers, built around CMOS-based semiconductor technology. But CMOS-based DNA sequencing chips, and the competing techno... » read more

DNA Sequencing Device Market Heats Up


Slightly more than a decade ago an international consortium reached a major milestone by sequencing the human genome. Using laboratory systems called DNA sequencers, the Human Genome Project (HGP) determined the order of nearly 3 billion base pairs that make up the human genome. This, in turn, was supposed to pave the way to prevent, treat and cure diseases. Then, in early 2014, Illumina hit... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Dec. 8


Progress report on EUV resists The development of resists is a key part of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. “EUV resists are production ready,” said Kevin Cummings, Sematech’s director of lithography. “However, through Sematech’s work with the resist suppliers, we have observed a deceleration in the rate of improvements. As a result, Sematech is working not only with the re... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Intel announced plans to invest up to $1.6 billion in the next 15 years to upgrade its Chengdu, China factory for die prep, assembly and test operations, as well as to bring Intel’s latest Advanced Test Technology to China. Advanced Test Technology is Intel’s internal ATE capabilities. “It is also the single biggest investment by Intel in Chengdu,” said William Holt, executive vice pres... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Dec. 2


Storage ring EUV source Needless to say, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is delayed. Chipmakers hope to insert EUV at the 7nm node, but that’s not a given. As before, the big problem is the EUV light source. So far, the source can’t generate enough power to enable the required throughput for EUV in mass production. Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have one p... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Has extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography finally turned the corner after numerous delays and setbacks? The big test for EUV could reside at TSMC. “TSMC ordered two new EUV tools (from ASML), and is expected to use four EUV tools in total (with the two new orders) for its 10nm process (likely one layer, ramping in 2016 or 2017). EUV remains far from ready for broad adoption, in our view, but ... » read more

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