category: Blogs – MD

category: IoT, Security & Automotive

Lessons From Healthcare.gov
By Michael Watts - 01 Nov, 2013 - Comments: 0

Patterning equipment uses software and needs software security. With that rather weak segue, I would like to discuss software projects, considering they are in the news at the moment. The stories about the healthcare.gov rollout bring back fond memories for all of us of software projects that have gone horribly wrong. On the list of things that guarantee a project will miss deadlines, late c... » read more

3D Printing: Is This A Real Manufacturing Revolution?
By Michael Watts - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

As a patterning guy I have been watching the 3D printing story with real interest. Can it deliver or its it hype ? I think that it's an intriguing way to build prototypes and unique parts, but I'm unconvinced that it has any volume manufacturing role. In particular, I have a hard time seeing a business where you can make large numbers of copies of the same manufacturing tool – a key to a “h... » read more

Standards Watch
By Ed Sperling - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

This may sound odd to anyone outside of the SoC world, but as more functionality and more components move from PCB to chip—or at least the same package—what’s happening in the standards world is mirroring what’s going on in semiconductor design and manufacturing. The rule of thumb in the standards world is that as new techniques and technologies are introduced, the number of standard... » read more

The “Last Simple Node” And the Internet of Things
By Brian Fuller - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

Power, performance and size are key targets that will enable the expected explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT). Today, most observers see the path to that running directly through 16/14nm finFET and below for the node’s ability to manage power and size and boost integration. Geoff Lees isn’t your average observer. The vice president and general manager of Freescale’s microcon... » read more

Following The Yen
By Dan Tracy - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

An examination of the installed fab capacity base in Japan shows that total capacity expansion has stalled in recent years due to the consolidation and closures of facilities. The closure and consolidation of 27 facilities between 2009 and 2012 reduced the installed fab capacity in Japan by at least 350,000 200mm equivalent wafers per month. With that said, investments continued in some industr... » read more

Reducing The Tapeout Crunch With Signoff Confidence
By Jean-Marie Brunet - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 1

Crunch time—that last six to eight weeks before tapeout. There’s always too much to do, and too little time. No one wants problems at this stage, because problems mean changes, and changes mean delays. At leading-edge nodes, however, we’re running into some new problems that need new solutions. We all know design rule numbers and complexity are going through the roof as we try to use 1... » read more

Applied-TEL Watch
By Mark LaPedus - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Mark LaPedus So far this year, the biggest story in the fab tool industry is fairly obvious—Applied Materials recently signed a definitive agreement to acquire rival Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) for about $9.3 billion. The blockbuster announcement will likely be the top story of 2013. Of course, the integration of Applied and TEL will be a challenge. In any case, the Applied-TEL deal is i... » read more

New World Applications And The Role of IP
By Rich Wawrzyniak - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

Electronic devices have evolved from cyclical killer applications to everyday ‘must-have’ tools. Smartphones and tablets are a couple of these ‘must-have’ devices and are already making possible new world applications. Many of these new world applications, including the Internet of Things and mobile health, will be pervasive and promise high semiconductor unit volumes. Semico has identi... » read more

Stanford Photonics In 2013
By Marc David Levenson - 17 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

Every September, the Stanford Photonics Research Center and their partners at Scottish Universities and in industry showcase the latest developments in laser applications at an on-campus symposium in Palo Alto, Calif. This year, highlights included remarkable developments in particle accelerators, pollution detection and bio-medicine and looked toward increased societal impact through the Ameri... » read more

Can the EDA Software Industry Evolve Successfully?
By Brian Fuller - 09 Oct, 2013 - Comments: 0

The most fundamental industry question of the moment is uncomfortably simple: Can EDA move beyond itself? Industry growth is sluggish, and innovation via startups seems—seems because that’s a flabby statement—static today. Cadence CEO and venture capitalist Lip-bu Tan put it plainly in an interview: “If you look at the bigger picture, the semiconductor industry has not grown for ... » read more

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