tag: Applied Materials

Fab Tool M&A Slowdown?
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Jun, 2015 - Comments: 0

The semiconductor industry is in the midst of a dizzying array of mergers and acquisitions. At the current pace, some 32% of all U.S. publicly traded semiconductor companies are projected to get acquired in 2015, according to FBR. But in reality, the M&A activity will slow and edge towards a 15% consolidation rate for the year, according to the firm. Still, the IC industry is bracing for... » read more

The Future Is Flexible
By Max McDaniel - 18 Jun, 2015 - Comments: 0

For the next installment in my display survey series, I will focus on advanced display technologies coming down the pipeline and how materials engineering solutions will enable tomorrow’s TVs and mobile devices to be flexible, bendable and foldable. [caption id="attachment_20529" align="alignnone" width="438"] Source: Samsung[/caption] I touched on this topic at the recent SID Display W... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing
By Mark LaPedus - 12 Jun, 2015 - Comments: 0

Christopher Rolland, an analyst at FBR, made a startling statement in a recent report. “At the pace of consolidation set thus far this year, 32% of all U.S. publicly traded semiconductor companies would be acquired in 2015! While this run-rate is not likely sustainable and should slow as the year progresses, we still expect ~15% consolidation rates for the remainder of this cycle (above low-t... » read more

Board Games?
By Mark LaPedus - 05 Jun, 2015 - Comments: 0

Applied Materials has elected Willem Roelandts as chairman. He succeeds Michael Splinter, who has retired from the board. Splinter, who is no longer associated with Applied Materials, served as chief executive at Applied from 2003 to 2013 and as chairman since 2009. In late April, Splinter was nominated to the board at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC). Splinter, along with ... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing
By Mark LaPedus - 05 Jun, 2015 - Comments: 1

In what was called a defensive measure by some, Intel has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Altera for $54 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $16.7 billion. Here’s what one analyst said about the deal. “We continue to believe Intel’s pursuit of Altera–at a significant premium–was based on a defensive position, rather than the purely accretive str... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing
By Mark LaPedus - 22 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

At an event, Samsung rolled out its 10nm finFET technology. The company also showed a 300mm wafer with 10nm finFET transistors. "We have silicon-based PDKs out," said Kelvin Low, senior director of foundry marketing for Samsung. Samsung plans to move into production with its 10nm finFET technology by the end of 2016, he said. IC Insights released its chip rankings in terms of sales in the fi... » read more

10nm Fab Challenges
By Mark LaPedus - 21 May, 2015 - Comments: 1

After a promising start in 2015, the semiconductor equipment industry is currently experiencing a slight lull. The pause is expected to be short-lived, however. Suppliers of [getkc id="208" comment="3D NAND"] devices are expected to add more fab capacity later this year. And about the same time, foundries are expected to order the first wave of high-volume production tools for 10nm. At 10nm... » read more

Waiting For Next-Gen Metrology
By Mark LaPedus - 21 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers continue to march down the various process nodes, but the industry will require new breakthroughs to extend IC scaling at 10nm and beyond. In fact, the industry will require innovations in at least two main areas—patterning and the [getkc id="36" comment="Interconnect"]. There are other areas of concern, but one technology is quickly rising near the top of the list—metrology.... » read more

Extending The Hardmask
By Mark LaPedus - 19 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

In chip production, the backend-of-the-line (BEOL) is where the critical interconnects are formed within a device. Interconnects—those tiny wiring schemes in devices—are becoming more compact at each node. This, in turn, is causing a degradation in performance and an increase in the resistance-capacitance (RC) delay in chips. “The scaling roadblocks that the interconnect faces need to ... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing
By Mark LaPedus - 15 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

Cypress Semiconductor has made a bid to buy U.S. memory maker Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI). In fact, Cypress may have started a bidding war against a Chinese consortium to buy ISSI. In March, a Chinese consortium of investors led by Summitview Capital entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire ISSI. The proposed transaction values ISSI’s equity at approximately $639.5 mi... » read more

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