The Week In Review: Manufacturing


As semiconductor technology becomes more challenging, expect more mergers and acquisitions in the fab tool sector. In a research report issued this week, Weston Twigg, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, sees several possible M&A scenarios in the future. There is no evidence that any deal is pending right now. But according to Twigg, here are some possible M&As that could happen i... » read more

Blog Review: June 25


Is the Amazon Fire smart phone a paradigm shift? Cadence’s Brian Fuller looks at the first application-specific smart phone and why it’s noteworthy—regardless of how well it fares against phones made by Apple and Samsung. Rambus’ Deepak Chandra Sekar digs deep into interconnect technology and where the prevailing winds are blowing—copper barrier/cap/liner optimization, a slowdown i... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: June 24


A cup of sub-wavelength images The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Michigan have developed a technology that could enable sub-wavelength images at radio frequencies. Researchers used a mere glass cup, and laser light at optical wavelengths, to measure and image RF fields. In the future, this technology could measure the behavior of metamaterials. ... » read more

Mobile Packaging Market Heats Up


Apple, Samsung and others are developing the next wave of smartphones and tablets. OEMs want to cram more chip functions in smaller IC packages, but there are some challenges in the arena. In fact, there are signs that the mainstream packaging technology for mobiles is running out of steam. For some time, mobile products have incorporated a technology called package-on-package (PoP), which u... » read more

Will 7nm And 5nm Really Happen?


As leading-edge chipmakers continue to ramp up their 28nm and 20nm devices, vendors are also updating their future technology roadmaps. In fact, IC makers are talking about their new shipment schedules for 10nm. And GlobalFoundries, Intel, Samsung and TSMC are narrowing down the options for 7nm, 5nm and beyond. There is a high probability that IC makers can scale to 10nm, but vendors face a ... » read more

Revolutionizing Biotechnology


By Joseph Jeong and Tony Chao The Old English alphabet is generally regarded to have been invented around the 5th century. Literacy, however, at that time was mostly a privilege enjoyed by the upper elite class in the Western world. This all changed with the invention of the Gutenberg printing press around 1450, when literacy became democratized and available to laypeople. The printing press r... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


In a much-anticipated deal, IBM is close to selling its chip unit to GlobalFoundries, according to Bloomberg. GlobalFoundries wants IBM’s engineers and the IP, and not the fabs. Intel lost its challenge against a record 1.06 billion euro ($1.44 billion) European Union fine handed down five years ago, according to Reuters. The EU said Intel tried to thwart AMD by giving rebates to PC makers... » read more

Blog Review: June 11


eSilicon’s Jack Harding says that EDA and semiconductors need to focus heavily on recruiting the next generation of brilliant engineers. This technology is cool, and even better it makes all the other cool technology work. It’s time to remind the rest of the world. Cadence’s Brian Fuller distills a panel discussion at DAC on computer vision—the sensors that enable driverless cars, a... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: June 3


World’s thinnest TFTs The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has devised the world’s thinnest flexible, 2D thin-film transistors (TFTs). The transistors are just 10 atomic layers thick. TFTs are typically used in screens and displays. In the lab, Argonne researchers fabricated the TFTs on both a conventional silicon platform and a flexible substrate. [caption i... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


GlobalFoundries’ campus in upstate New York employs over 2,200 workers. It is looking to add 600-800 more people by the end of 2014. The company is seeking out engineers with four-year degrees and technicians with associates degrees. It is also bringing in engineers from IBM to ramp its fab in New York. Applied Materials introduced the Endura Ventura PVD system that helps reduce the cost o... » read more

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