The Week In Review: Manufacturing

Fab tools and test
VLSI Research released its annual “Customer Satisfaction Survey” and listed “THE BEST Suppliers” of 2018. VLSI Research received feedback from more than 94% of the chip market and 76% of subsystems customers for this year’s survey. Who are the winners?

Applied Materials reported its second quarter results, along with its business outlook. Compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2017, Applied grew net sales by 29% to $4.57 billion.

Chipmakers
GlobalFoundries has certified Synopsys’ IC Validator tool for physical signoff on GF’s 14LPP process technology. With this certification, designers can take advantage of IC Validator’s speed and scalability, while ensuring a high level of manufacturability compliance and maximum yield.

Infineon Technologies will build a new fab for power semiconductors. A fully-automated chip factory for manufacturing 300mm wafers will be constructed at the Villach location in Austria alongside the existing production facility.

Toshiba said that China regulators have approved the $18 billion sale of its chip unit. The sale involves a consortium led by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital, according to reports.

Microsemi has licensed Crossbar’s ReRAM intellectual property. As part of the agreement, Microsemi and Crossbar will collaborate in the research, development and application of Crossbar’s proprietary ReRAM technology in next-generation products from Microsemi.

Market research
IC Insights has released its top IC rankings in terms of sales in the first quarter. Samsung tops the list, ahead of Intel.

Reaching their highest recorded quarterly level ever, worldwide silicon wafer area shipments jumped to 3,084 million square inches during the first quarter 2018, a 3.6% increase over fourth quarter 2017 area shipments of 2,977 million square inches and a 7.9% rise over first quarter 2017 shipments, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG). “Global silicon wafer shipment volumes started the year at historic levels,” said Neil Weaver, chairman SEMI SMG and director of product development and applications engineering at Shin-Etsu Handotai America. “As a result, silicon shipments, like device shipments, are positioned to be strong this year.”