6th December 2006
Arrowhead Research Grow GaN Structures on Proprietary Sapphire Substrates
Arrowhead Research Corporation announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Aonex Technologies, and partner, Sandia National Laboratories, have demonstrated the growth of GaN structures on proprietary A-Sapph substrates.........more

6th December 2006
New Form of Germanium Synthesized
Workers at the University of Houston have for the first-time, synthesised a low-density synthetic form of germanium. Arnold Guloy, a UH chemistry professor, and a team of researchers from UH and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, Germany, where Guloy is also a guest scientist, reported their findings in the paper “A Guest-free Germanium Clathrate” in Nature........more

6th December 2006
Semiconductor Tray Milestone – 500 Millionth Made in China Says Peak
Peak International Ltd., announced that it has recently manufactured its 500 millionth semiconductor tray at its factory in China. There are approximately 1,700 people who are working for Peak directly worldwide or indirectly in its factory in Shenzhen.......more

6th December 2006
FEI Company Expands Top-of-the-Line Helios NanoLab Family
FEI Company will expand its top-of-the-line Helios NanoLab family of DualBeams when it introduces the Helios NanoLab 400 and 400S systems next week at SEMICON Japan. Combining advanced focused ion beam (FIB) and SEM technologies in a highly-integrated and easy-to-use platform, the Helios NanoLab family of tools will provide semiconductor manufacturers with a complete range of advanced high-resolution solutions for their analytical labs......more

6th December 2006
FEOL Cleaning & Resist-stripping Processes
The SEZ Group introduced its Esanti platform targeting front-end-of-line (FEOL) cleaning and resist-stripping processes. Leveraging SEZ's proven expertise in single-wafer wet processing, the highly flexible Esanti platform is primarily intended to address chipmakers' FEOL cleaning roadmaps for 45 nm and below. It builds on the company's core spin-processor technology, adding new capabilities that enhance defect removal and surface drying to effectively address a wide range of high-volume manufacturing applications......more

6th December 2006
Tokyo Electron Ships its Most Advanced Auto Wet Station, EXPEDIUS+
Ahead of the SEMICON Japan show, Tokyo Electron said it would be starting full production shipments of the EXPEDIUS+, its latest innovation in 300mm wet surface preparation, in January 2007.........more

6th December 2006
Equipment Makers Showcase New Systems at SEMICON Japan Show
At the SEMICON Japan Show held December 6-8 at the Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center) in Chiba, Japan, leading equipment makers were showcasing their latest wares. All manner of equipment and materials ranging from controllers through to I-Line steppers were on show........more

30th November 2006
Keithley Updates Pulse Test Software for Materials & Device Characterization
Pulse testing is becoming an increasingly important new characterization technique. The high-speed pulses eliminate potential damage from self-heating effects and are used to characterize new semiconductor materials and devices in applications such as charge trapping for high-k gate stack characterization. Keithley's Model 4200-PIV package extends the capabilities of the Model 4200-SCS to include pulse generation and analysis for material and device characterization.........more

30th November 2006
First SMI Dragon CVD for SiC Bulk & Oxide for China
Structured Materials Industries, Inc. announced the sale, delivery and installation of its first Dragon CVD tool for the Very High Temperature (through 2200°C) and Low Deposition Pressure (sub-Torr to atmosphere) deposition of SiC bulk material. SMI also announced sale of an oxide MOCVD system to China.........more

30th November 2006
Applied Enhances Pre-integrated CIM Solutions Through Brooks Acquisition
On November 06 Applied Materials, Inc., said it is to purchase the assets of Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, Inc., for $125 m in cash. Brooks Software’s products complement Applied Materials’ existing software applications and are expected to enable Applied to offer customers a comprehensive CIM solution for optimizing fab operations........more

30th November 2006
PANalytical Direct Sales & Support Opens in Mexico
PANalytical (Almelo, The Netherlands), the supplier of analytical instrumentation and software for X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), will conduct its business in Mexico directly as a PANalytical entity under the aegis of Spectris Mexico, instead of through its agent - PONA........more

21st November 2006
Three AIX 2600G3 Reactors for Epitech
No less than three volume production AIXTRON AG AIX 2600G3 Reactors will soon be on their way to one of the world’s leading LED makers, Epitech Corporation of Tainan, Taiwan. The AIX 2600G3 sytems will be in the 12x4-inch multiwafer configuration and augment the company’s earlier AIXTRON MOCVD reactors. These are for the mass production of AlGaInP LEDs at Epitech's state-of-the-art facility in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park in the south of Taiwan.......more

21st November 2006
Bede Ships BedeMetrix-F with ScribeView for SiGe
Bede X-ray Metrology has shipped another BedeMetrix-F system with ScribeView to a ‘leading US semiconductor manufacturing consortium’. The system for in-line, high volume semiconductor manufacturing will be used to control strain and relaxation in SiGe on product wafer metrology pads for their 45nm process......more

21st November 2006
Bandwidth Adds Several More Veeco MOCVD Systems for eVCSELs
Veeco Instruments Inc., has announced that Bandwidth Semiconductor LLC has purchased multiple TurboDisc E450 As/P MOCVD Systems. Piero Sferlazzo, VP, GM of Veeco's MOCVD Operations, commented, "Veeco is pleased to support Bandwidth in its expansion. Our production-proven TurboDisc E450 offers the industry's highest throughput and produces the highest volume of premium devices."......more

21st November 2006
Matheson Tri-Gas Increases Arsine Capacity
In response to increased customer demand, Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., has added significant capacity and production enhancement to its hydride plant in New Johnsonville, TN, USA. The company is clearly in bullish mood and keen to leverage its assets to secure a bigger market share. With a two-phase plan, which began in 2005, it has already added over 30% more production capacity for high purity arsine......more

- 13th November 2006
Gold Canyon Drill Results From Cordero Gallium Project
Gold Canyon Resources Inc., has announced further results from its 2006 exploration development plans. These drill results are from the resource conversion program in progress at the Company’s Cordero gallium project located in Humboldt County, Nevada, USA. Cordero is recognized as the largest known primary gallium occurrence in North America. The discovery could have important ramifications as regards the region’s dependence on offshore resources. It could also help stabilise the often fluctuating pricing for this important element. This can only be good for the upper tiers of the business......more

- 13th November 2006
Hiden Launch Knowledgebase to Benefit Mass Spectrometry Equipment Users
Hiden equipment users and the quadrupole mass spectrometry community in general are set to benefit from a new information repository from quadrupole MS manufacturer, Hiden Analytical. The web-based Hiden Analytical Knowledgebase contains extensive information ranging from fundamental data and literature references to product specifications and mechanical data. Additional resources such as topical information, newsletters and software downloads can be readily accessed....more

- 13th November 2006
ECellAs As-Cracker Source for MBE
The new ECellAs valved Arsenic effusion source or "cracker cell" for MBE from Oxford Instruments is designed for high performance MBE growth of As-containing III-V materials. With large crucible capacity, fast and precise flux control, and easy, modular handling for maintenance and crucible, the ECellAs is well suited for production and high-throughput development MBE systems in addition to research reactors.
ECellAs was designed for high-reliability and ease of maintenance: a frequent problem of valved cracker cells, that of valve clogging, is prevented by a unique patented independent heater design. An independent gasket-sealed As path from the crucible through the valve to the cracker prevents leaks and As migration....more

- 13th November 2006
World's Most Advanced Ultrafast Micromachining System at Cardiff's Manufacturing Engineering Centre
Oxford Lasers has recently installed the most advanced ultrafast micromachining system of its kind at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC), Cardiff. The PicoLase1000 system will be a key enabling technology at the MicroBridge facility, offering unique flexibility in laser processing with the ability to machine virtually any material to microscale resolution.... more

- 13th November 2006
AIXTRON Order for Trio of AIX 2600G3 From Epitech
AIXTRON AG is pleased to announce that three AIX 2600G3 epitaxial reactors have been ordered by Epitech Corporation of Tainan, Taiwan. The AIX 2600G3 systems are each to be supplied in 12x4-inch multiwafer configuration. These reactors will augment the company’s earlier AIXTRON MOCVD reactors for the mass production of AlGaInP LEDs at Epitech's state-of-the-art facilty in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park in the south of Taiwan. Just a few months ago the company acquired a Thomas Swan CRIUS 30x2-inch wafer MOCVD reactor, which is to be used for mass-production GaN LED wafer output....... more

- 13th November 2006
Composite Substrates Could Cut Costs of GaN RF Power Devices
Picogiga International, a division of the Soitec Group (Euronext, Paris) and the leader of the European HYPHEN project, today announced excellent initial material characterization results surrounding GaN on compound engineered substrates, which should enable a new range of reasonably priced, high-performance RF applications. The three-year project that started in 2005, aims to develop and evaluate new types of composite substrates based on silicon and silicon carbide materials...... more

- 06th November 2006
Pressure Sensor Available in High Pressure Ratings Up to 60,000 PSIG
American Sensor Technologies (AST), a New Jersey-based manufacturer of state of the art MEMS-based pressure sensing products, introduces the new AST47HP Series of Pressure Sensors..... more

- 06th November 2006
Veeco 2006 MBE Award Winners
Veeco Instruments Inc., co-sponsoring two major MBE awards this year, recognized individuals whose innovations have significantly advanced the field of MBE. Each award consists of a monetary honorarium and an engraved plaque..... more

- 06th November 2006
Tegal Distributor Agreement With Noah Corp. of Japan
San Jose based Tegal Corp., has signed a distributor agreement with Noah Corporation of Japan. The exclusive agreement, which covers an initial three-year period, calls for Noah to assume responsibility for Tegal’s sales and field service support for all existing and future customers in Japan....... more

- 06th November 2006
II-VI Incorporated Bookings Set New Record
Another company in buoyant mood was II-VI Inc., which reported results for its first quarter ended September 30, 2006. Revenues for the quarter had gone up by 12% to $60,797,000 from $54,391,000 in the first quarter of the last fiscal year. Net earnings for the quarter were $7,498,000. These compare with net earnings of $6,749,000 in the first quarter of last fiscal year...... more

- 06th November 2006
AAXT GaAs Substrate Revenue Up 30%
In its latest financial results, AXT, Inc., reported revenue for the third quarter 2006 of $12.5 m, up 21% from $10.4 m in the second quarter of 2006. Total GaAs substrate revenue was $10.6 m up 30% over the second quarter 2006. By contrast, revenue in the third quarter from InP substrate sales was $340,000, down from $613,000 in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Ge substrate sales were $387,000, compared with $169,000 in the second quarter. Finally, materials sales were steady: $1.3 m, compared with $1.4 m in the prior quarter..... more

- 06th November 2006
Thomas Swan MOCVD Order for AIXTRON from Major Korean University CNU
AIXTRON AG announced that Chonbuk National University, CNU, has ordered a Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) epitaxial growth system in second quarter of 2006. It will be supplied in the 3x2-inch wafer configuration and will be used for the development and production of high-brightness gallium nitride based LEDs. The MOCVD system will be installed at CNU’s state-of-the-art cleanrooms in Dukjin-Ku, Chonju, South Korea..... more

- 30th October 2006
Cluster Tool Market Still Divided on Standards
According to a market study by The Information Network, SEMI's Cluster tool standards for semiconductor vacuum operations are still being ignored in the industry. "Large equipment suppliers such as Novellus, Lam Research, and ASM have migrated to an open architecture by adhering to SEMI/MESC standards over the past few years, particularly for 300mm tools. Applied Materials has decided to keep a closed architecture," said Dr. Robert N. Castellano, President of The Information Network..... more

- 30th October 2006
Teradyne Delivers 1000th FLEX Test Platform System
Teradyne, Inc., announced the 1000th shipment of the FLEX Test Platform at an event marking the occasion at Teradyne’s North Reading, MA, USA, facility. Texas Instruments (TI) was the first customer of the FLEX Test Platform when it was introduced in 2002 and now celebrates the test platform’s success by receiving the 1000th shipment. TI tests a wide range of devices with the FLEX Test Platform including microcontrollers, processors with embedded memory, automotive, computer disk drive, and power management devices.... more

- 30th October 2006
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology to Relocate to Bespoke Premises
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology will be relocating from its existing premises in Yatton, Bristol, UK, which it has outgrown. An additional 40 jobs will be created as the company expands into new products and markets.Architects have been appointed to design a scheme and progress a planning application for a bespoke building. This marks the first major step towards the regeneration of the 82 ha brownfield site on the outskirts of Weston–super-Mare .... more

- 30th October 2006
Rudolph Technologies and Tokyo Electron Announce Technology Transfer Agreement Rudolph Technologies and Tokyo Electron Limited, major equipment suppliers to semiconductor fabs, announced an agreement between the two companies that will provide Tokyo Electron (TEL) worldwide distribution rights for Rudolph's integrated lithography inspection technologies, to be included within TEL's coater/developer....... more

- 30th October 2006
Chonbuk National University to Add New Thomas Swan Reactor for High-Brightness LEDs
AIXTRON AG announced that Chonbuk National University, CNU, ordered a Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) epitaxial growth system in the second quarter of 2006. It will be supplied in the 3x2-inch wafer configuration and will be used for the development and production of high-brightness gallium nitride based LEDs. The MOCVD system will be installed at CNU’s state-of-the-art cleanrooms in Dukjin-Ku, Chonju, South Korea...... more

- 30th October 2006
ADT Diamond-on-Silicon Product Innovation of the Year Award
Frost & Sullivan has honoured Advanced Diamond Technologies Inc. (ADT) with the 2006 Thin Films Product Innovation of the Year Award for its Diamond-on-Silicon (DoSi) family of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) enabled products. DoSi wafers are electronics-grade silicon wafers coated with UNCD thin films that are deposited using the company's proprietary CVD process. The UNCD films incorporate most of the outstanding properties of natural diamond in thin film form and have key functionalities beyond those of virtually any other carbon-based material..... more

- 24th October 2006
Teradyne ships 150th Gen4 Microwave option to AMI Semiconductor
AMI Semiconductor has received delivery of the 150th Teradyne Gen4 Microwave instrument for use with the microFLEX test system. AMIS selected the test solution after an extensive evaluation process with a focus on technical performance and ability to deliver the lowest cost of test for its portfolio of industrial and medical devices. AMIS has deployed multiple Gen4 options at its engineering sites and production facility in the Philippines..... more

24th October 2006 -
US Army Supports Kyma Native Non-Polar GaN substrates
Kyma Technologies announced selection for Phase I funding under the US Army’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. The STTR effort will focus on the development of native crystalline non-polar GaN substrates...... more

- 24th October 2006 -
Osram picks SUSS photolith for HB-LEDs
SUSS MicroTec reports that Osram Opto Semiconductors recently placed additional follow-on orders for SUSS LithoFab200 Clusters, which are specifically used in volume production for the manufacturing of High Brightness LEDs...... more

- 24th October 2006 -
Osram picks SUSS photolith for HB-LEDs
SUSS MicroTec reports that Osram Opto Semiconductors recently placed additional follow-on orders for SUSS LithoFab200 Clusters, which are specifically used in volume production for the manufacturing of High Brightness LEDs...... more

- 24th October 2006 -
Trio of MOCVD orders for AIXTRON
AIXTRON AG has revealed two more orders for MOCVD tools to major customers in Taiwan. Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. Ltd. (VPEC) has ordered two AIX 2600 G3 systems in the third quarter of 2006. Secondly, an AIX 2600G3 HT mass production MOCVD system has been ordered by SemiLEDs (Semi-Photonics)..... more

- 25 September 2006 -
Ultratech Expands Advanced-Packaging Tool Offerings
Ultratech, Inc., introduced two new advanced-packaging (AP) lithography tools built on the company's highly successful Unity Platform. Leveraging its industry expertise and market-leading AP platform, Ultratech developed the new 200mm Unity GOLD and 300mm Unity PLATINUM lithography systems to deliver cost-effective solutions for foundry customers... more

- 21 September 2006 -
AMD Recognizes SOITEC with World Class Supplier (WCS) Pathfinder Award for Best Wafer Fab Materials Supplier 2005
Air Liquide Recognized for Outstanding Performance with the WCS Achievement Award
AMD announced it will present its annual "WCS Pathfinder Award for Best Wafer Fab Materials Supplier" to SOITEC S.A. during an awards banquet in Dresden, Germany, home to AMD's Fab 30 and AMD Fab 36 manufacturing facilities. AMD will also present a "WCS Achievement Award" to Air Liquide for their outstanding performance and service in 2005... more

- 20 September 2006 -
Order for three AIXTRON MOCVD systems supports big expansion at ARIMA Optoelectronics Corporation
AIXTRON AG says that ARIMA Optoelectronics Corporation has recently ordered three more of the latest AIX 2600G3 series AIXTRON Planetary Reactor® systems. The 49x2-in wafer capacity AIX 2600G3 systems will be used for the mass production of AlGaInP LEDs and will be installed at Arima’s state of the art facilities in Dashi and Houko, Taiwan... more

- 15 September 2006 -
Keithley's Metrology Services Earns Rigorous ISO 17025 Accreditation
Keithley Instruments, Inc., said that its Metrology Services Group is now accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005, the single most important metrology standard for test and measurement, by the A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation)... more

- 11 September 2006 -
MaxMile Technologies EpiEL probes for epiwafer mapping
MaxMile Technologies, LLC at Lexington, SC, USA, has introduced two types of EpiEL probes to meet different application needs. Both types of probes can be used in existing EpiEL probe station without any change of hardware configuration... more

- 08 September 2006 -
Customer to Push Rudolph Inspection Tools across Multiple Fabs
Rudolph Technologies, Inc., announced significant new orders received in July and August 2006 for advanced all-surface macro defect inspection tools from a major U.S.-based memory manufacturer. The proliferation of Rudolph's all-surface macro inspection systems across multiple fabs has resulted from extensive validation work carried out in a production environment... more

- 05 September 2006 -
Research: Nanoindentation of GaN-on-sapphire for improved optoelectronics
In a recent issue of Materials Chemistry and Physics journal a ‘pop-in’ phenomenon during nanoindentation in epitaxial GaN thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates was reported... more

- 04 September 2006 -
Tegal Etcher Orders From MEMS and Wireless Device Fabs in Japan
Tegal Corporation, said that two 'leading Japanese companies' had placed repeat orders for Tegal 900 series plasma etch systems. These are repeat orders for MEMS and wireless device fabrication. Tegal has shipped over 1500 systems of this type to global semiconductor fabs since its introduction... more

- 24 August 2006 -
Mattson scores its largest ever single order
Mattson Technology reckons it has received its largest order in its history. It comes from one of Taiwan's leading memory manufacturers the identity of which was not revealed. The systems include the Aspen III ICPHT strip and Helios rapid thermal processing (RTP) tools. Shipments begin in the current quarter and extend through the end of the year... more

- 10 August 2006 -
CHEMAPH project to deliver high-performance deposition system for chalcogenides
AIXTRON AG and other leading companies and research institutes are participating on a 2-year European Commission-funded project called 'CHEMAPH' or Chemical Vapour Deposition of Chalcogenide Materials for Phase-change Memories, aimed at the development of chalcogenide-based phase change materials and deposition technology... more

- 20 July 2006 -
JPSA announces 300mm silicon wafer singulation capability
The new ChromaDice UV-DPSS laser systems from J.P. Sercel Associates can now scribe and dice 300mm (12") wafers, up to 500 microns thick. Other versions with short pulse UV lasers offer high speed, high yield processing of sapphire, silicon, and GaAs wafers, as well as other materials... more

- 20 July 2006 -
Eicke Weber comes home to take up post as Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
After 23 years of research in the USA, most recently as a professor at the University of California in Berkeley, Eicke Weber is coming home to Germany... more

- 20 July 2006 -
BOC Edwards liquid abatement system for metal electroplating waste
At SEMICON West 2006, in San Francisco, BOC Edwards, the supplier of vacuum and abatement equipment has released its new electroplated metals abatement system (EPMA) product, which offers simplified liquid waste treatment and lower cost of ownership than conventional approaches... more

- 20 July 2006 -
AXT promotes Bob Ochrym to Vice President of Business Development
Fremont, CA, USA, based AXT, Inc. has promoted industry veteran Robert Ochrym to Vice President of Business Development. He will focus on enhancing AXT's joint venture operations and world wide sales efforts while continuing to maintain selected high level substrate customers in North America and Europe... more

- 20 July 2006 -
AIXTRON receives first order for merged ALD and AVD® technologies
Aachen, Germany – July 10, 2006 – AIXTRON AG, a leading manufacturer of deposition equipment to the global semiconductor industry, today announced that it has received the first system order from a leading Asian memory manufacturer for a combined Genus 300 mm Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) StrataGem and Atomic Vapor Deposition (AVD) technologies... more

- 23 June 2006 -
Veeco co-sponsors two major MBE awards
Veeco Instruments Inc. says it is to co-sponsor two major MBE awards this year - the Al Cho Award and the MBE Innovator Award. Both awards recognize individuals whose innovations have significantly advanced the field of MBE and comprises a monetary honorarium and an engraved plaque... more

- 23 June 2006 -
Taiwan LED Maker Adds Model GPT-40 Hydrogen Purifier
Johnson Matthey Gas Purification Technology (GPT) group has supplied a Model GPT-40 hydrogen purifier, capable of flowing 30 Nm/hr to Tekcore Company, LTD. in Nantou, Taiwan, a leading manufacturer of high brightness LED wafers and chips... more

- 22 June 2006 -
New Veeco Instruments' GEN200 orders include lasers and oxide-on-silicon MBE
Veeco Instruments Inc., the semiconductor process equipment and instrumentation company, has received two orders for its GEN200 MBE System. One is from IPG Photonics, which will use Veeco’s GEN200 MBE for the production of high-quality GaAs-based lasers, and the other is from an unnamed 'leading electronics manufacturer' in a deal which includes a technology collaboration focused on depositing oxide films on silicon wafers with MBE... more

- 22 June 2006 -
Rudolph’s new TrueADC software improves speed and accuracy
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. announced the new TrueADC™ Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) system. TrueADC offers a unique Dynamic Defect Library function that facilitates expansion of the library to adjust easily for new defects or for process variation common to most production lines without specific engineering involvement... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Ultra-short pulsed IV measurements
Agilent Technologies has introduced a parametric test solution for laboratory and R&D environments that provides ultra-short pulsed IV measurements as narrow as 10ns... more

- 12 June 2006 -
The age of steam returns
RASIRC, the steam purification company, has been selected by SEMI as a 2006 Technology Innovation Showcase (TIS) winner... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Scriber/Breaker suits difficult brittle materials
Grassau, Germany, based DynTest Technologies GmbH has launched its DM-8510, a system which has, it says, an improved separation process for electronics substrates... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Product launches accelerate as SEMICON West draws near
SEMI announced the lineup of keynote speakers and program highlights for SEMICON 2006, which takes places at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, July 10-14... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Film curing systems proving popular
Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has secured two new customer placements for its RapidCure FC film curing system... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Ergonomic temperature controller
Lake Shore Cryotronics' new Model 325 temperature controller combines functionality with user-friendly front panel interface for temperature measurement and control solutions... more

- 12 June 2006 -
Closing the loop
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P., has a new closed-loop P-628.2CD XY piezoelectric stages... more

- 12 June 2006 -
AFM receives award
Veeco Instruments Inc., announced that its Dimension family of automated atomic force microscopes (AFMs) has received recognition at two leading semiconductor manufacturers... more

- 25 May 2006 -
AIXTRON reactor double for Samsung Electro Mechanics Blue LEDs
Aachen, Germany, based AIXTRON AG has received an order for two more GaN MOCVD mass production systems from Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd. (SEMCO) in the first quarter of 2006. AIXTRON expects shipment during the first half of 2006... more

- 25 May 2006 -
Sumika Electronics adds Veeco MOCVD for pHEMT epiwafers
Veeco Instruments Inc. has received an order from Sumika Elecronic Materials Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., for its next-generation E450 MOCVD system... more

- 22 May 2006 -
Macro defect inspection system as 'best of breed'
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. announced that two major US semiconductor manufacturers have designated Rudolph's all-surface, macro defect inspection system as 'best of breed'. In both cases, Rudolph systems were thoroughly evaluated in an actual process environment, and the top yield inhibitors were identified... more

- 17 May 2006 -
Riber scores multiwafer order in Japan
RIBER SA has received an order for one multi-4-inch wafer production machine, the MBE49 model, from Yokogawa Electric, Japan... more

- 17 May 2006 -
AWR & IHP RFIC design deal
Applied Wave Research, Inc. (AWR) and Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics (IHP), Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, announced the availability of IHP's high-performance specialty SiGe process for AWR's Analog Office 2006 design suite. The delivery of the first AWR-based IHP process design kit (PDK) is part of a long-term partnership between the two companies to deliver complete RFIC design solutions for high-frequency applications... more

- 12 May 2006 -
World's first 2-inch AlN substrates
Green Island, NY, USA, based Crystal IS, has launched what it claims to be the world's first 2-inch AlN substrates for use in high power RF electronics, blue, and UV optoelectronics. According to Ding Day, Crystal IS CEO, "This development is significant as it opens up a number of market opportunities including bio-agent sensors, phototherapy, water, and air purification."... more

- 11 May 2006 -
Heraeus expands in SE Asia via acquisition
As of May 1, 2006, Heraeus has acquired the business of the Singapore-based sputter target manufacturer, Electronic Materials Technologies Pte. Ltd., from its former owner International Specialty Alloys, USA... more

- 11 May 2006 -
Ozonated water delivery system honoured by Controlled Environments Magazine
MKS Instruments Inc. has had a fair bit to be proud of lately. Its recent financials, see below, reported "significant sales growth" but this week the quality of its products was reaffirmed by a new award... more

- 8 May 2006 -
Technique eliminates expense of actively aligning devices
A novel new hybrid assembly technique which offers a very simple yet highly reliable method of integrating optical devices, has been developed at the Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP)... more

- 8 May 2006 -
Veeco scores multiple orders in Taiwan for GaNzilla
Veeco Instruments Inc. has received several multi-unit orders for its GaNzilla II MOCVD system from several key Taiwanese manufacturers of HB-LEDs... more

- 4 May 2006 -
Versatile tester makes its debut
The new Cascade Microtech 150 mm device measurement platform measures anything from semiconductor wafers, ICs, circuit boards and MEMS to bioscience devices, all on a single platform... more

- 28 April 2006 -
Ferrotec launches upgrades for e-beam evaporators
At the Society of Vacuum Coaters Conference, Ferrotec (USA) Corporation, has launched two new major upgrade options for electron beam (e-beam) evaporation system users: the EV M-10 with smaller spot size and improved beam impact angle; and the new longer-life e-beam emitter... more

- 28 April 2006 -
SiC fab formally opened by US Senator
Advanced Power Technology, Inc., has formally launched the construction of its SiC manufacturing fab at Bend, OR, USA, with an inauguration event featuring a keynote address by US Senator Gordon Smith... more

- 20 April 2006 -
AXT sees 10% revenue increases over Q4 2005
AXT, Inc., reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2006. During the period, the company continued strong execution of growth plans with good revenue growth and positive feedback from customers on the quality and consistency of product, said CEO Phil Yin. He went on to say how energized AXT now is, on course to becoming the number one compound substrate supplier in the world . . . more

- 13 April 2006 -
Novaled and Ciba Specialty Chemicals partner for OLED materials
Novaled and Ciba Specialty Chemicals are to form an industrial
collaboration in the field of OLED materials. Ciba Specialty Chemicals
will produce the unique organic dopant and transport materials
developed by Novaled . . . more

- 11 April 2006 -
New strained silicon process control system
Bede X-ray Metrology launched BedeMetrix™-F with ScribeView™, a new
strained silicon process control system for semiconductor
manufacturing . . . more

- 06 April 2006 -
Aixtron completes Development Support Program with Huga
Aixtron AG announced the completion of its Development Support Program with Huga Optotech Inc, located in Taiwan. The program involved Huga transferring its MOCVD process for blue and green high brightness LEDs to a new Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) system . . . more

- 05 April 2006 -
Group4 Labs launches world's first 2-inch GaN-on-Diamond wafer
Group4 Labs, LLC, (Menlo Park, CA, USA) has launched what it reckons is the world's first 2-inch gallium nitride (GaN)-on-Diamond semiconductor wafer. The new 2-inch version of the recently introduced 10 x 10 mm GaN is the second product in the company's Xero Wafer family . . . more

- 28 March 2006 -
SEMCO places repeat order for AIX 2600 G3 HT system
Samsung Electro Mechanics Co (SEMCO), located in Suwon City, Kyungki-Do, South Korea, has ordered another Aixtron AIX 2600 G3 HT MOCVD system. The system will be used for the mass production of a range of semiconductor devices, including GaN-based LEDs . . . more

- 28 March 2006 -
Kyma signs agreement with US Navy
Kyma Technologies Inc, Raleigh, USA, has signed a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to investigate the potential for low defect density native GaN substrates to enable improvements in the performance and reliability of high power RF transistors based on conventional GaN field effect transistor (FET) designs and on novel FET designs . . . more

- 16 March 2006 -
APA Enterprises sells MOCVD operations - licenses GaN patents
APA Enterprises has sold its multi-wafer MOCVD operations and related intellectual property and entered into a revenue sharing licensing agreement for total consideration of $1.9 m in cash . . . more

- 9 March 2006 -
Keithley helps unlock secrets of carbon nanotubes
Keithley Instruments, Inc., said that its Model 4200 Semiconductor Characterization System conforms to and supports the just-released IEEE standard for electrical testing of carbon nanotubes . . . more

- 7 March 2006 -
Zero micropipe SiC: commercial shipments underway
Intrinsic Semiconductor has commenced commercial shipments of both its micropipe free SiC wafers and its 100mm (4-inch) diameter SiC wafers . . . more

- 2 March 2006 -
Epistar ramps-up with five from Aixtron
Taiwan’s Epistar has purchased Aixtron’s newly developed AIX 2800G4 Planetary Reactor with 42x2" capacity, plus four AIX 2600G3 Planetary Reactors with 24x2" capacity. The systems will be used for GaN epitaxial growth. Epistar is a UHB-LED manufacturer . . . more

- 1 March 2006 -
Wafer Technology, CIP and OU collaborate on TPV cell project
IQE plc subsidiary Wafer Technology Limited is to partner the Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP) and Oxford University in a project to develop high efficiency ThermoPhotoVoltaic (TPV) cell technology based on the InGaAs/InP material system. Funding for the three-year project comes from the DTI and EPSRC through the Technology Programme . . . more

- 1 March 2006 -
Missile Defense Agency on target with Kyma's GaN
Kyma Technologies Inc, Raleigh, USA, has been selected for two new Phase I SBIR projects under the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) SBIR/STTR program. Each program is focused on the development of native GaN materials and devices for next generation military radar systems . . . more

- 28 February 2006 -
Fox ships epi-ready AlN
The Fox Group Inc, Deer Park, USA, is shipping limited quantities of monocrystalline, research-grade AlN substrates. Initial substrates are 15mm in diameter and approximately 0.5mm thick, with one side polished to an epi-ready finish . . . more

- 28 February 2006 -
AXT's Beijing facility certified ISO 14001:2004
Following an audit of AXT Inc’s environmental systems at the company’s Beijing facility, the company has been granted ISO 14001:2004 . . . more

- 23 February 2006 -
New name for Leica Microsystems' Semiconductor Equipment Division
Vistec Semiconductor Systems is the new name for what was previously known as Leica Microsystems’ Semiconductor Equipment Division. The renaming follows the takeover in 2005 of Leica’s semiconductor business by Golden Gate Capital, an investment company based in San Francisco . . . more

- 23 February 2006 -
Fraunhofer IAF orders Veeco GEN20A for nitrides
Germany’s Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Festkörperphysik IAF (Institute for Applied Solid State Physics), located in Freiburg, has ordered an automated GEN20A MBE system from Veeco Instruments Inc. The system will be used to grow nitride-based materials for manufacturing electronic devices. It is the second cluster-style Veeco MBE system to be ordered by the institute . . . more

- 17 February 2006 -
AXT continues revamp
Following the staff changes and reshuffles of 2005, which saw Dr. Philip C.S. Yin appointed CEO, AXT Inc is continuing its drive to create a new image for itself with the introduction of a new logo and website . . . more

- 17 February 2006 -
Aixtron in India
Aixtron AG has received an order for a multiwafer R&D MOCVD system from a research institute located in India. The Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) Pilani, Rajasthan, ordered the Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) reactor, with 3x2" wafer capacity, for research on GaAs, InP and III-nitrides . . . more

- 15 February 2006 -
World first: GaN-on-diamond
Group4 Labs LLC, of Menlo Park, USA, has developed what they claim to be the world’s first gallium nitride (GaN)-on-diamond semiconductor wafer. The Xero Wafer sits less than 0.5 nanometres away from a synthetic diamond substrate and offers high temperature resilience for high-power, high-frequency electronic, solid-state white lighting, military and photonics applications . . . more

- 15 February 2006 -
CoorsTek ultra-flat ceramic vacuum wafer chucks
CoorsTek of Golden CO, USA, has recently announced its ultraflat, high-purity ceramic vacuum chucks which are said to offer major performance advantages over traditional wafer chucks . . . more

- 14 February 2006 -
OIPT: etch processes for HB-LEDs
UK-based Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology (OIPT) has further developed its etch processes for high brightness LED (HB-LED) applications. Its etch batch sizes now run to 20x2” wafers for GaN, AlGaN and related materials etching. With some HB LED production companies making the transition to larger diameter wafers, these equate to eight 3” or four 4” wafers . . . more

- 13 February 2006 -
Another order for Tegal etch systems
Tegal Corporation, Petaluma, CA, USA, announced that an unidentified
'leading wireless component supplier' has placed a multiple system
order for 901ACS diode plasma etch systems featuring the Tegal
'Advanced Control System' . . . more

- 02 February 2006 -
AXT joins SEMI trade organization
Substrate manufacturer AXT Inc of Fremont , CA, USA, which announced recently that it is now also supplying raw materials, has become a corporate member of the trade organization SEMI . . . more

- 02 February 2006 -
IQE's revenues up 32% in 2005
Epiwafer foundry IQE plc expects second-half 2005 revenues of £11.3m (up 17% on first-half 2005 and 55% on second-half 2004) and full-year 2005 revenues of £21m (up 37% on 2004’s £15.3m) . . . more

- 27 January 2006 -
Riber's 2005 sales up 31% on 2004
MBE reactor maker Riber Group recorded sales in 2005 of €17.7m, up 31% on 2004’s €13.5m . . . more

- 27 January 2006 -
Veeco forms Process Equipment Group for data storage and HB-LED markets
Veeco Instruments Inc of Woodbury, NY, USA has formed a Process Equipment Group to “maximise growth opportunities in the data storage and high-brightness LED industries” . . . more

- 27 January 2006 -
AXT introduces raw materials via China JVs
Via joint ventures with companies in China, substrate maker AXT is now also supplying raw materials, including gallium, boric oxide, germanium, arsenic, pBN crucibles, and parts for MBE . . . more

- 27 January 2006 -
Intrinsic licenses SiC polishing process
Wide-bandgap materials and device maker Intrinsic Semiconductor has licensed an advanced chemical mechanical polishing (ACMP) process created at the Penn State Electro-Optics Center . . . more

- 26 January 2006 -
Nanometrics acquires Accent
Metrology equipment supplier Nanometrics Inc of Milpitas, CA, USA is to acquire process control and metrology system supplier Accent Optical Technologies Inc of Bend, OR, USA for $80.9 million . . . more

- 24 January 2006 -
Hitachi Cable qualifies Thomas Swan system for GaN HEMT mass production
Hitachi Cable has qualified the Thomas Swan 19x2-inch Close-Coupled Showerhead MOCVD system for mass production of GaN HEMTs . . . more

- 24 January 2006 -
Riber sells two multi-6" production MBE systems
Riber of Rueil-Malmaison, France has received an order for two multi-6-inch MBE systems, to be used in the production of radio-frequency ICs . . . more

- 17 January 2006 -
Aviza expects fiscal 2006 revenues of $150-170 million
Processing equipment maker Aviza Technology believes its revenue for fiscal 2006 (to 29 September 2006) will be $150–170 million . . . more

- 12 January 2006 -
P+E ships hydrogen purifier to LED maker in Japan
Power+Energy Inc (P+E) has shipped another bulk hydrogen purification system, for installation in Q1/2006 at an existing customer’s LED manufacturing plant in Japan . . . more

- 12 January 2006 -
Voltaix awarded SiGe grant from NSF
Gas and chemical manufacturer Voltaix Inc has been awarded a grant from the US National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR Program to accelerate the commercialization of SiGe technology . . . more

- 6 January 2006 -
SMI sells second GaNomite reactor
Structured Materials Industries Inc has sold a second GaNomite reactor, its newly released series of SpinCVD reactors and systems for GaN film deposition. . . more

- 6 January 2006 -
Record 360 mm germanium crystal grown
A germanium crystal with a record diameter exceeding 360 mm has been grown by Photonic Sense of Eisenach, Germany, a subsidiary of Jenoptik AG. . . more

- 4 January 2006 -
AXT appoints GEO as European distributor
Compound semiconductor substrate manufacturer AXT Inc. of Fremont, CA, USA has entered into an agreement for GEO Semiconductor to be its new exclusive distributor in Europe. . . more

- 4 January 2006 -
SMI awarded SBIR grants
MOCVD-based equipment and materials supplier Structured Materials Industries Inc. (SMI) of Piscataway, NJ, USA has been awarded multiple Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. . . more

- 21 December 2005 -
Veeco receives two orders for production MBE systems for wireless applications
Veeco Instruments Inc of Woodbury, NY, USA has received orders for GEN2000 MBE systems from two leading suppliers of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for mobile wireless communications applications . . . more

- 21 December 2005 -
Rainbow Opto orders Aixtron MOCVD system for blue LEDs
Aixtron has received an order for a Thomas Swan 19x2" Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) GaN epitaxy reactor from China’s Rainbow Optoelectronics Material Shanghai Co. Ltd (formerly LanBao Photoelectric Material . . . more

- 29 November 2005 -
Huga buys CCS system for LEDs
Huga Optotech Inc, of Taiwan, has purchased an Aixtron Thomas Swan MOCVD reactor for the production of green and blue LEDs. The system is a high temperature reactor for growth of GaN based materials and is equipped with the Thomas Swan Closed Coupled Showerhead (CCS) . . . more

- 29 November 2005 -
Oxford Instruments licensed for ALD
ASM International N.V. have granted Oxford Instruments a license on their patent portfolio relating to Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology. The license includes over 280 issued and published patents and allows . . . more

- 25 November 2005 -
GaNomite sales
Structured Materials Industries Inc (SMI) delivered its first commercial GaNomite GaN SpinCVD reactor and has recieved an order for a second. Details of the company’s clients were not disclosed . . . more

- 21 November 2005 -
NCU orders CCS reactor for LED research
Aixtron AG has received an order for a Thomas Swan 3x2" Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) reactor from the National Central University (NCU), Optical Science Center, Taoyuan County, Taiwan R.O.C. . . . more

- 21 November 2005 -
Production volume automated wafer inspection system
KLA-Tencor has introduced the Candela CS20, an automated wafer inspection system designed to address the defect management requirements of the HB-LED market. CS20, with its proprietary, multi-channel detection architecture, can inspect transparent wafers . . . more

- 14 November 2005 -
Azzurro opts for CCS system
Azzurro Semiconductors AG has purchased an Aixtron Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) system for the production of 150 mm GaN on Si wafers. The system is equipped with a special in-situ tool for wafer curvature measurement . . . more

- 11 November 2005 -
SiCrystal goes commercial with semi-insulating SiC
SiCrystal AG, Erlangen, Germany, now offers commercial 2-inch semi-insulating SiC substrates, and 3-inch semi-insulating substrates are to be commercialized in Q1 2006. Previously, the . . . more

- 28 October 2005 -
EUV enabling lab-scale light source
Energetiq Technology Inc, a start up focused on developing and manufacturing short wavelength light sources for use in the analysis and fabrication of nanoscale devices, has launched its first product, the Electrodeless Z-Pinch EUV light source, EQ-10M....more

- 26 October 2005 -
Intel invests in Epichem: slows on Montecito
Intel Capital has completed an investment in the UK-based company Epichem as their only investor in this funding round. The terms of the investment were not disclosed. Epichem has not previously raised venture capital funding...more

- 24 October 2005 -
Quantum Leap acquires Connector-in-Package
Quantum Leap Packaging, high-performance electronic component packaging supplier using Quantech Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) compound, has purchased the Connector-in-Package product line from Silicon Bandwidth Inc...more

-20 October 2005 -
GaNzilla II for Korea and Taiwan LEDs
Veeco Instruments Inc's GaNzilla II MOCVD system has been accepted and placed into production at LG Innotek and Huga Optoelectronics, leading high brightness light emitting diode (HB-LED) manufacturers in Korea and Taiwan, respectively...more

-19 October 2005 -
EPCOS to sell its tantalum business
It has reached advanced negotiations with US capacitor manufacturer Kemet...more

- 14 October 2005 -
Oil and security shunts chemical & gas prices upwards of 5-10%
Chemicals and gases manufacturer, Voltaix Inc, will assess a percentage price increase, effective January 1, 2006, or as supply agreements permit, for its electronic specialty gases and chemicals...more

- 14 October 2005 -
Aeroflex option eliminates need for separate spectrum analyser
A new test capability to the PN9500 phase noise test system, the PN95-DSM digital spectrum monitoring option adds spectrum analyser features to low noise PN9500 phase noise and jitter testing system...more

- 14 October 2005 -
Number 3 build SNOM works on silicon for solar
Scientists headed by Dr. Christoph Lienau of the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) in Berlin develops and uses new nanoptical techniques for imaging structures, Research is based on a Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope, patented by MBI...more

- 13 October 2005 -
On track with first Asia order
Rite Track, a leading provider of track systems for the semiconductor, MEMS and thin film head industries has recieved its first Asian order for remanufactured TEL Clean Track Mark series systems...more

- 13 October 2005 -
PbSb QD now available
Lead Sulfide (PbS) EviDot quantum dots are now available with emissions spanning into the Near Infrared Region (NIR) of the spectrum...more

-10 October 2005 -
Zetasizer Nano for MAGNET program
Malvern Instruments has become the primary supplier of systems for nanoparticle characterisation to a consortium of 13 commercial companies and 12 academic research groups in Israel - Nano Functional Materials NFM...more

- Oct 6, 2005 -
Blue Photonics ups production with Thomas Swan
GaN materials start-up company Blue Photonics Inc, has commissioned an Aixtron AG Thomas Swan 19x2" Close Coupled Showerhead GaN production reactor...more

- 5 October 2005 -
Wafer rotation for GaAs
MRSI of North Billerica, MA have introduced of wafer rotation for high aspect ratio die during automatic die bonding in response to increased demand for thin GaAs and Si die in microwave and RF parts ...more

- 5 October 2005 -
IMEC’s Rotagoni licensed to Ebara
IMEC has licensed its Rotagoni drying technique to the Precision Machinery Company, Ebara Corp, Japan, a leading equipment supplier for the semiconductor industry...more

- 4 October 2005 -
New signal source analysis Suite
Tektronix Inc has introduced a new Signal Source Analysis suite for the WCA200A, RSA3300A and RSA3408A Real-Time Spectrum Analysers...more

- 3 October 2005 -
Ultraviolet Refractive Beam Shaper
Newport Corp has introduced the GBS-UV-H refractive beam shaper. Optically designed without an internal focus, making it ideal for higher energy pulsed and CW lasers...more

- 3 October 2005 -
Security charge for high-purity process chemicals
A security charge for high-purity process chemicals (HPPC), will come
into play on November 1st, 2005, says Air Products ...more

-3 October 2005 -
EpiCurve for GaN-based growth
LayTec's brand-new sensor EpiCurve goes to Aixtron Asia for growth of GaN optoelectronic devices on 4” wafers: to a TSSEL CCS reactor for GaN/Si LED production and for a homebuilt HVPE by year end...more

- 30 September 2005 -
One for the networks
Agilent Technologies has launched a Lightwave Component Analyzer N4373A (LCA) to accelerate broadband infrastructure build-out,..more

- 30 September 2005 -
Bulk hydrogen for LED Japan
Power+Energy Inc has received a repeat order for its PE9000 bulk hydrogen purification system with a capacity of 1300 standard liters per minute, for an existing LED customer in Japan...more

- 29 September 2005 -
100mm 'pipe free' SiC substrate production
Intrinsic Semiconductor has developed silicon carbide (SiC) substrates completely free of micropipe defects andbegun production of initial lots of 100-mm (4in.) SiC substrates...more

- 29th September 2005 -
South-Korean LED companies
Aixtron AG has announced a number of system sales to South Korea. These will be installed to increase manufacturing capacities for High Brightness LEDs.,,more

-29 September 2005 -
Purifiers for UPH at 1ppb impurity
Power+Energy Inc (P+E) has recently introduced its next generation PE9000S series purifiers offering a greater capacity range, advanced features and high reliability in a very small package...more

- 29 September 2005 -
Morphologi G2 - particle image analyser
Malvern Instrument has introduced its new Morphologi G2 high sensitivity
particle image analyzer dedicated to measuring both particle size and particle shape....more

- 28 September 2005 -
Cost effective stencil print for packaging
MicroStencil has achieved a breakthrough for microelectronics packaging by providing a new type of electroformed stencil allowing the fabrication of sub-100 micron aperture pitch of high quality for interconnecting technology...more

- 27 September 2005 -
Sight of the 'invisible' wave
Hitachi Ltd has announced the development of a 3D visualization technique to observe the amplitude and phase of high-speed optical signals in optical fiber communications, for the first time in the world....more

- 26 September 2005 -
JV Ge removal in sSOI substrate
Soitec and SEZ Groups report that effective and complete removal of Ge is a key step in sSOI manufacturing process, as SiGe must be used to produce the silicon-layer strain that is essential to sSOI's functionality....more

-26 September 2005 -
Collaborative work on MEMS packaging
WiSpry, Inc is providing collaborative funding for research into advanced RF-MEMS packaging technologies with Sandia and the University of Arkansas...more

- 23 September 2005 -
High purity germanium film
The Laboratory for Photonics and Nanostructures at CNRS, Marcoussis, France and Rohm and Haas Electronics Materials, North Andover, MA have made a breakthrough on a new process to grow germanium films on germanium at low temperatures in a MOCVD reactor...more

- 23 September 2005 -
BAE takes tester for satellite devices
Advantest Corp sells an Advantest T6682 from the SoC tester series to BAE Systems to play an integral role in developing extreme temperature technology for semiconductor devices for space applications....more

- 23 September 2005 -
Nanoscale mechanical testing system
Researchers at Northwestern University have designed and built the first complete micromachine that makes possible investigation of nanomechanics phenomena in real time...more

- 23 September 2005 -
Four inch Sic (n-type) offered
Cree Inc can now take orders for 100 mm (4-inch) n-type silicon carbide (SiC) substrates and epitaxy material. The current Cree standard for SiC is 3-inch diameter material...more

- 21 September 2005
Dynamics of back-end manufacturing
The rising number of participants and falling brand loyalty in the semiconductor marketplace are intensifying competition, thereby compelling participants to offer maximum differentiation with unique value-added products and services...more

- 20 September 2005 -
New 2590P series polarisation synthesiser/analyser
Newport has recently introduced a line of polarisation control and measurement instruments designed for use in applications including research, aerospace and defense, tele- and data communications...more

- 19 September 2005 -
New testers from Aeroflex
It launches the 5800 Series PXI-capable multi-function testers at Productronica in November 2005 and debuts the new 3025 6GHz Digital RF Signal Generator module and 3035 6GHz Wideband RF Digitiser module ...more

- 17 September 2005 -
Synova laser jet for wafer dicing
Synova currently has four LMJ machines in the market. Its LDS 300, where “LDS” stands for Laser Dicing System, is targeted specifically for the semiconductor industry...more

15 September 2005 --
Dimatix 'fill your own' jet printing system
A complete, low-cost solution for high-precision jetting of functional fluids - including nano-particle-based metallic and organic materials - on any type of surface, including plastic, metal sheets, silicon and paper...more

- 14 September 2005 -
SiGe base breakthrough
Voltaix Inc, manufacturer of chemicals and gases for the semiconductor & photo-voltaic industries, has obtained exclusive rights to a breakthrough materials technology developed at Arizona State University...more

7 September 2005 -
Korean Advanced Nano Fab gets Accent
The suite of metrology tools will all be used in the development of advanced materials for use in nano-scale electronic and optical devices....more

- 7 September 2005 -
Metryx offers small metrology
Innovative weight metrology technology utilised in the Monitor system allows non-destructive atomic scale measurement accuracy on production, test or R&D wafers...more

- 3 September 2005 -
Keithley's new pulse measurement
Keithley Instruments Inc is offering new pulse generation and measurement in the Model 4200-SCS Semiconductor Characterisation System....more

2 September 2005 -
MEMS surface treatment and release
The Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC) has taken delivery of the world's first two Memsstar systems for use within its advanced development facility in Edinburgh, and Point 35 looks for an etch technician ... more

- 1 September 2005 -
Russia's Sigm Plus takes RPMSigma PL mapping tool
Accent Optical Technologies, will supply RPMSigma Photoluminescence mapping system to support manufacturing of GaAs and InP based epi materials ...more

- 1 September 2005 -
MOCVD efficient and cost effective
A key technologies for the manufacture of LEDs for back lighting devices such as LCD displays is the deposition of GaN and GaAs structures. Aixtron AG benefits from this market trend...more

- 31 August, 2005-
ECV etch profiling p-GaN
Accent Optical Technologies has released a new etch process for Electrochemical CV carrier concentration profiling of p-doped Gallium Nitride (GaN)...more

- 30 August 2005 -
Oxford nanoScience & the Scanning Atom Probe
Oxford nanoScience, world leaders in the manufacture of the 3D Atom Probe (3DAP), will develop the Scanning Atom Probe as part of a UK Department of Trade & Industry (DTI)-funded initiative...more

- 30 August 2005 -
AMO works on NGL
A new nanotechnology tool that will dramatically cut the cost of leading-edge nano research at the sub-50nm scale has been developed by EU researchers. It could lead to Next Generation Lithography (NGL) technology...more

- 29 August 2005 -
Real-time diagnostics
MKS Instruments Inc has introduced the 600C eBaratron capacitance manometer, specially designed for networking with Ethernet devices...more

- 22 August 2005 -
Akzo Nobel hikes price on TBAs & TBPs
From 1 October 2005, the price for Epi-proof Tertiarybutylarsine rises $2.50gm and Tertiarybutylphosphine by $2/gm...more

20 August 2005
TDI releases SI substrates for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs
Technologies and Devices International Inc has announced the availability of
new 3-inch diameter semi-insulating substrate materials for nitride-based devices...more

-19 August 2005 -
RF simulator software
Ceramic capacitor Presidio Components Inc has released its Kent Simulator for single layer capacitor modeling....more

- 18 August 2005 -
Fifth Bosch order for Pegasus DRIE
Surface Technology Systems plc has received an order for its new Pegasus Deep Reactive Ion Etch system from leading automotive MEMS device manufacturer, Robert Bosch GmbH...more

15 August 2005 -
SiC substrate for nitrides
Technologies and Devices International Inc has available novel 3-inch diameter semi-insulating substrate materials for nitride semiconductor devices...more

- 12 August 2005 -
Red LED and VCSEL wafers on request
Bandwidth Semiconductor LLC (a Spire Corporation subsidiary) offers MOCVD
epi-taxial wafers designed to emit in spectral regions 630nm-665nm...more

- 11 August 2005 -
Olympus Intelli-Lamp
Olympus Life and Material Science Europa GmbH has available a new EXFO X-Cite 120 fluorescent light source for its microscopes...more

- 11 August 2005 -
Amkor licenses GEM Services on MLF
Amkor Technology Inc and GEM Services Inc have signed a broad, multi-year patent license agreement that allows GEM to practice under Amkor's portfolio of MicroLeadFrame patents..more

- 10 August 2005 -
Licensing partner wanted for tips and probes
Scientists from Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory report the microfabrication of monolithic UNCD cantilevers with tips exhibiting properties similar to single-crystal diamond...more

- 10 August 2005 -
CNT Dresden takes Veeco X3D AFM
The Fraunhofer Center for Nanoelectronic Technology (CNT) in Dresden, Germany has purchased a Veeco Instruments Dimension X3DAFM microscope to use the tool for critical dimension metrology for 70nm and below R&D ...more

- 10 August 2005 -
3D R&D lab for nextgen MEMS services
RoseStreet Labs has opened its 3D R&D laboratory for next generation semiconductor packaging...more

- 8 August 2005 -
Tekcore take three
Aixtron recently received a further multiple order for a package of three Thomas Swan CCS MOCVD reactors by Tekcore Co Ltd...more

-5 August 2005 -
GaN and SiC temperature monitoring
k-Space Associates Inc has developed the kSA GaN BandiT, a new optical temperature monitoring system of GaN and SiC-based films grown by MOCVD or MBE...more

- 4 August 2005 -
Enhancements to ESD monitor
TREK Inc has introduces a software enhanced Model 157 Charged Plate Monitor
enabling storage, retrieval and additional data acquisition...more

- 3 August 2005 -
Compact ozone delivery subsystem
MKS Instruments Inc has introduced the O3MEGA ozone delivery subsystem, a flexible, versatile and cost-effective ozone generation subsystem...more

- 1 August 2005 -
Backside wafer coating
DEK has a high throughput backside wafer coating process, hosted on a mass imaging platform and capable of exceeding the essential +/- 12.5um Total Thickness Variation (TTV)...more

1 August 2005 -
Wafer probing offers noise-sensitive devices test immunity
Cascade Microtech says its Pureline wafer probing systems have been purchased by five of the world's top 20 semiconductor manufacturers in the US, Asia, Japan and Europe...more

- 26 July 2005 -
IQE begins shipping antimonide epitaxial wafers
IQE, Inc., of Bethlehem, PA, USA, has begun shipping antimonide-based epitaxial wafers, produced using in-house MBE growth systems as part of the company's aggressive pursuit of share of the growing antimonide market ...more

- July 25th 2005 -
Bede RADS 4.0 software has improved GUI
Bede announces the release of RADS 4.0, a Windows(r)-based software for the analysis of high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) data from epitaxial structures and single crystal substrates. ...more

- July 25th 2005 -
USAF Research Lab adds Oxford Instruments V90 MBE for opto R&D
Oxford Instruments announced the order of a V90 MBE system by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The system will be installed at the AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate in Albuquerque, New Mexico and used by Dr Ron Kaspi and his Mid-IR Laser Group to conduct basic research in semiconductors as well as to develop novel
opto-electronic devices ...more

- July 19, 2005 -
Applied Materials ships 1,000th HDP-CVD system
Applied Materials, Inc. has shipped its 1,000th HDP-CVD (high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition) system. Applied considers this to be the industry standard for depositing critical gap-fill dielectric films for five chip generations. The advanced Applied Centura Ultima HDP-CVD is already system of record at both 65nm logic and 70nm memory
customers for applications as diverse as shallow trench isolation (STI), pre-metal dielectric (PMD), inter-metal dielectric (IMD) and passivation fill ...more

- 19 July 2005 -
Banner Engineering fibre optic sensors aid chip making
At the SEMICON West show, Banner Engineering was demonstrating its D10 Series family of compact, DIN-rail-mountable fibre optic sensors ...more

- 18 July 2005 -
PANalytical adds MiniPal 4 to series of EDXRF spectrometers
PANalytical's new MiniPal 4 energy-dispersive XRF bench-top spectrometer performs non-destructive analysis of elements from sodium right through to uranium, in concentrations from 100% down to ppm levels ...more

-15 July 2005 -
Plasma source for ultra clean gas
MKS Instruments Inc has introduced its R*evolution remote plasma source for the generation of ultra clean reactive gas required in wafer processing...more

- 14 July 14 2005-
Interferometric microscopes
A fast and increasingly popular method for measuring surface texture can yield misleading results...more

- 13 July 2005 -
NIST devises Improved Infrared Interferometer
To help industry meet its 2010 quality control roadmap goals...more

- 8 July 2005 -
The Soitec Group
The Soitec Group has opened its first direct sales office in Southeast Asia. Centered in Taipei, primarily to support operations in Taiwan and Singapore, and working closely with major foundries in both locations to help accelerate their transition to SOI for their next-generation chips. ...more

- 6 July 2005 -
Prevent microbial colonisation. Deadline 30:7:2005
The Institute of Nanotechnology is seeking partners for a mutually beneficial collaborative project to prevent colonisation of manufacturing equipment by biofilm-forming organisms...more

- 6 July 2005
High brightness EUV for 13.5nm
Albany NanoTech taken delivery of a new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography research tool, built by Energetiq Technology Inc, a developer of advanced short wavelength light products for high tech use....more

- 6 July 2005 -
Nano imprint litho for Stanford
EV Group,has installed of an EVG620 at Stanford Nanofabrication Facility. It has capabilities for UV molding and micro contact printing to realise feature sizes down to the sub-100nm range...more

- 1 July 2005 -
Integrated metrology growth
Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) has placed a multi-unit repeat order for Therma-Wave integrated metrology tools. Therma-Wave's advanced Integra CCD-i critical dimension metrology tools will be used with TEL Clean Track Act and Clean Track Lithius coater developers for the advanced development and production of 90 nm and 65 nm technologies. ...more

- 29 June 2005 -
Aeroflex
Aeroflex brings high performance phase noise testing capability into a new era with the PN8000, a low cost automated phase noise test system. The PN8000 is designed for manufacturers of crystal oscillators, synthesizers and PLL (phase lock loop) components who do not need the additional performance of the options available in the PN9000 or PN9500. ...more

- 28 June 2005 -
Aixtron supplies dual reactor and cooperation agreement
Aixtron AG has delivered a dual reactor 200/200 RF system to the Centre for Micro- and Nanotechnologies (ZMN) at the Technical University of Ilmenau (TU Ilmenau), Germany...more

- 23 June 2005 -
Veeco scoops ASM ALD IP
The license includes 252 issued and published patents. The ALD patent portfolio includes some basic patents of Suntola...more

- 22nd June, 2005 –
China LED startup takes Aixtron
Silan Azure Optoectronics Co Ltd is to mass produce high brightness LEDs and has placed an order for an AIX 2400G3 HT and a 19x2” Thomas Swan CCS system...more

- June 22, 2005 -
Intrinsic offer 3-inch GaN and SiC
Intrinsic Semiconductor launches three new SiC and GaN product categories for high power and frequency device markets making William Weisbecker VP of sales and marketing...more

- June 21, 2005 -
Japanese Order for new MA200C
SUSS MicroTec takes an order for its MA200Compact high precision production mask aligner from a major Japanese manufacturer of MEMS components...more

- 21 June 2005 -
2500 Series frequency synthesizers
Theseare faster, cleaner, smaller and more rugged than their predecessor, the FS5000, and also have improved reliability...more

- 20 June 2005 -
Lean manufacturing
Voltaix Inc has instituted Lean Manufacturing Training for its employees from New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program Inc...more

- 17 June 2005 -
New website for Malvern Instruments
This integrates information about the company’s entire range of products, technologies and services, bringingit together at http://.www.malvern.co.uk
...more

- 16 June 2005 -
The surface life of quantum dots
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab show a quantum dot's dielectric function is virtually the same as that of bulk material, except near the dot's surface...more

- 16 June 2005 -
More money for SiC.
The company has raised an undisclosed sum of funding from Delta Capital, Southern Appalachian Fund, II-VI Inc. and "accredited private investors."...more

- 15 June 2005 -
Aixtron takes high customer ranking
Aixtron (which ranks second in the small chip-equipment vendor VLSI rankings for customer satisfaction after Tegal) has established Aixtron Europe... more

- 15 June 2005 -
Omega offers flexibility and capacity
Trikon has sold two Omega etchers to analog power device manufacturer Zetex Semiconductors PLC, for the consumer, automotive and industrial electronics sectors...more

- 9 June 2005 -
GCS offers 0.25 micron PHEMT process
The pure-play III-V compound semiconductor wafer foundry offers its proprietary 0.25um PHEMT process to address the MMW frequency applications...more

- 8 June 2005 -
PECVD deposit, UVTP post depostion curing
Novellus Systems Inv and Sematech are partnering to develop and evaluate low-k dielectric films with k-values of less than 2.2, and explore ultra low-k ...more

- 8 June 2005 -
Centura RP Epi for SiGe
Applied Materials Inc increased its leadership position by 4.5% to 53% of the overall epi deposition market and Applied Centura RP Epi system's gives selective epi SiGe technology...more

- 7 June 2005 -
Bede wins into CNT, Dresden
It delivers BedeMetrix-F automated in line X-Ray metrology tool to Centre Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) in Dresden, the public private partnership of AMD, Infineon and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft...more

- 7 June 2005 -
FiconTEC GmbH distributes for Telops
Telops optronic test systems specialist add ficonTEC Gmbh as a European distributor forlaser diode burn-in/life and characterisation test systems...more 

-7 June 2005 -
Oxford Instruments & Manchester collaborate on MBE
A new laboratory at the University of Manchester has been donated a V100 MBE by Oxford Instruments...more

- 6 June 2005 -
Aehr Test System FOX-1
Aehr Test Systems has launched the FOX-1 full wafer contact test and burn-in system focused on testing an entire wafer of devices with a single touchdown or for short-duration burn-in and test....more

- 3 June 2005 -
AFMs turn movie maker
To build useful small devices, engineers use atomic force microscopes to take pictures with nanometer resolution. Now, researchers at MIT have found a way
to speed up the capture of nanoscale images a million fold...more

-3 June 2005 -
Cree quits the silicon road
Cree Inc is to shut down its silicon RF and microwave semiconductor business
to cut the division's losses...more

- 2 June 2005 -
GCS gets new president
Appointing Jerry L. Curtis to succeed Sam Lee as the company's president and CEO...more

- 31 May 2005 -
Genesis relies on MOCVD showerhead technology
Aixtron AG has delivered an additional Thomas Swan MOCVD system for the mass production of GaN-based ultra high brightness LED wafers and chips to Genesis Photonics Inc...more

- 28 May 2005 -
Light tweezers with neat new trick
Penn State engineers use a "white-light laser" to produce a new type of optical "tweezers" that not only traps, holds and moves microscopic objects, but also can simultaneously perform characterisation of the object via spectroscopy...more

- 26 May 2005 -
Team Nanotec's tip for the future
Veeco Instruments Inc has signed a joint development programme with CEA Leti, laboratories in Europe, and Team Nanotec, a pioneer in the fabrication of AFM probe tips...more

- 26 May 2005 -
Powder coating closure
Rohm and Haas Company is to consolidate its North American Powder Coatings operations into two sites, closing its Wytheville, VA plant by the 1Q 2006...more

- 25 May 2005 -
Singapore office for STS
Surface Technology Systems plc officially opening the doors to a new, dedicated sales office in Singapore...more

- 24 May 2005 -
Henkle expands UK facility
And has announced completion of its Hemel Hempstead facility expansion in the UK...more

- 24 May 2005 -
EV Group wins Sweden's SiTek Electro Optics
with the installation of an EVG620 fully automated, cassette-to-cassette, double-side mask aligner...more

- 18 May 2005 -
SDS delivers up to 3x more gas
Matheson Tri-Gas Inc and ATMI Inc have launched the 3rd generation Safe Delivery Source, "SDS3"...more

- 17 May 2005
Versatile Si3N4
Silicon nitride has been creeping into recent headlines. Among material players equipment suppliers, research bodies, the MEMS market and even memory makers, are playing Si3N4 cards...more

- 16 May 2005 -
Pump prize for winning engineer
Nigel Schofield, pioneer of new vacuum systems for the semiconductor industry, is to receive The Royal Academy of Engineering's Silver Meda...more

- 10 May 2005 -
Toshiba picks Accent's Tool for DVD laser fab
Toshiba has purchased a Vektor X-ray diffraction tool from Accent Optical Technologiesand will use the tool for DVD laser manufacturing in their Kitakyushu facility...more

- 5 May 2005 -
Saint-Gobain secures SiC source
The acquisition of Danfeng, based in the Heilongjiang Province of northern China, by Saint-Gobain was officially signed in Paris...more

- 5 May 2005 -
AlSiC is ideal opto housing
And enables a tailored coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), offering compatibility with various electronic devices and assemblies...more

- 5 May 2005 -
Market demand for air separation to 2015
Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc has upgraded its prior commitment to manufacture and deliver merchant liquid products to the Southern California area...more

- 3 May 2005 -
Curvature sensor takes a bow
LayTec has announced the successful development of the first curvature sensor for production-line MOCVD systems...more

- 3 May 2005 -
Bedescan for defect mapping
The BedeScan digital X-ray inspection tool for high-speed identification and quantification of structural defects in semiconductor wafer substrates and epilayers up to 300mm in diameter has been launched...more

-28 April 2005 -
Foundry services for rad-hard devices
Honeywell International has developed a radiation-hardened, 0.15µm process technology in its new 200mm foundry fab at Plymouth, Minnesota, targeted for military and aerospace applications...more

- 28 April 2005 -
Carl Zeiss SPIM microscopy
Emblem Technology Transfer GmbH, the commercial form of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory has signed a licensing deal with Carl Zeiss to commercialise Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM)...more

- 27 April 2005 -
Malvern Instruments & Perkin Elmer collaborate
A sales agreement that will offer customers in North America a complete solution for their rheology and thermal analysis needs...more

- 26 April 2005 -
EliteCSP wafer level package
Introduced by FlipChip International the EliteCSP product line iprocesses silicon, gallium arsenide, sapphire, and quartz. The facility contains a full set of support equipment and analytical tools to ensure a robust and flexible process...more

- 22 April 2005 -
Leica's latest mask metrology
Leica Microsystems unveils its new mask metrology tool Leica LMS IPRO3 to support mask metrology for 65nm technology node and beyond...more

- 19 April 2005 -
Jointly developed UPS for factories
American Power Conversion (APC) and Rockwell Automation have introduced a jointly developed, uninterruptible power system (UPS), Allen Bradley Bulletin 1609 Industrial AC UPS, which is designed for use in factory environments...more

- 19 April 2005 -
Nikon non-contact video analysis microscopy
Nikon Instruments Inc has added to its CNC video measuring systems with the NEXIV VMR LU Series...more

-19 March 2005 -
Reject and reclaim pure water monitor
Ionics Instruments (acquired in February by GE Infrastructure, Water & Process Technologies) has introduced the Sievers 900 Turbo TOC monitor which provides continuous online measurements every 4 seconds for reclaim waters below 20ppb...more

- 14 April 2005 -
Honeywell wafer thinning materials
Honeywell is offering its product portfolio for semiconductor manufacturing from its manufacturing site in Chandler, Arizona, and Seelze, Germany...more

- 14 April 2005 -
Praxair, Matheson Tri-Gas & Western International
Gas & Cylinders awarded
The Compressed Gas Association awarded the prestigious Leonard Parker Pool Safety awards... more

- 12 April 2005 -
Freescale and Soitec get results
In the joint development effort to optimise CMOS device performance at the sub-65-nm nodes using sSOI engineered substrates reveals some 70% increase in electron mobility, and CMOS processes compatibility...more

- 11 April 2005 -
Aviza takes multiple system refurbish orders
Aviza Technology Inc has formated its new Certified Refurbished Equipment Business Unit aimed at enabling IC makers to increase fab capacity and maximize ROI...more

-11 April 2005 -
Da Vinci expects to reach 60% of revenue
The SEZ Group's Da Vinci platform for back-end-of-line applications,
(introduced mid-2003) currently accounts for more than 50% of the company's total revenue...more

- 11 April 2005 -
Developing SiGe and SiGeC 'Virtual' substrates
AdvanceSis Ltd (the University of Warwick spin-out) working with the University's Department of Physics, and Advantage West Midlands to invest £2m and acquire an ASM Epsilon 2000 Low Pressure CVD reactor, with a new clean room suite for wafer processing...more

11 March 2005 -
Suss nanopatterning stepper ousts trad litho
SUSS MicroTec has a next-gen lithography tool that will replace traditional optical litho for the production of nano-scale devices and was developed within the EU Sixth Framework Programme...more

- 8 April 2005 -
GaAs chip key to LeCroy's record breaking 100GHz oscilloscope
LeCroy is claiming a record with its latest 100GHz WaveExpert 9000 sampling oscilloscope, which has overtaken Agilent's 70GHz slot. The key to speed is a Schottky diode based GaAs sampling chip jointly developed with Picosecond Pulse Laboratories...more

- 6 April 2005 -
PoP joins PiP for 3D packaging
STATS ChipPAC Ltd. test and advanced packaging service provider has added Package-on-Package (PoP) to its 3D technology portfolio...more

- 5 April 2005 -
Synova opens in Japan
To strengthen its presence within Asia, Synova has opened Synova Japan, tol provide localised sales and support for the company's laser systems...more

- 5 April 2005 -
New wafer bonder launch
EV Group is to launch its new EVG520IS wafer bonder at Semicon Europa this month...more

-5 April 2005 -
Tegal takes major multiple order
A major European integrated device manufacturer has placed a multiple system order with Tegal Corp...more

-4 April 2005 -
Laser micro-hole or ultrasonic drilling dervices
J. P. Sercel Associates offers contract laser hole drilling in a wide range of materialswhile Valley Design has ultrasonic rotary drilling of hard, nonmetallic materials...more

- 4 April 2005 -
Magnetorheological finish
Edmund Optics is e Q22-Y MRF technology to provide magnetorheological finishing, selectively removing material from optical glasses, crystalline materials, and ceramics...more

- 4 April 2005 -
White Light Interferometer
Metrology Resource Co has a new optical measurement system based on white light interferometry that allows users to measure surface topography without target damage...more

- 4 April 2005 -
Macrotron Scientific Engineering handles Solvision
MSE finds its looked-for optical inspection for Europe...more

- 4 April 2005 -
Enhanced SERS for spectroscopy
Mesophotonics SERS substrates allow the Raman fingerprint present in all molecules to be easily and repeatedly identified...more

- 4 April 2005 -
Linde Nippon Sanso GmbH
LNS is a joint venture of Linde AG, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC) and Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc, headquartered in Krefeld, Germany...more

- 1 April 2005 -
Thermal imaging System
A micro thermal imaging system developed specifically for microscopic applications is now available from OptoTherm...more

- 1 April 2005 -
Photonix becomes a service fab
The £7m, 20,000 square foot optoelectronics Photonix facility in Glasgow, Scotland will use £333,000 of European funding to expand its services to provide micro-structure fabrication services to companies...more

- 31 March 2005 -
Electro-Optics center keeps Navy contract
Penn State Electro-Optics Center, 15 technical laboratories providing more than 15,000 square feet of research space in the Northpointe Industrial Park continues as Navy Manufacturing Technology Program Center of Excellence for electro-optics research under a $150m contract with Penn State University...more

- 31 March 2005 -
Keithley’s clever 2600 SourceMeter
The Keithley Series 2600 System SourceMeter instruments available two weeks ARO effective 1 May, 2005 suit a wide range of applications in functional test and R&D including compound semiconductor manufacturers...more

- 30 March 2005 -
Filmetrics F80 Thin-Film metrology
Filmetrics F80 lineof stand alone and integrated thin-film metrology tools is based on Spectral Imaging technology, and these tools provide vast improvements over conventional tools in ease-of-use and affordability...more

- 31 March 2005 -
Palomar phones reach new HQ
Palomar Technologies has moved to a 39,000 sq.ft facility in Carlsbad, California. The new plant will serve as its international headquarters...more

-21 March 2005 -
Entergris and Mykrolis in $1.3bn merge
Two leading suppliers to semiconductor and related industries, have agreed a merger-of-equals that creates a combined company with sales of more than $650m, net operating income of $75m and $284m cash and securities...more

- 18 March 2005 -
Veeco AFM for data storage
Veeco Instruments Inc has received an order for its Dimension X3D automated Atomic Force Microscope from a lead hard disk drive manufacturer...more

-18 March 2005 -
AXT to loose 100, but gain the one
AXT Inc which earlier disclosed plans to reduce its Beijing workforce in China by some 15% or 100 positions, has appointed Philip C S Yin as CEO...more

- 15 March 2005 -
Quatemol-N from plasma etch and lasers to earth's ionosphere
London-based company Quantemol will formally launch its software system, Quantemol-N on April 5. This predicts how molecules and electrons interact
on a quantum subatomic level ...more

- 15 March 2005-
Bede and Imago experts win Awards
Imago Scientific Instruments announces that Dr David Larson wins the 2005 Burton Medalist: while Dr Keith Bowen and Professor Brian Tannerare, Bede directors, are honoured with the Charles S Barrett Award...more

- 15 March 2005 -
Orthodyne takes K&S Wedge bonders
Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc have sold its wedge bonder technology to Orthodyne Electronics located in Irvine, California...more

- 15 March 2005 -
GCS service for PA process
Global Communications Semiconductor Inc. a pure-play III-V compound wafer foundry, is offering a high performance InGaP HBT process for the rugged requirements of PAs for GSM cell phone applications...more

- 14 March 2005 -
Atmel extends BCD-on-SOI foundry service
Atmel Corp has added a new high-voltage option to its mixed-signal
BCD-on-SOI technology foundry service...more

- 11 March 2005 -
Aixtron acquires Genus
Aixtron AG completes the merger with Genus Inc and Genus gets an order for multiple Lynx3 300 mm CVD systems from a DRAM and FLASH memory device manufacturer...more

- 9 March 2005 -
GaN HEMT growth and InGaAsP PIN
Aixtron AG has delivered of a Thomas Swan Close-Coupled Showerhead Reactor with a 6x2" configuration for the growth of nitrides to Nanjing Electronic Devices Institute (NEDI)...more

- 9 March 2005 -
Picogiga gets certification
Picogiga International, a division of the Soitec Group it has been granted
ISO 9001 V2000 certification - making it the first pure-play supplier of compound epitaxial substrates to achieve this distinction...more

- 8 March 2005 -
Kyma improves GaN substrates
Kyma Technologies Inc has implemented key strategic initiatives and introduced an improved and expanded gallium nitride (GaN) substrate products... more

-5 March 2005 -
FEI's Nova NanoSEM
FEI Company releases the newest member of its Nova family of SEM and DualBeam systems, the Nova NanoSEM the world's first low-vacuum, field emission scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM)...more

- 3 March 2005 -
Avanex takes the foundry route
Avanex Corporation has begun offering foundry services and optoelectronics chips based on advanced InP, GaAs and LiNbO3 technologies...more

-3 March 2005 -
Spectroscopy focus
Those on the hunt for for new spectroscopy equipment can find a wide range of some 40 solutions in brief... more

- 2 March 2005 -
Patent for advanced litho stepper
JMAR Technologies, Inc has been issued a patent (US No. 6,845,145 B2) for advanced X-ray lithography stepper technology that will enable a faster, more cost-effective means of producing state-of-the-art zone plate optics...more

- 2 Marech 2005 -
SOIGaN flies, SoPSiC, SiCOI and SiCopSiC in the wings.
The Soitec Group claims a technology breakthrough using its proprietary Smart Cut layer-transfer and wafer-bonding technology by generating the world’s first single-crystal, thin-film gallium nitride (GaN)-on-insulator substrate.

- 1 March 2005 -
Laser ablation spectrometer
A National Science Foundation grant of more than $264,000 to a team of MSU researchers at Diagnostic Instrumentation & Analysis Laboratory (DIAL) and Cobb Institute of Archaeology has led to acquisition of an “atomic paring knife” or laser ablation inductively-coupled, plasma mass-spectrometer...more

- 1 March 2005 -
LayTec partners with ABLEtech
ABLEtech, LLCTM (www.abletechllc.com), an international business development
and sales firm based in San Diego, California, is chosen LayTec’s partner...more

- 1 March 2005 -
Update of HazMat for workplace safety
The III-Vs industry deals with an amount of hazardous materials. Now the UAB’s Workplace Safety Training program in the Center for Labour, Education and Research has updated its book “Emergency Responder Training Manual for the Hazardous Materials Technician” ...more

- 25 February 2005 -
K&S latest Maxµm launch
Kulicke & Soffa introduces its next generation high performance wire bonding
equipment at Semicon China on 15 March, at booth 4259, Hall W4...more

- 24 February 2005 -
LayTec and Bexin partner in MBE
Laytec has teamed up with New York based Bexin Inc, for sales of products regarding MBE and related growth methods...more

- 24 February 2005 -
BOC Edwards & Aixtron agreement
BOC Edwards is to supply its Zenith III-V integrated pump and abatement system for arsenide and phosphide MOCVD applications to Aixtron AG...more

- 18 February 2005 -
Model 441 Cryogenic Probe Station
The MDC Model 441 cryogenic probe station facilitates electrical measurements on semiconductor wafers near liquid nitrogen temperatures (77K) at ambient pressure...more

- 18 February 2005 -
Accent's new overlay tool
Accent Optical Technologies is offering a new 200mm overlay tool the Q240AT supporting 4" to 8" wafers, for cost effective overlay metrology solutions...more

- 18 February 2005 -
Norstel AB to become SiC wafer supplier
Wafer supplier Okmetic Oyj is to assign the silicon carbide manufacturing technology it developed for use by a new start-up company Norstel AB which will manufacture SiC wafers...more

16 February 2005 -
Compound appeal of Assembleon A series
Assembleon (a subsidiary of Royal Philips Electronics) has recieved the 2005 Surface Mount Technology (SMT) product of the year award...more

- 14 February 2005 -
PANalytical upgrades XRF wafer analysers
PANalytical has introduced a series of upgrades for its XRF Wafer Analysers...more

- 5 February 2005 -
Honeywell boost capabilities
Honeywell's Electronic Materials business has opened a new, 40,000sq.ft. manufacturing facility in Chandler, Arizona, to supply both straight and advanced, customised electronic chemicals for the semiconductor industry...more

- 5 February 2005 -
New Matheson Tri-Gas president
Tri-Gas Inc has appointed James Samples as president & COO, responsible for all gas & equipment operations, quality, R&D, and business development of Matheson Tri-Gas...more

- 3 February 2005 -
Clusterlab 600 MBE system to Taiwan
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology has made its first sale of the new Clusterlab600 MBE system, to the National Changhua University of Education (NCUE), Taiwan...more

- 3 February 2005 -
Rite Track for deep UV
Rite Track, a manufacturer of track systems for the semiconductor, MEMS and thin film head industries, has taken a major order for a deep UV (DUV) 90-S system...more

- 3 February 2005 -
Orion's control
Nanometrics Inc has introduced the Orion Advanced Overlay Control System, an overlay metrology and analysis system for monitoring microlithography stepper performance...more

- 1 February 2005 -
New joint-Korean clean room
EV Group is to open a joint cleanroom facility in Korea with its agent Jinsan Scientific Co Ltd and Jinsan Micro-Engineering Ltd (JML)...more

- 1 February 2005 -
AXT sells at $1.4m settlement price
An AXT subsidiary is to sell the building owned in Monterey Park, California, comprising approximately 21,500 sq.ft. Purchase price is $1.4m and the
sale is expected to close in the 2Q of 2005...more

- 1 February 2005 -
Clean connector card
Neptec Optical Solutions Inc a manufacturer of fiber optic components for the OEM, CATV, telco and military markets, has released the QuikSwipe2,
a compact fiber optic connector cleaning card...more

-1 February 2005 -
Kopin patents for GaAsInN wafer
Kopin Corp has been awarded two US patents for advanced GaAsInN HBT transistor wafer technology...more

- 31 January 2005-
BASF acquires Merck electronics chemicals
BASF has acquired the global electronic chemicals business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt. The purchase price is €270m and is still subject to regulatory approval...more

- 28 January 2005 -
MKS IR in Philips 3000
MKS Instruments Inc has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Philips Advanced Metrology Systems Inc allowing Philips the use of proprietary IR TF metrology technology...more

- 26 January 2005 -
Tektronix handheld for EMF
Tektronix Inc has enhanced its market-leading handheld NetTek Base Analyser with the testing capabilities for Electromagnetic Field (EMF) emissions...more

- 26 January 2005 --
Mattson opens in Haifa
Mattson Technology In is expanding the company's global support infra-structure in Israel...more

- 25 January 2005 -
Aspetrics IR spectroscopy
Advanced Photometrics Inc, a supplier of micro-infrared spectroscopy analysers to OEMs, has changed its company name to Aspectrics Inc...more

-25 January 2005 -
Aixtron's board by April
Aixtron AG announces that from April, 2005 the AIixtron executive board will consist of Paul Hyland - president and CEO, Dr Bernd Schulte - COO and executive VP, Wolfgang Breme - CFO and executive VP, and William Elder - executive VP (subject to completion of the Genus merger)...more

- 25 January 2005 -
Predicted down turn
The IC industry, currently in decline, may face another setback later this year, as seen by the quantitative model that predicted the 2001 recession...more

- 24 January 2005 -
Congruent lithium tantalate
The SAES Getters Group has extended its portfolio of advanced optical crystals to encompass optical-grade congruent lithium tantalate...more

- 21 January 2005 -
August Nanometric merger
Nanometrics Inc and August Technology Corp are to merge creating a company that will employ more than 550 people worldwide with combined proforma 2004 revenues of $140m...more

- 21 January 2005 -
Si-based AlGaN/GaN HEMTs
Picogiga International, a Soitec Group division have enabled development of the most powerful silicon-based AlGaN/GaN high HEMTs...more

- 20 January 2005 -
Linux security against fab viruses
Accent Optical Technologies has gone on record to laud the high reliability and network security of Linux operating system, used on its Caliper series overlay metrology tools...more

- 20 January 2005 -
IQ Aligner for Promerus
EV Group has shipped and successfully installed an IQ Aligner at Promerus LLC..more

- 20 January 2005 -
Optical profiling for flexibles
Veeco Instruments Inc has introduced a new, high-performance optical profiler to address metrology challenges in the rapidly growing printed electronics industry, which includes organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays...more

- 19 January 2005 --
Chip package agreement
Casio Computer Co Ltd will license its wafer level semiconductor device packaging technology to Renesas Technology...more

- 19 January 2005 -
New dicing patent
Micro Processing Technology Inc has been awarded a US patent for the configuration and design of its new High Precision Scribe Dicing System for compound semiconductors...more

-19 January 2005 -
TEL redefines cleaning
Tokyo Electron's TEL Cleaning Systems product line name becomes Surface Preparation Systems to emphasise the focus on progressive evolving technologies...more

- 18 January 2005 -
Veeco's NanoMan II
Veeco Instruments Inc, which acquired AFM specialist NanoDevices in June 2003 has released the new NanoMan II AFM...more

- 18 January 2005 -
Keithley on semiconductor & wireless
Keithley Instruments Inc is out to educate semiconductor and wireless test engineers...more

-17 January 2005 -
Multiyear SOI agreement
Soitec, which has been supplying AMD with volume quantities of thin-film Unibond SOI substrate solutions for the production of their most advanced microprocessors, has signed toa long-term supply agreement with AMD for SOI wafers...more

- 17 January 2005 -
Synova includes SiC
Synova's water jet guided laser dicing system has now extended its reach beyond silicon, GaAs, Ge, InP and into the area of silicon carbide wafers...more

- 17 January 2005 -
Northrup takes Swan
Northrop Grumman Corp has placed an order for an Aixtron Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) MOCVD mass production system...more

- 17 January 2005 -
Inspection equipment sales
One of the largest US integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) is to purchase additional 300mm wafer inspection systems from Olympus Integrated Technologies America...more

- 17 January 2005 -
Koreans tie in SSi, SOI and hetero
AmberWave Systems Corp and Korean semiconductor materials manufacturer, LG Siltron have signed an IP license agreement...more

- 14 January 2005 -
Lumilog's Euronitrides offerings
GaN/sapphire pseudosubstrates with TDs density between stripes in the mid 10-6cm{-2} are currently available from Lumilog. These are produced using a proprietary 2 step technology...more

- 12 January 2005 -
APT takes Swan GaN MOCVD
Advanced Epitaxy Technology Inc of Hsinchu Industrial Park, Taiwan is acquiring a Thomas Swan GaN Showerhead MOCVD to be used for high volume production of GaN-based ultra high brightness LEDs...more

- 11 January 2005 -
SEMI & SIA nano markets
SEMI and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) are to jointly conduct a study on nanotechnology applications in the electronics industry to offer a global perspective of requirements and opportunities for Equipment and Materials suppliers. Global Nanoelectronics Markets and Opportunities...more