Applied joins SOI effort

The semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier's entry into the SOI Consortium supports the momentum the group said it is gaining in the semiconductor market.

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 2/19/2008

Santa Clara, Calif.-based semiconductor manufacturing equipment leader Applied Materials Inc reported Monday that it has joined the SOI Industry Consortium, which was formed in October 2007 by a group of 19 companies from across the electronics industry, and aimed at speeding silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology into use.

Applied joins other members in the group including AMD, ARM, Cadence Design Systems, CEA-Léti, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, Innovative Silicon, KLA-Tencor, Lam Research, NXP, Samsung, Semico, Soitec, SEH Europe, STMicroelectronics, Synopsys, TSMC and UMC.

André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé, chairman of the board of the SOI Industry Consortium said in a statement, “Applied Materials is a longtime supplier of equipment, manufacturing technology solutions and R&D resources to the SOI industry.  In addition to the performance advantages of SOI as a semiconductor substrate technology, SOI promises better energy efficiency. Applied Materials’ entry into the SOI Consortium supports the momentum we are gaining across the entire spectrum of the semiconductor market.”

Last month, the group named its first board of directors.