The Sandbox
What's happening behind the scenes in the semiconductor manufacturing industry? Read this blog by Senior Editor Ann Steffora Mutschler to find out - and chime in with your thoughts and questions.
Caution called for with semi equipment stocks
Last October, I slammed Lehman Brothers’ downgrade of semiconductor equipment stocks, which at the time, I felt was not called for – however, six months later, it is clearly time to revisit that topic and the facts, following financial results this week from Lam Research Corp and Novellus Systems. Lam’s revenue for its quarter ended March 30, was $613.8 million, slig ...... Read More
Comments (0)Emcore inks PV supply deal, SemiSouth improves solar inverter efficiency
In addition to its purchase of more of Intel Corp’s optical business this past week, Albuquerque, NM-based Emcore Corp inked a supply agreement for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems to China energy company XinAo Group. Under the agreement, Emcore will first deliver a 50 kilowatt (kW) CPV system to be installed in Langfang, China, which will be used for test and evaluation purpose ...... Read More
Comments (0)Is now the time to aggressively buy semi stocks, i.e. is the bottom of the cycle near?
Financial analyst Doug Freedman at American Technology Research says yes. “Semiconductors and the market have had a nice move in recent weeks, but we think there is another leg higher as we move to be more constructive and vocal in our “Overweight” semiconductor sector call at this time. We believe it is an opportune time to aggressively buy semiconductor stocks in light of r ...... Read More
Comments (3)Finally, a US-based photovoltaic market research effort
This week, market research company iSuppli Corp said it has acquired Munich, Germany-based Wicht Technologie Consulting (WTC), a provider of market intelligence on photovoltaics, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), sensors and nanotechnology, so that it could begin a service for these industry areas. The service is set to begin in Q2, and is a welcome move by iSuppli, which consistently provide ...... Read More
Comments (3)TSMC to invest $5B in Fab 12 update
Following yesterday’s news reports that semiconductor manufacturing foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) along with fellow Taiwan-based chipmakers, Powerchip Semiconductor Corp and specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp, were planning to build 5 new semiconductor manufacturing plants for $14.7 billion, TSMC’s director of brand management, Chuc ...... Read More
Comments (1)Is self-aligned double patterning cost-effective for 32 to 22 nm scaling?
According to Applied Materials, it is. As 32 nm technologies ramp within the next two years, the extension of optical lithography to meet patterning requirements is the industry’s most urgent technology hurdle, the company reminded. Applied recently held technical discussions and presentations on the self-aligned double patterning (SADP) technique that it proposes may be the most cost- ...... Read More
Comments (2)SEMI supports India semiconductor industry
To support the growing semiconductor industry in India, industry organization Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) said today it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the India Semiconductor Association (ISA) to support and promote the industry’s growth. The groups said their MOU is aimed at reinforcing the semiconductor-related ecosystem in India, w ...... Read More
Comments (1)Greening of data center power and cooling has a long way to go
In a recent blog post by EDN sister publication Semiconductor International on how IC makers are looking to cash in on “green” chips, Editor-in-Chief Peter Singer noted that “The global explosion in information technology, combined with rapidly escalating energy costs, has chipmakers asking how much does it really cost to run today’s computers,” and questions wha ...... Read More
Comments (0)If Apple won't buy AMD, how about IBM?
AMD’s stock was up this morning temporarily with rumors that surfaced late yesterday that IBM might be considering a “deeper partnership” with the microprocessor challenger or even an outright merger. But alas, by noon eastern time, things had settled down and stock was trading at about $7.50/share. Surely the daytraders had fun with this one. In November, another rumor c ...... Read More
Comments (28)Solar cell efficiency work picks up
To address demand for new turnkey solutions in the equipment intensive photovoltaic (PV) industry, Oulu, Finland-based optoelectronics materials company Braggone said this week it is working with Beneq on a turnkey ‘solution’ meant to increase solar cell efficiency and meant to allow solar manufacturers to cut selected manufacturing costs by 50%, while increasing relative device quan ...... Read More
Comments (0)Solar will be a bright spot in ’08, Lehman analyst says
Vishal Shah, Lehman Brothers solar energy equity research analyst put out a report yesterday confirming my belief that the solar industry is still strong and growing. After a strong finish in 2007, Shah writes that the solar sector will continue to remain one of the bright spots among other sectors plagued with macro concerns in 2008 and due to somewhat elevated valuations and already high growth ...... Read More
Comments (2)U.S. to share solar technology with Libya?
The U.S. and the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya today signed a bilateral science and technology cooperation agreement at the U.S. Department of State, with Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky signing on behalf of the U.S., and Ahmed S. Fituri, Secretary of Americas Affairs at the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison an ...... Read More
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