Next-gen video codec hits milestone 02/ 9/2012

The standards group hammering out the next generation of the MPEG media codec has forged a committee draft of the HEVC standard.

UMC to boost 2012 capex to $2 billion 02/ 9/2012

Taiwanese semiconductor foundry UMC said it plans to spend about $2 billion on capital expenditures in 2012, up 25 percent from the roughly $1.6 billion it spent on capital expenditures in 2011.

Nvidia takes Rambus license 02/ 9/2012

Nvidia Corp signed a five-year deal to license patents from memory technology licensor Rambus Inc, the companies said Wednesday.

Nokia shifts assembly to Asia, plans to lay off 4000 02/ 8/2012

Nokia has announced it will be cutting down on its manufacturing operations in Hungary, Mexico, and Finland in order to move device assembly work to its Asian factories instead.

SIA makes public technology roadmap 02/ 8/2012

The SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association) has made public its 2011 ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors), first presented in Incheon, Korea on December 14, 2011.

ST adds 32-bit MCU to 9-axis inertial sensor 02/ 8/2012

STMicroelectronics NV has added a 32-bit microcontroller to its iNemo inertial sensor to create a smart multi-sensor module. The module is sampling and is set for volume production in 2Q12.

Transphorm announces GaN products at 600-V 02/ 7/2012

Transphorm Inc, a startup specializing in gallium nitride power ICs, has announced its first products, power diodes based on its patented, gallium-nitride technology rated at 600-V.

LTE femtocells ready to take off as API ecosystem expands 02/ 7/2012

Vendors are rapidly preparing the LTE technology to meet operator demand, as witnessed by 17 manufacturers adopting the APIs for their upcoming LTE products, according to the Femto Forum.

Researchers develop novel form of hafnium oxide 02/ 7/2012

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a novel form of hafnium oxide, a compound used at the leading-edge of integrated circuit production and being investigated for use in novel non-volatile memory prototypes.

Steve Appleton in retrospect 02/ 6/2012

Steve Appleton, who died Friday Feb 3, 2012, in a plane crash, worked for Micron Technology Inc throughout his professional career. And soon after he took the top job there in 1994 he became boss of the last US DRAM maker. As such it was a highly politicized position and it suited him; a robust operator who could be vocal against overseas competition.

Broadcom RFIC shrinks microwave backhaul nets 02/ 6/2012

The BCM 85810 is a silicon germanium component that combines as many as 10 usually discrete devices into a single RF IC.

Global chip sales squeeze 0.4% annual growth 02/ 6/2012

Global sales of semiconductors grew in 2011 by 0.4% reaching a record value of $299.52 billion, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization.

Power MOSFETs continue to evolve, thanks to wafer thinning and innovative packaging 02/ 2/2012

Increases in power-MOSFET performance now come not just from tweaks in the silicon device's structure but also—and more significantly—from innovations in manufacturing processes and packaging.

Exploiting subthreshold MOSFET behavior in analog applications 02/ 2/2012

You can now spin MOSFETs’ “unusable” leakage current into “gold.”

Balancing GBWP and quiescent current for dissipation optimization 02/ 2/2012

Minimizing power dissipation in analog applications requires a careful balance between GBWP and quiescent current.

Small-signal bandwidth in a Big Bandwidth era 02/ 2/2012

Understand the interplay between bandwidth and op-amp specifications.

Qualcomm, Ericsson demo LTE-to-3G handover 02/ 2/2012

Qualcomm Inc has announced that, working with Ericsson AB, it has completed a voice call handover from an LTE mobile network to a WCDMA network using SRVCC technology.

US probes Qualcomm's foreign business practices 02/ 2/2012

Chip vendor Qualcomm Inc reported record quarterly results that topped analysts' expectations, but revealed that the company is being investigated for compliance with the US law governing foreign business practices.

CNSE receives federal grants for nanotechnologies 02/ 2/2012

Federal funding of more than $5 million is being given to the CNSE of the University at Albany for a host of nanotechnology-enabled education and research programs.

Mali graphics to lead in smart TVs, says ARM's East 02/ 1/2012

Mali graphics technology from IP licensor ARM Holdings plc shipped in tens of millions of partners' chips in 2011, and will do even better in 2012, particularly in digital televisions, according to CEO Warren East.

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