Micro-electromechanical systems offer significant benefits such as time-efficient, effective power consumption, and reduced weight as compared to traditional macro systems for mechanical and electrical functions. These benefits make MEMS-based devices more attractive for communication and connectivity applications.
STMicroelectronics Unveils Secure Cellular-Connectivity Offering for Industrial IoT and Automotive Applications
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, in collaboration with trusted partners, has created a complete ecosystem for securely connecting Industrial IoT (IIoT) and automotive systems to cellular networks.
Presto Engineering Acquires DELTA Microelectronics Business from FORCE Technology
Presto Engineering, an outsourced operations provider to semiconductor and Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers, announced today that it has acquired the DELTA Microelectronics business unit of FORCE Technology, the European leader in ASIC supply chain services. With this acquisition, Presto adds ASIC design to its suite of services for the Industry 4.0, IoT, and autonomous driving market.
Hprobe, Leader in Magnetic Field Testing Announces Completion of a New Funding Round with International Investors
Hprobe, a provider of semiconductor Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) for magnetic devices, today announced the completion of a new funding round driven by international investors, providing an exceptional depth of expertise, a global ecosystem of partnerships and the endorsement of industry market leaders. The company has raised more than 2 million euros to support its strong international development in the field of spintronics based devices testing, such as MRAMs (Magnetic Random Access Memories) and TMR (Tunnel Magneto Resistance) sensors.
Dow Introduces First Solventless Silicone Conformal Coating with UV and Moisture Dual Cure
Dow (NYSE: Dow), introduced today at IPC APEX EXPO 2020 new DOWSIL™ CC-8030 UV and Moisture Dual Cure Conformal Coating, the industry’s first solventless silicone conformal coating with an ultraviolet (UV) and moisture dual cure system for high throughputs. This new environmentally responsible silicone technology promotes sustainability, health and safety while reducing processing costs through automated spraying and fast, energy-efficient UV curing.
Plessey and WaveOptics Announce Strategic Partnership Using MicroLED Display Technology for Smart Glasses
Plessey, an embedded technologies developer at the forefront of microLED technology for the augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) display market, announced today at Photonics West its’ partnership with WaveOptics, the leading designer and manufacturer of diffractive waveguides.
Update: TSMC’s 5nm CMOS Technology Platform
At the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco December 7-11, Geoffrey Yeap presented the talk “5nm CMOS Production Technology Platform Featuring Full-Fledged EUV and High-Mobility Channel FinFETs with Densest 0.021µm2 SRAM Cells for Mobile SoC and High-Performance Computing Applications”. Contributing Editor Dick James provides an update on his original pre-IEDM blog.
2019 Global Silicon Shipments Dip From 2018 Record High But Revenue Remained Stable Above $11 Billion
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments in 2019 declined 7 percent from the 2018 record high while revenue remained above the $11 billion mark despite a global silicon revenue slip of 2 percent over the same period, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Silicon wafer area shipments in 2019 totaled 11,810 million square inches (MSI), while the industry logged shipments of 12,732 million square inches in 2018. Revenues in 2019 totaled $11.15 billion, edging down from the $11.38 billion posted in 2018.
CEA-Leti Develops Tiny Photoacoustic-Spectroscopy System For Detecting Chemicals & Gases
Leti, an institute of CEA-Tech, has developed a photoacoustic spectroscopy technology for monitoring dangerous chemical emissions and traces of gas that could reduce the cost and the size these systems by a factor of 10 or more compared to existing tools. To be presented in an invited paper at Photonics West 2020 titled “Micro PA detector: pushing the limits of mid-IR photoacoustic spectroscopy integrated on silicon”, the detector also provides high immunity to external noise and high sensitivity and selectivity.
ZEISS Accelerates Semiconductor Package Failure Analysis by Orders of Magnitude with Crossbeam Laser FIB-SEM
ZEISS today introduced the ZEISS Crossbeam Laser — a new family of site-specific focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) solutions that accelerate package failure analysis and process optimization for advanced semiconductor packages. Integrating a femtosecond laser for speed, a gallium ion (Ga+) beam for accuracy, and SEM for nanoscale-resolution imaging, the ZEISS Crossbeam Laser family provides package engineers and failure analysts with the fastest cross-section solution at the highest imaging performance, while providing minimal sample damage.