Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Altair Semiconductor (altair-semi.com), a leading provider of cellular IoT chipsets, jointly announced a partnership aimed at bringing ultra-small and ultra-low-power cellular IoT solutions to the global IoT market. Cellular IoT device makers will be able to use this combination of best-in-class solutions to create highly differentiated IoT products and services that offer much greater efficiencies and faster time to market. These integrated solutions will be delivered through Renesas’ sales channels, enabling cellular connectivity to all of its markets.
MEMS
Broadcom Completes Acquisition of Symantec Enterprise Security Business
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of the Enterprise Security business of Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC). Symantec’s Enterprise Security business will now operate as the Symantec Enterprise division of Broadcom and will be led by Art Gilliland as SVP and General Manager.
Boston Semi Equipment Revolutionizes Handling of Multi-Port, Low Pressure MEMS Sensors
Boston Semi Equipment (BSE), a global semiconductor test handler manufacturer and an innovative provider of test automation technical services, announced today that it has enhanced its Zeus gravity feed handlers with the capability of handling extremely low pressure MEMS devices with multiple ports. The first to benefit from this new MEMS handling capability is a leading manufacturer of health monitoring systems who selected BSE’s Zeus pressure MEMS solution for the ability to provide the extremely low-pressure stimulus combined with higher throughput. The Zeus MEMS handler is faster, more economical, and requires significantly less floor space than their existing solution.
NTU Singapore Researchers Create Quantum Chip 1,000 Times Smaller than Current Setups
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a quantum communication chip that is 1,000 times smaller than current quantum setups, but offers the same superior security quantum technology is known for. Roughly 3mm in size, the tiny chip developed by NTU scientists uses quantum communication algorithms to provide enhanced security compared to existing standards. It does this by integrating passwords within the information that is being delivered, forming a secure ‘quantum key’. After the information is received, it is destroyed along with the key, making it an extremely secure form of communication.
China GDP and PMI Contraction A Risk Factor For Global Economy
IC Insights recently released its October Update to The McClean Report 2019. Part of the update reviewed U.S. and China GDP and PMI trends in light of the current trade friction between the two nations.
Compact Depth Sensor Inspired By Spiders
For all our technological advances, nothing beats evolution when it comes to research and development. Take jumping spiders. These small arachnids have impressive depth perception despite their tiny brains, allowing them to accurately pounce on unsuspecting targets from several body lengths away.
Global MEMS and Sensors Fab Capacity to Grow 25 Percent Through 2023, SEMI Reports
Total worldwide installed capacity for MEMS and sensors fabs is forecast to grow 25 percent to 4.7 million wafers* per month from 2018 to 2023, driven by explosive demand across communications, transportation, medical, mobile, industrial and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications, according to the new MEMS & Sensors Fab Report to 2023 published by SEMI.
NSITEXE Achieves First-Pass Silicon Success for High-Performance Data Flow Processor-based SoC Test Chip Using DesignWare IP
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) today announced that NSITEXE, a Denso Group Company, achieved first-pass silicon success for its high-performance Data Flow Processor (DFP)-based SoC test chip using Synopsys’ DesignWare® Interface and Foundation IP portfolios. With Synopsys’ silicon-proven DesignWare IP, NSITEXE met the advanced functionality, processing, performance, and testability requirements of its DFP-based SoC. NSITEXE’s DFP-based SoC combines both a CPU and a GPU to process large and complex datasets for parallel data management with power-efficient parallelism and quality.
Power Integrations Announces Settlement of Patent Litigation
Power Integrations (Nasdaq: POWI) today announced a comprehensive settlement of its patent disputes with ON Semiconductor and its subsidiary, Fairchild Semiconductor. Consistent with the terms of the term sheet disclosed on October 9, the companies have entered into a definitive agreement that ends all litigation between them, including lawsuits in Delaware, California, Taiwan and China. Power Integrations (PI) has received a cash payment of $175M from ON; neither company granted any licenses to the other.
North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts September 2019 Billings
North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.95 billion in billings worldwide in September 2019 (three-month average basis), according to the September Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Billings Report published today by SEMI. The billings figure is 2.4 percent lower than the final August 2019 level of $2.00 billion, and is 6.0 percent lower than the September 2018 billings level of $2.08 billion. “Monthly billings of North American equipment manufacturers declined for the second consecutive month,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI.
