The Week In Review: June 29
By Mark LaPedus
Applied Materials introduced its Centura Avatar high aspect ratio etch system, capable of handling the carbon-based mask materials used to define the vertical openings in 3D NAND.
Soitec said that its Altatech subsidiary has installed a CVD system in CEA-Leti. The research organization will use it to develop phase-change memory devices and high-k metal gates for the sub-20nm node.
United Microelectronics Corp. has licensed IBM’s technology to expedite the development of the foundry’s next generation 20nm CMOS process with FinFET transistors. This agreement between UMC and IBM is only inclusive of IBM’s 20nm CMOS and FinFET. UMC’s internally developed 20nm planar process will be aligned to IBM’s design rules and process/device targets, while UMC’s FinFET will be offered as a low-power technology enhancement option for mobile computing and communication products.
Intel announced its seventh Intel Science Technology Center (ISTC). Part of a $100 million effort to propel new R&D centers, ISTC will focus on social computing. In one of its vast array of research projects, Intel and others provided details about the development of a smart automotive headlight for seeing through rain and snow.
As expected, Micron Technology and Elpida Memory announced that the parties have signed a definitive sponsor agreement for Micron to acquire and support Elpida. The deal is worth 200 billion Yen ($2.5 billion). In a related transaction, Micron also announced a separate agreement with Powerchip, a Taiwanese corporation, and certain of its affiliates to acquire the Powerchip group’s 24 percent share of Rexchip. That deal is worth approximately $334 million.
VLSI Research released its upbeat outlook for 2013. The semiconductor equipment market is expected to reach $56 billion in 2013, up 10.1% from 2012. VLSI Research also raised its fab tool forecast in 2012, from minus 7.2% to minus 4%.
In addition, VLSI Research said the worldwide IC market is projected to hit $283.4 billion in 2013, up 9.7% from 2012. VLSI Research also lowered its IC outlook in 2012, from 4% growth down to 2.3%. “Chipmakers are becoming more tenuous about the second half, resulting in limited visibility for equipment suppliers,” according to the research firm. “However, the skittishness has little to do with the chip market, where the overall fundamentals remain relatively healthy; it’s driven by a deteriorating macroeconomic picture. Fears are that the chip industry could be running on borrowed time given the high correlation between it and the macro economy.”
Pricing in the DRAM market has become less volatile since the February bankruptcy of Elpida Memory according to IHS iSuppli.
If ASML can get EUV to work in production, the company could hit the jackpot. An EUV tool is expected to run $125 million each. C.J. Muse, an analyst with Barclays, said: “We believe the true EUV tool demand ramp will occur in the 2014/2015 timeframe. This should coincide with DRAM transitioning to 20nm and foundry to 14nm. Based on the layer requirements, we see foundry and DRAM as the major drivers of EUV tool demand in 2015. In our base case for 2015, we are assuming (about) 18 EUV tools will go to foundries, (about) 8 to DRAM, (about) 4 to Intel, and none to NAND (though ramping in 2016), for total 2015 shipments of 30-36 EUV tools.”
Maxim announced a $200 million investment to upgrade its U.S. wafer fabs in Beaverton, Ore.; Dallas and San Antonio, Texas; and San Jose, Calif. The investment will be used for 200mm upgrades. The analog chip maker maintains a 300mm foundry deal with Powerchip.
MagnaChip now offers a new 0.18-micron bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process. This new process features operability at 60 volts and will support additional voltage ranges (12 to 60 volts) for applications that include DC-DC converters, power-over-Ethernet, LED drivers, audio amps and power management ICs for the mobile and consumer markets.
TowerJazz said its 0.18-micron BCD process has been qualified to meet the certification requirements of the AECQ100 standard as defined by the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC).
Gaas Labs, a private investment fund, acquired Nitronex, a supplier of gallium nitride (GaN) RF chips.
Ultratech has acquired the rights to a collection of patents from IBM. These include fundamental patents in packaging such as C4 bumping, BGA, lead-free solders and 3D packaging.
Tags: 3D NAND, accelerated processing unit, Altatech, AMD, Applied Materials, APU, ASML, Barclays, CEA-Leti, Elpida IHS iSuppli, EUV, Gaas Labs, gallium nitride, high aspect ratio etch, Intel, Intel Science Technology Center, MagnaChip, Maxim, Nitronex, phase-change memory, RF, social computing, Soitec. SoI, TowerJazz, VLSI Research