Science and Enterprise

Tag: semiconductors

  • Taiwan Chip Maker to Raise R&D Nearly 40%

    The Taipei Times reports today that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Hsinchu, Taiwan plans to raise its research and development spending by 39 percent next year to NT$50 billion (US$1.63 billion), due to more aggressive competition in TSMC’s market. TSMC is the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer. At present, the company does not directly…

  • Lab Adds Nanoscale Layers on Silicon for Semiconductors

    Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California (UC) Berkeley, have integrated ultra-thin layers of the semiconductor material indium arsenide onto a silicon substrate to create a nanoscale transistor with working electronic properties. Indium arsenide offers several advantages as an alternative to silicon including superior electron mobility…

  • Semiconductor Group Signs Research Deal with Abu Dhabi

    Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) in Abu Dhabi announced today (11 November) a university research partnership to increase semiconductor R&D in the Arab Gulf state of Abu Dhabi. SRC is a university-industry research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, and ATIC is a technology…

  • Chip Sales Continue Gains in September

    The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reports today (1 November) that semiconductor companies booked worldwide sales of $26.5 billion in September 2010, a gain of 2.9 percent from August when sales were $25.8 billion. Sales for the third quarter of 2010 came to $79.4 billion, a 6.1 percent increase compared to the second quarter when sales…

  • Belgian Nanotech Company To Open Taiwan R&D Center

    Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (Imec), a company conducting research in nanotechnology in Leuven, Belgium said it concluded an agreement with Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to open the Imec Taiwan Innovation Centre (ITIC). The ministry announced it will co-fund the facility with Imec. ITIC is expected to expedite applied research projects with industry and academia to…

  • Intel to Build New Oregon Plant, Upgrade U.S. Manufacturing

    Intel Corporation said today it will invest between $6 to $8 billion on new manufacturing technology in its American facilities. The plan includes a new fabrication plant — called a “fab” in the industry — in Oregon. As part of the plan, Intel will deploy a new 22-nanometer (nm) manufacturing process in several of its…

  • Global Semiconductor Sales Rise in August

    The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reports today that worldwide semiconductor sales in August 2010 rose 1.8 percent to $25.7 billion, from $25.2 billion in July.  Sales rose in all regions, with chip sales in Japan registering the largest increase of 4.1 percent followed by the sales in the Americas that rose 2 percent. Compared to…

  • N.C. State Patents Computer Chip Materials Technology

    Researchers from North Carolina State University in Raleigh have patented technology that the developers say can change the global energy and communications infrastructure. The researchers, led by Jay Narayan, professor of materials science and engineering and co-holder of the patent, have developed the means to integrate gallium nitride (GaN) sensors and devices directly into silicon-based…

  • NRC Report: Biometric Technology “Inherently Fallible”

    Biometric systems — designed to recognize individuals based on biological and behavioral traits such as fingerprints, palm prints, or voice or face recognition — are “inherently fallible,” says a new report by the National Research Council (NRC). In addition, says the report, no single biological and behavioral trait has been identified that is stable and…

  • Intel, Irish Research Institute to Collaborate on Electronics

    Intel Corporation and Tyndall National Institute in Cork, Ireland have signed a research collaboration covering several fields related to electronics. The agreement also provides Intel with a license to commercially develop technology created through the collaboration with Tyndall. Under the agreement researchers from Tyndall and Intel will investigate new materials, devices, and photonics technologies that…