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Focuses on the methods in the measurement and analysis of power management devices (PMD). PMD measurement techniques; Discussion on various methods and analysis in measuring PMD; Complicacy of the techniques in measuring PMD; Importance of PMD in electronics.

The article discusses wafer thickness and its significance in costs and yields in wafer and device manufacturing. It presents studies on the optimal wafer thickness for 450 millimeter wafers according to gravitational bending, various support methods, vibrational effects and other considerations. The author concludes that, based on these studies, wafer thickness significantly affects shaping accuracy and production costs.

The article announces that many manufacturers, 3-D integration with through-silicon vias (TSV) is imminent. It reviews various processing options to fabricate 3-D stacked devices. It examines the processes companies employ to commercialize 3-D TSV technology. It reveals that all indications point toward the adoption of 3-D IC technology as the solution to issues facing traditional device scaling.

The article reports on several trends in the electronics manufacturing industry that have been identified by Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) over the next five years from 2008. As of 2008, the trend that is already seen is a shift away from one low-cost center to regional manufacturing. A more geographically balanced electronics manufacturing footprint compared to its status in 2008 is also expected by TFI. It also believes that the carbon footprint of products will influence buying decisions for both business customers and consumers.

The article focuses on the outsourcing approach of Nortel Networks Corp., an electronics manufacturing company based in Toronto, Ontario. According to outsourcing consultant Charlie Barnhart, the aggressiveness of Nortel in its outsourcing approach has come with its set of advantages and disadvantages, on the bright side, it has saved a lot of money, however, it has also lost control of its supply chain and visibility in its customer requirements. INSET: Some OEMS have outsources too much.

The article discusses the incorporation of a dynamic measurement system analysis (MSA) into the strategy of maintaining measurement system integrity in the semiconductor industry. Incorporating dynamic MSA provides several advantages and MSA has several basic requirements. The proper implementation of statistical process control for a measurement system also has a number of requirements an there are ways for performing the dynamic MSA.

The article focuses on environmentalism in the semiconductor industry. Manufacturing facilities for semiconductors can consume electricity equivalent to 10,000 homes annually and up to three million gallons of water everyday, and can have annual utility bills as high as $20 to $25 million. The push for the green movement is also part of the sustainability campaign.

The article discusses developments in ultralow-k (ULK) dielectrics. According to Rudy Cartuyvels, director of interconnect, packaging and system integration at IMEC, the most important advances in ULK dielectrics is the significant progress in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in lowering the k value. Having developed ULK films with robust mechanical integrity, equipment manufacturers turned to process solutions to ensure the films would withstand etching, ashing and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).

The article discusses the analysis of fabrication process of exhaust systems. The analysis was based on the main chamber that had been designed. The measurement of system leakage showed that the difference in leakage before and after repair was 670.25 CFM when the pressure was 15 in-Wg. This showed that after a system has been installed, subsequent processing to prevent leakage is needed to prevent leakages from causing performance losses or the escape of toxic gas.

The article reports on the growth of integrated circuit design in India as of November 2006. The growth are attributed to several factors such as the increased globalization of the microchip industry, a shortage of engineers and growing costs in the West, and qualified talent and lower salaries in the country. According to Greg Delagi, Texas Instrument's vice president and general manager of digital signal processing systems, India is more advanced than China in some areas such as center design, process nodes and Internet Protocol protection laws similar to that of the West, but lags behind in broad electrics ecosystem. INSET: Wage spiral.

The article deals with a wide variety of electronic firms in the U.S. that are applying product lifecycle management (PLM) software. PLM software tracks a product through design, manufacturing and support. PLM vendors fell into two general categories, including technical software firms, such as Dassault Systèmes, or those that extend their products beyond engineering and manufacturing, and the other, business software firms, such as SAP, or those that extend their products beyond the corporate financial infrastructure. INSET: RoHS making PLM indispensable.

The article discusses the evaluation of adsorbent-based subatmospheric storage and delivery systems for dopant gas by the National Semiconductor Corp. This brought about a rise in deliverable capacity, effectuating a 10% cost reduction in implanter operations and an 80-hour progress in technician productivity that minimized hazardous gas handling time as well. The semiconductor industry is in a pursuit of reducing production cost consumables, as well as maintaining quality and improving safety.

The article discusses monolithic aluminum targets and targets bonded to aluminum backing plates. These targets have various advantages over copper alloy backing plates. The benefits are improved cost of ownership, potential to reduce gain size, ease of handling, and capability for long life. Having further improvements of 300 mm and system-in-package process working at high power, the requirements for target assembly mechanical performance are constantly rising.

The article presents the results of the 2006 EB 300 electronic industries growth survey conducted by the periodical "Electronic Business." In creating a growing business, China has been known to master the aspect of cutting manufacturing costs, which is a key factor to the dominance of Chinese companies in the 2006 survey. China-based Lenovo Group earned the top position on the list by manufacturing and distributing desktop and notebook computers, servers and mobile phones at the lowest possible prices. Huawei Technologies, which placed fourth on the list, presented 52.9% growth mainly due to labor prices paid by the company at 12 cents an hour. A table providing data on the 300 companies included in the EB 300 growth survey is presented.

The article presents the results of the 2006 EB 300 electronics industries revenue survey conducted by the periodical "Electronic Business." The top three positions are held by IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard and Matsuhita Electric Industries, same as in the previous year. Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry went up 19 spots from being 38th in the 2005 survey, which was attributed to the manufacturing flexibility of the company as well as the diversity in customers. Japanese company Sanyo Electric, which manufactures semiconductors, consumer electronics and mobile phones, moved to the 25th post in 2006, moving up the list by seven spots. A table showing data on the 300 companies included in the list is presented.

The article offers information on the technology of applying fluids evolving from needle/contact method to jetting/non-contact methods. It discusses the types of jets and the differences between jets and needles. It also presents the theory of operation. It suggests that needle dispensing will decrease to niche processes because of the inherent advantages of jetting and its enabling features.

The article offers information on nanotechnology and its benefits to the semiconductor industry. It refers to the industry's focus on complementary metal oxide semiconductors and its actions of finding alternatives. It discusses companies using nanotubes as transistors while others consider silicon nanowires. The article discusses issues within the industry that affect the direction of research and the resulting technologies.

The article offers information about nanoimprint lithography (NIL) being a viable alternative for the semiconductor industry to extreme ultraviolet lithography for the 32 nanometer device generation and beyond. It refers to companies like NanoOpto which already uses NIL to make optical components. Researchers are working to convince chip-makers that NIL is a production-worthy process. The article goes on with suggestions on changing the industry's way of thinking with regard to this new concept.

The article emphasizes the importance of televisions (TV) to the electronics industry. The development of flat-panel and rear-projection TV has driven the creation of equipment that would complement them, like DVD and home theater systems. The positive outlook for the sales of the new breeds of TV, means that there will be a market free-for-all with companies participating in multiple segments. Additionally, it could drive disruptive technology that would affect the existing market and create new areas of market growth. Apparently, TV became the major driver of revenue and innovation for the electronics industry.

Discusses the importance of via doubling process in improving design robustness in the electronic design automation industry. Categories of yield loss; Steps taken to reduce variation in the manufacturing process; Impact of via doubling.

Discusses the challenges in the development and production of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) technology. Importance of innovative defect inspection and yield control for faster DRAM development and production; Issues occurring in the front-end-of-line DRAM stack; Concerns raised by the detection of the high-aspect ratio structure residue.

Provides information on building a communication infrastructure for the electronic design and manufacturing communities. Use of the Process Model File; Benefits of using an infrastructure where process information can be shared; Challenges for electronic design automation suppliers.

Presents an interview with Rick Wallace, CEO of semiconductor company KLA-Tencor. Views on Wallace's transition from president and chief operating officer to CEO of KLA; Differences in the management style of KLA executives; Changes in Wallace's plans and strategies for the company.

The article focuses on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law of the European Union (EU) that restricts the use of lead and other substances in electronics equipment. Large original equipment manufacturers and electronics manufacturing services providers claim they are already complying with the law. The creation of EU RoHS with no exemptions made it different with that of China RoHS. INSET: Say goodbye to lead.

Reports on the counterfeit problems posed by the implementation of the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) to electronics market. Reasons for the susceptibility of RoHS parts to counterfeiting according to Thomas Valliere of Design Chain Associates; Procedures for screening employed by electronics parts distributors; Ways to minimize risk of counterfeit parts. INSET: Six ways to minimize risk of counterfeit parts.

Reports on the semiconductor industry in China. Factors that are hindering the region from developing high value semiconductors such as lack of intellectual property and the prohibition of the Taiwanese government to transition semiconductor process technology in the region; Reasons behind the reluctance of semiconductor suppliers to open factories in the region; Forecast of the revenue growth for the semiconductor market in the region by 2010.

Focuses on the efforts of electronics distributors to finding growth opportunities and their commitment to serving midtier original equipment manufacturers and electronics manufacturing services providers. Trends in the electronic distribution industry; Growth expected by distributors in Asia; Requirements demanded by the growth in global distribution business for distributors; Effect of the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances directive of the European Union on the industry.

The article focuses on the efforts being done by small- and mid-size electronic distributors in the U.S. in 2006 in order to compete successfully with large companies. There are a lot of smaller distributors that are also niche players. They specialize in one type of product or one or two dozen product lines. For example, PEI-Genesis Inc. focuses on military and circular connectors. Connectors are not known for the similar type of technology breakthroughs as semiconductors but they are used in virtually every electronics product.

The article presents information on startup electronic companies in the U.S. in 2006. Factors such as hiring employees, developing technology and raising money are all crucial to the success of a startup company. Moreover, one other point that chief executive officers will make is that no startup company is a real company until it has customers. Patrick Soheili and David Fritz, chief executive officers of Cradle Technologies and Silistix, respectively, believe that a large company should be the first customer of a startup company. INSET: Advice to startups: listen and don't overpromise.

Discusses the commodity management involvement of purchasers in engineering designs of electronics original equipment manufacturers. Overview of the move of Cisco Systems in taking purchasing involvement in design; Details of commodity management involvement with application specific integrated circuits; Information on the working relationship of commodity management with engineering.

This article looks at the strategies adopted by electronics firms to cope with the demands of globalization, miniaturization and the shrinking market in 2006. Venkat Ghanta, the senior manager for physical design engineering at Cisco Systems, has improved his department's productivity by 400 percent by moving from a parallel to an interactive development methodology. Radstone implemented an interactive design methodology by utilizing Xtreme, a product from Mentor Graphics that enables multiple engineers to work simultaneously on the same design database while viewing everyone else's progress in real time. Meanwhile, Texas Instruments utilizes a product called DesignSync from MatrixOne that makes project design information available to team members, regardless of location.

The article looks at the implications of Europe's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) for the electronics industry. There are two options facing the industry regarding RoHS: pray for an extension on the July 1, 2006 compliance deadline or break out the checkbook. The industrywide effects of RoHS are the increased cost of equipment, training, component unit cost, materials pricing, inventory and write-offs and the risk of poor execution due to complex product transitions, claims Steve Delaney, CEO of Celestica. As major providers of outsourcing services to the global electronics industry, electronic manufacturing services such as Celestica, distributors and other supply chain firms will manage the bulk of RoHS-compliant components and materials channeled around the world.

Focuses on the emergence of Eastern Europe as an important source for low-cost electronics manufacturing services (EMS). Cost benefits of Eastern Europe's strategic location; Action taken by EMS providers to find reliable suppliers that can deliver quality components on time; Problems faced by EMS and other providers as they move east into Ukraine, Romania and Russia despite low labor costs.

Looks at the expansion of electronics manufacturing industries in Eastern Europe. Steps taken by electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers to solve problems in finding suppliers than can deliver quality components on time; Importance of having a local supply base in reducing transportation and inventory costs; Influence of original equipment manufacturers in the decision of EMS providers to expand in the region.

The article offers an update on the performance of Chinese electronics component suppliers in the international market as of February 2006. International original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies are augmenting their supply chains with indigenous Chinese electronics suppliers. Using Chinese suppliers has considerable benefits, such as, cost savings ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent as well as shorter lead times for parts needed to supply factories in China. But Mike Hegedus, director of supply chain, sourcing and information technology for EMS company Elcoteq, warns that indigenous Chinese companies typically need guidance and management support from the buyer.

Introduces the process of immersion lithography in semiconductor production. Capability of the technology; Factors considered for a higher numerical aperture; Impact of the extension of optical lithography with immersion on maskmaking.

Focuses on the evolution of camera modules in the semiconductor industry. Comparison of the technology with standard assembly technology; Challenges of a camera module assembly; Examples of different image sensor display formats; Cause of yield loss in camera module assembly.

The article focuses on the compliance of the electronics industry with global environmental law. The use of lead, mercury and other hazardous substances are banned by the Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive of the European Union. Workplace responsibilities of environmental, health and safety managers (EHS) in the industry are affected by environmental law trend. There are several requirements that EHS managers should consider including product's chemical composition.

The article focuses on the impact of the war in Iraq on the defense and commercial electronics industries in the U.S. in 2006. The U.S. military is accelerating its plans to augment to a new communications architecture known as Network Centric Warfare (NCW). Such move is spurred by the challenges in Iraq. NCW has the ability to connect friendly units, weapons systems, ammunition and supplies into one gigantic network, creating a structure similar to that of the Internet, that can react to battlefield changes in a matter of seconds.

The article focuses on mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. electronics industry in 2005. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Silver Lake Partners LLC are the two leveraged-buyout firms that bought Avago Technologies. Agilent Technologies Inc. reached separate deals to sell its storage-chip business to PMC-Sierra and its share in Lumileds Lighting to Royal Philips Electronics. Among the other companies that merged are Siebel Systems Inc. and Oracle Corp., Storage Technology Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc., and Macromedia Inc. and Adobe Systems Inc. INSET: Delayed consolidation.

The article presents the views and predictions of several executives in the semiconductor industry about the sector's performance in 2006. Doug Andrey, director of finance and principal industry analyst at Semiconductor Industry Association, expects the industry to growth 6.8 percent in 2006. Andrey said that consumers will drive the growth of the industry. Bill McClean, president of IC Insights, does not expect 2006 to bring positive growth to the integrated circuits industry. Dan P. Tracy of SEMI expects a continued strong demand for semiconductors driven primarily by consumers' desire to buy electronic gadgets.

The article focuses on the products that failed to change the electronics industry. Analog computers can represent an infinite number of fractional values between 0 and 1. They are also inherently parallel and able to perform many calculations simultaneously. These characteristics make them superior to digital ones. The AT&T PicturePhone operated over regular telephone lines and required three pairs of wires. This was sufficient to provide a video connection within the boundaries of a local telephone company. Most robots were industrial models destined for factories, but consumer robots seem to be growing in popularity. The Heathkit Hero programmable robot had all the features to become a useful robotic servant such as a light sensor and an onboard sonar.

The article focuses on the leadership of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) chief executive officer Hector Ruiz. Ruiz has made AMD a better competitor, reenergized employees and brought stability by focusing on fundamentals. AMD acquired microprocessor vendor Nexgen and created the K6 by using the company's multiprocessor core. However, K6 was not pin-compatible with Intel chips although it was technically solid. Ruiz is soft-spoken and reserved and had traveled a long path to the top of the semiconductor industry. Born in Piedras Negras, Mexico, he attended high school across the river in Texas, where he became the valedictorian. He got his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Texas, while he got his doctorate in electronics at Rice University in 1973. INSET: Ruiz's legacy.

This article highlights the 10 most definitive technological innovations in the electronics industry from 1975-2005. The first cell phone call took place on April 3, 1973, when Martin Cooper of Motorola, dialed up a rival at Bell Labs of AT&T. By the time commercial cell phone service began, in 1983, Cooper's shoebox-like 30-ounce phone had morphed into the 16-ounce Motorola DynaTAC. Fairchild Semiconductor's Frank Wanlass invented complementary-metal oxide semiconductor technology. On December 5, 1967, he was issued U.S. Patent 3,356,858 for Low Stand-By Power Complementary Field Effect Circuitry. Electronic design automation (EDA) is perhaps the most significant of all the technologies created over the last three decades, for without EDA it would be impossible to design the highly dense, intricate circuits required by modern electronic devices.

This article cites the 10 most significant companies in the electronics industry from 1975-2005. Applied Materials has created a series of products that perform such diverse functions as atomic layer deposition electrochemical plating, ion implantation, rapid thermal processing, chemical mechanical polishing and final wafer inspection. IBM, which files more patents each year than any other company, seems an endless fountain of inventiveness. When it comes to innovation, if anything, IBM suffers from an embarrassment of riches. The telephone number for Intel headquarters ends with the digits 8080, an insider's tribute to the fetal edition of the chip that powers most of today's computers. The seminal 8080 is sometimes cited as an early confirmation of the prescience of Intel cofounder Gordon Moore, who had supposedly predicted that the number of components on a chip would double every 18 months.

This article features the 10 most influential executives in the U.S. electronics industry from 1975-2005. Morris Chang created the silicon foundry business, freeing semiconductor startups from the financial burden of building fabs. When Chang founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., in 1986, to make chips under contract, it gave startups an affordable manufacturing strategy when fab costs were skyrocketing. Aart De Geus led the team that created Synthesis Compiler, a leap forward in electronic design automation that saved chip designers time and money. Synthesis automates reading a high-level electronic design description and implements it at a lower level of abstraction work that used to be hand-cranked. As CEO of Arrow Electronics from 1986 to 2000, Stephen Kaufman set standards that upgraded the entire distribution industry. Kaufman worked in the automotive parts industry briefly before joining Arrow.

This article highlights the 10 most significant business developments in the electronics industry from 1975-2005. The 1981 debut of the IBM PC gave the electronics industry the platform to grow on. Perhaps most importantly, the IBM PC architecture fueled billions of dollars of demand, kick-starting the young industry. From the beginning of the semiconductor electronics industry, U.S.-based chip makers dominated the world business. That changed in the early 1980s, when dedicated efforts by Japanese chip makers bore fruit. By 1982 Japanese companies had captured 33 percent of the world semiconductor market. That percentage grew steadily, largely at the expense of U.S. manufacturers and peaked in 1988.

This article provides an overview of the principles in the electronics industry from 1975-2005. Although the industry has constantly changed over 30 years, Moore's Law and a few other fundamental principles have been as consistent and solid as bedrock. Moore's Law virtually mandated increased specialization. This, in turn, led to new business models, including those relating to chip foundries and contract manufacturing. Moore's Law has spawned complexity, specialization and partnerships. These trends, in turn, spawned globalization, driving companies to look abroad, at first for cheaper labor and later for a bigger pool of scientists, engineers and partners. Operating around the world also created the ability to work on designs around the clock and to develop new markets.

Presents an outlook on the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry. Forecast on growth of the industry per year through 2009; Outlook on EMS revenue in 2009; Impact of the growth of original design manufacturers on EMS providers.

This article addresses the supply chain challenges faced by electronics companies. Clearly, the ongoing globalization of the electronics industry has made supply chain management more complex than ever. Three global trends stand out among the myriad challenges facing supply chain executives as of October 2005. First, the so-called population explosion has added to the number of suppliers and manufacturing process steps required to design and assemble an end product. Second, an environment of increased regulation is prompting many electronics companies to go green. Finally, the industry's move to China has given new meaning to the term long-distance relationship.