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May 18, 2009...Tegal Corporation of Petaluma, California USA, a developer of production solutions for power ICs and advanced MEMS, reports that it has established a wholly owned subsidiary in Annecy, France, called Tegal France. According to Tegal, the move completes its transition related to the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) products and corresponding intellectual property for 3D packaging and MEMS devices which came from the acquisition of France-based Alcatel Micro Machining Systems (AMMS) and Alcatel Lucent. The deal was first announced in September 2008 and completed later that month. Tegal says that the AMMS acquisition provides new opportunities in the MEMS and power device markets where Tegal is well entrenched. Tegal notes that it also provides access to large and fast-growing new markets such as thru-silicon vias (TSVs) for 3D IC packaging.
Tegal says that the new entity has staff composed of skilled engineers from the former AMMS operation. Tegal France will reportedly serve as the company's European hub and the nerve center of the its advanced DRIE product development initiatives. General Manager/R&D Director, Nicolas Launay will lead the Tegal France operation. Launay previously served as R&D Director at AMMS in Annecy. He reports to Tegal’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Thomas Mika.
Launay commented, "With our many combined years of etch technology development and process expertise within both the Tegal and the AMMS product families, we believe we can offer powerful new solutions to leading semiconductor manufacturers, especially those working on new-generation 3D packaging applications." Tegal Corporation News Release
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Oxford Instruments Launches CrystalFlex HVPE Reactor
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 18, 2009...Oxford Instruments has launched CrystalFlex, its new multimulti-wafer Hydride Vapour Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) reactor. The company boasts that CrystalFlex provides superb epitaxial growth control and a cost effective method for the production of high quality, crack free epitaxial GaN, AlGaN and AlN single crystal materials. Oxford Instruments notes that the new system is designed for R&D or full scale production of Group III nitrides. According to the company, the focus of the new system is on process stability, reproducibility, and optimal source materials usage. CrystalFlex can grow a variety of Group III nitrides with various thicknesses with its flexible reactor configuration.
Bernard Scanlan, General Manager of Oxford Instruments, commented, “This product launch is a natural progression for Oxford Instruments. Our acquisition in 2008 of TDI and its highly qualified team of research scientists, together with Oxford Instruments development scientists and top level technological expertise, provide a unique platform from which to develop this reactor. Its flexibility means that it is capable of both R&D and full scale production. We are confident that CrystalFlex’s superior features are the keys for the commercialization of optoelectronic and electronic products for Solid State Lighting, RF and power electronics industries." Oxford Instruments News Release
Strategy Analytics Hosts "State of the Compound Semiconductor Industry" Webinar
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2009...Research firm, Strategy Analytics announced a free webinar to take place on May 14, 2009, entitled, "State of the Compound Semiconductor Industry." Asif Anwar, Director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies (GaAs) service, will reportedly be the host.
The topics covered in the online presentation include: the impact of global economics on the GaAs RF industry; the prospects for emerging GaN technologies in RF and power electronics markets; LED and laser diode market trends; and prospects for III-V (three-five) technologies from the renewable energy sector.
Stephen Entwistle, VP of the Strategic Technologies Practice at Strategy Analytics said, "Our GaAs service research explores the dynamics that will affect the compound semiconductor industries, helping our clients' businesses evaluate the market opportunity across multiple end markets including optoelectronics (LEDs, laser diodes), RF and microelectronics and the emerging terrestrial photovoltaic opportunity." He continued, "We're excited about using this additional resource for the first time to present our GaAs service analysis to a wider audience."
The webinar will take place on May 14 between 4pm - 5pm UK / 11am - 12pm EDT US. The company's analysts will reportedly also be attending CS Mantech in Tampa, Florida, from May 17th to May 21st. Company News Release
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Anadigics Wins Award in China for PA
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2009...Anadigics Inc., of Warren, New Jersey USA, announced that its AWT6221 HELP3 WCDMA dual-band, power amplifier (PA), has won a China Telecommunication Technology Innovation Award. The company was presented with the 'Excellent Achievement Award' in the Wireless Communication Technology & Solution class. Anidigics points out that it is the only RF provider to be recognized in this category.
Anadigics notes that the prestigious award is approved by the China Industry and Information Technology Ministry and was introduced in 2006 to encourage the development of innovative information and telecommunication products in China.
The company contends that the award-winning AWT6221 PA reduces average current consumption by 75% and delivers an increase in talk-time of up to 25%. Also, the company says that through selectable bias modes, the HELP3 PAs achieve optimal efficiency across the low-range and mid-range output power levels. At low power levels the intelligent bias circuit AWT6221 reportedly reduces the current consumption to 8mA. The company says that the integration of two independent PA chains enables the AWT6221 to deliver uncompromised performance in both frequency bands while conserving circuit board area.
"It is a tremendous honor for Anadigics' innovative power amplifier technology to be recognized by the China Industry and Information Technology Ministry, and we are very proud to be the sole RF PA supplier to receive this distinguished award," commented Ali Khatibzadeh, Senior VP and General Manager of RF Products at Anadigics. Company News Release NREL Solar Cell Wins Technology Transfer Prize
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 11, 2009...The Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction (IMM) Solar Cell was named the NREL's 2009 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer.
Mark Wanlass of NREL’s Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) Group reportedly invented the original IMM cell. The NREL says that the design established a solar cell efficiency of 37.9% under concentrated light equal to 10 suns in 2005. In 2008, a modified version of the IMM design set a new record of 40.8% efficiency under 326 suns at NREL.
Since 2005, NREL and Wanlass have collaborated with Emcore Corp of Albuquerque, New Mexico to develop a commercial version of the IMM cell under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA.)
Commercialized versions of the IMM cell are targeted at the space satellite market and for Earth-based concentrated photovoltaic arrays, which use lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight onto the solar cells.
Wanlass and Emcore's director of research and development Paul Sharps will receive the award at a ceremony on May 7 at the FLC national meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina USA.
The NREL's solar cell R&D team of Jeff Carapella, Anna Duda, Daniel Friedman, John Gneiss, Sarah Kurtz, Bill McMahon, Tom Moriarty, Andrew Norman, Waldo Olivarez, Jerry Olson, Manuel Romero, Scott Ward, and Michelle Young will share in the award. NREL News Release ZTE to Purchase $50 Million of TriQuint Wireless Components; DOD Accredits TriQuint as Category 1A 'Trusted Foundry'
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 11, 2009...TriQuint of Hillsboro, Oregon USA, reports that ZTE Corporation of China has agreed to purchase $50 million of its RF components for wireless in 2009. Additionally, TriQuint announed that the United States Department of Defense (DOD) has accredited its Richardson facility as a category 1A 'Trusted Foundry' for 100mm gallium arsenide (GaAs) components.
According to the supply agreement, ZTE will procure CDMA, GSM and WCDMA ASICs. Ralph Quinsey, President and CEO of TriQuint Semiconductor commented, <i>"Not only does this agreement strengthen the relationship of the two companies, but our innovations will bring high quality voice, data, and video communications to people everywhere."</i>
<a href="http://www.compoundsemi.com/documents/view/cldoc.php?id=117444#top">TriQuint News Release</a>.
<p>TriQuint notes that the DOD accreditation certifies that it processes meet stringent product control and secure handling standards during all stages of circuit fabrication. DOD accreditation also creates an avenue for increased high security MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) business, TriQuint Director of Defense and Aerospace Product Marketing, Dr. Gailon Brehm indicated. Accreditation through the Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO) and the DOD’s Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) requires following policies and procedures regarding ‘chain of custody’ during manufacturing to safeguard against supply chain interruption, modification or tampering with devices as well as unauthorized reverse engineering. <a href="http://www.compoundsemi.com/documents/view/cldoc.php?id=117443#top">TriQuint News Release</a> BluGlass Investigates InGaN Solar Cells; Signs Sales and Marketing Agreement with BLK of Korea
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 11, 2009...BluGlass revealed that BLK of Korea has signed an exclusive sales and marketing agreement for the company's RPCVD technology for the next two years. Under the terms of the agreement, BLK will acquire a BLG-150 deposition tool to produce LEDs and establish its RPCVD plant in Gwanju Technology Park. BluGlass News Release.
BluGlass also reports that it is expanding its research into its Remote Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPCVD) for the production of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) solar cells. BluGlass points out that solar cells made from InGaN can potentially convert almost the entire spectrum of sunlight including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation. The company says that furthermore, the InGaN cells have the potential to be the most efficient solar cells ever produced, to last a long time, and to be relatively inexpensive. BluGlass cites the material's wide bandgap tunability as the reason the material has the theoretical potential of reaching 50 percent efficiency.
"While solar applications are a natural progression for BluGlass, RPCVD technology is well suited to these alternative applications, our LED business still remains our primary business, and we look forward to updating you on progress soon," said company CEO Giles Bourne.
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