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February 13, 2007...Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII), an Austin, Texas-based company that specializes
in nano-imprint lithography, has unveiled its Imprio 1100 lithography system
at the Strategies
in Light conference in San Jose, California. Like the company’s
other imprint lithography tools, it uses a fused silica template with a circuit
pattern etched into it that its tools press into a silicon containing monomer.
The monomer is separated from the template and hardened with UV light to make the
desired circuits. A circuit pattern left on the substrate is now ready for semiconductor
processing such as etching or deposition. The company calls their patented imprint
lithography technique, Step-and-Flash Imprint Lithography (S-FIL). Molecular
Imprints boasts that to date it has made features as small as 20 nm using its
technology, and its systems can easily make sub-50 nm features. Unlike the company’s
previous devices, the new Imprio 1100 system is a high throughput, whole wafer
imprinting device. It is fully automated and combines the resolution and circuit
design control of e-beam lithography with the throughput, overlay, and operating
simplicity of a mask aligner. The system is designed to fabricate circuits for
an array of applications including: LEDs, high density disk substrates for hard
disk drives (HDD), and optical components requiring fine resolution patterning
and three dimensional features.
“MII has made tremendous progress over the last 18 months adapting
the S-FIL process, originally developed for step and repeat imprint lithography
on CMOS wafers, to the specific needs of the compound semiconductor industry.
MII can now provide turnkey lithographic processes capable of high throughput
and long process life on the fragile, non-flat surfaces of compound semiconductor
wafers.” said Mark Melliar-Smith, CEO of Molecular Imprints. “In
addition, the I-1100’s conformal S-FIL technology is providing an enabling
technology for similar high resolution applications like the patterning of discrete
track and bit patterned media for hard disk drive development and precision
grating structures for optical components.” Company
News Release Cree Ships High Power Silicon Carbide Schottky Rectifier
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 13, 2007...Cree Inc.of Raleigh, North Carolina USA, reports that it has begun shipping
production quantities of its new 50-amp Zero Recovery Schottky rectifier operating
at 1200 volts. According to Cree, the new CPW2-1200S050, an innovative power-handling
device that can significantly improve levels of efficiency in power inverters,
can allow applications such as solar and wind power converters, industrial motor
drives, and electric vehicles to operate at higher levels of efficiency. The
company says that because it eliminates the need for snubbers reduces component
count, and reduces power losses, it can also simplify the design of systems
for power factor correction boost, lead to cooler operating temperatures, and
produce significantly less electromagnetic interference (EMI).
"Recent advancements Cree has made in material quality allow us to
expand our product offerings into much higher power levels, opening whole new
applications for our SiC power device technology," said John Palmour,
Cree executive vice president for advanced devices. "This new device
is another example of Cree's leadership in silicon carbide materials and high
power devices. It can help designers address energy efficiency requirements
driven by global energy concerns." Company
News Release Skyworks Debuts Helios WEDGE Transceiver
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 13, 2007...Skyworks has unveiled its Helios WEDGE Tranceiver which is designed to eliminate
some of the problems of 3G cellular phones such as size, cost, and battery life.
Skyworks also debuted its very low cost Intera family of power amplifiers and
front-end modules for GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, and WCDMA. According to the company, one
of the main design features that allows the size, cost, and battery life improvements
in the Helios WEDGE Transceiver is that it does not require interstage filters
in the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) paths. The company says that because the
device does not have interstage surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, it saves
board space, reduces production cost, decreases design time, and enables high
speed data communication of up to 14.4 Mbps. The company says its Helios WEDGE
Transceiver is 40 percent smaller than comparable solutions, and it greatly improves
battery life beyond that of other solutions. Skyworks points out that the reduced
board space allows room for features such as WiFi, Bluetooth, FM receivers, and
DVB-H. Skyworks says the device’s direct conversion transmitter architecture
effectively permits shared Tx EGPRS and WCDMA modes - enabling extremely high-speed
data communication. Company
News Release.
Skyworks also added a new high-power, high-efficiency quad-band solution compatible
with system-on-chip (SoC) architectures designed for handsets in emerging markets.
The new SKY77531, which is part of the company's InteraLite portfolio of solutions
targeted at emerging markets, offers many of the same advantages as its dual-band
transmit and receive GSM/GPRS front-end module, mainly low cost and small form
factor, improved reliability and battery life.
Skyworks will make samples of the Helios WEDGE transceiver available in the
fourth quarter of 2007. The SKY77531 front-end module will be available for
sampling in the second calendar quarter of 2007. The Skyworks will be showcasing
its portfolio of Intera front-end modules and Helios radio solutions in Hall
8, Stand C132 at 3GSM World Congress 2007, being held February 12 - 15 in Barcelona.
Company
News Release
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Avenex Posts Strong Quarter Despite Abandoned AcquisitionFebruary 8, 2007...Optical network component maker, Avanex of Fremont, California USA, reported
financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2007, which ended December
30, 2006. The company reported a record revenue for the quarter of $55.6 million.
This is up 54 percent from the same period a year ago, and up 9 percent from
the previous quarter. The company reported a net loss of $8.6 million. This
includes $2.1 million in "due diligence expense related to abandoned acquisition
activity." This compares to a net loss of $9.7 million in the prior quarter
and $18.5 million in the second quarter of the previous fiscal year. The company
indicated that its gross margin rose to 19 percent from 10 percent the previous
quarter and 8 percent during the quarter a year ago.
“The second quarter was exceptionally strong and we are very pleased
to report the highest revenue and gross margin in the history of Avanex,”
said chairman, president, and CEO Jo Major. The company expects revenues between
$54 and $57 million and a gross margin of 17 to 21 percent in the third quarter
of fiscal 2007. Company
Financial Results for Q2 Fiscal 2007 RFMD Introduces Front-End Components fro 3G Multimode Handsets
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 8, 2007...RFMD of Greensboro, North Carolina USA, has introduced a portfolio of complementary
cellular components for cellular front-ends of multimode 3G handsets. The company,
a dominant player in the design and manufacture of radio frequency systems for
mobile communications, announced the introduction of its new portfolio of cellular
front-end components, which will initially include: cellular switches, DC to
DC converters, and low noise amplifiers (LNAs). This latest introduction goes
beyond the transceivers and power amplifiers-based front-end solutions for which
the company is known. RFMD will showcase its new complementary components and
front-end solutions for 3G multimode handsets at the 2007 3GSM World Congress
in Barcelona, February 12-15, 2007, in Hall 8, Stand 8B79.
According to RFMD, the increasing complexity of cellular front-ends for multimode
handsets drives the requirements of platform flexibility. RFMD says its new
high-linearity, ultra-compact LNAs and low-loss, high-linearity switches ease
the implementation of additional bands for multi-region support, thereby meeting
the platform flexibility needs of customers. Additionally, RFMD says its low-noise
DC to DC converters allow longer battery life and reduce thermal dissipation
in 3G multimode handsets. Company
News Release Vitesse Co-Founder Ira Deyhimy to Retire
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 8, 2007...Vitesse, a maker of semiconductor solutions for communications and storage
devices located in Camarillo, California USA, reported that its co-founder and
vice president of business development, Ira Deyhimy, is retiring from the company
after 22 years of service. He served as the vice president of engineering who
was in charge of all product development. He also served as business unit general
manager before taking the position of vice president of business development
and product strategy.
Vitesse points out that Deyhimy was instrumental in defining the company’s
business model, and he helped secure the company’s initial funding at
its inception in 1984. “From defining business models and technology
roadmaps to mentoring our engineers, Ira has played a vital role in the transformation
of Vitesse. His contributions have helped to evolve Vitesse from a GaAs-based
technology startup to a leading worldwide supplier of high-performance communications
components,” said Christopher Gardner, CEO. “On behalf
of all of the employees at Vitesse, we thank Ira for his many contributions
and unwavering commitment to the success of Vitesse.” Deyhimy reportedly
plans to provide business and technology consulting services to the venture
capital community and emerging technology companies. Company
News Release Genesis Photonics Orders Six Aixtron MOCVD SystemsFebruary 6, 2007...As part of a long-term purchase agreement, Genesis Photonics of Tainan, Taiwan,
reportedly ordered six more Thomas Swan Close Coupled Showerhead MOCVD systems
from Aixtron. A fast growing LED manufacturer, Genesis Photonics offers gallium
nitride-based LED epiwafers and chips for lighting, displays, backlights, and
automotive applications in addition to research, scientific, and industrial
applications.
Aixtron points out that as the unit price per device falls and the volume of
LEDs produced keeps increasing, LED producers rely on MOCVD tools to improve
yield and reduce costs, while producing the high quality LEDs the market demands.
Genesis Photonics produces high performance green LED chips. Genesis Photonics
acknowledges on its website: “tools to manufacturers of close tolerance
components, such as MOCVDs, are the best guarantee of our qualities.”
Terms of the purchase agreement were not disclosed, and no specific timeline
for delivery was mentioned. Aixtron
News Release Veeco Gets $1.7 Million Order from California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 6, 2007...Veeco of Woodbury, New York USA, reports that the California Nanosystems Institute
at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has purchased $1.7 million
of atomic force and scanning probe microscope systems (AFM/SPMs) and optical
profilers for use in the institute’s multi-user core laboratories. Veeco
said that the systems ordered during the fourth quarter of 2006 including the
"high value/low cost" Caliber SPM, a Dimension 5000 high performance
AFM, and a Wyko NT 9300 high performance Optical Profiler will be utilized in
nanoscience research. According to Veeco, the CNSI is also the first customer
to purchase its new integrated, Bioscope II Confocal AFM Package, which features
open optical and physical integration between a laser scanning confocal microscope
and an AFM. Veeco says that coupling of laser scanning capabilities with an
atomic force microscope makes the system ideal for versatile biological imaging
applications.
J. Fraser Stoddart, director of the CNSI, who holds UCLA's Fred Kavli Chair
in Nanosystems Sciences, commented, "These latest purchases further
position CNSI as one of the world's leading nanotechnology centers focused on
the advancement of cell biology, molecular and materials sciences. These tools
offer us state-of-the art 3D surface metrology and will be an important asset
to the work conducted at the Nano and Pico Characterization core facility at
CNSI to visualize surfaces and molecules, as well as nanostructures and devices,
down to the level of individual atoms." Veeco
News Release IPG Photonic and Newport Reach Undisclosed SettlementFebruary 5, 2007...IPG Photonics Corporation, a maker of fiber lasers and amplifiers, and Spectra-Physics,
a subsidiary of Newport Corporation and a producer of lasers and photonics,
reported settling their patent litigation. The settlement related to a complaint
from Spectra-Physics filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District
of California which alleged that certain IPG Photonics’ optical fiber
and laser amplifier products infringed on Spectra-Physics patents. Terms of
the settlement agreement were not disclosed. IPG Photonics said it does not
expect the agreement to have a material impact on its financial statements or
condition. As a result of the settlement agreement, the case was dismissed with
prejudice. Newport
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