Webinar DFT 2025 banner mar11 (1)
WP_Term Object
(
    [term_id] => 386
    [name] => Semiconductor Services
    [slug] => semiconductor-services
    [term_group] => 0
    [term_taxonomy_id] => 386
    [taxonomy] => category
    [description] => 
    [parent] => 0
    [count] => 1109
    [filter] => raw
    [cat_ID] => 386
    [category_count] => 1109
    [category_description] => 
    [cat_name] => Semiconductor Services
    [category_nicename] => semiconductor-services
    [category_parent] => 0
    [is_post] => 
)

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future
by Bill Jewell on 02-20-2013 at 8:01 pm

The above quote is attributed to both physicist Niels Bohr and baseball’s Yogi Berra. The statement certainly applies to predicting the semiconductor market. Semiconductors operate on physical principles. However the market for semiconductors is affected by numerous factors. The outcome of a baseball game can be determinedRead More


Semiconductors Down 2.7% in 2012, May Grow 7.5% in 2013

Semiconductors Down 2.7% in 2012, May Grow 7.5% in 2013
by Bill Jewell on 02-06-2013 at 10:29 pm

Guidance 1Q13 292x300

The world semiconductor market in 2012 was $292 billion – down 2.7% from $300 billion in 2011, according to WSTS. The 2012 decline followed a slight gain of 0.4% in 2011. Fourth quarter 2012 was down 0.3% from third quarter. The first quarter of the 2013 will likely show a decline from 4Q 2012 based on typical seasonal patterns and theRead More


How We Got Here…

How We Got Here…
by Paul McLellan on 01-22-2013 at 12:54 pm

Over at the GSA Forum website I have an article on the history of the semiconductor industry. It is actually based on a couple of brief history of semiconductor blogs (here and here) I published here on SemiWiki last year but edited down a lot and tightened up.

Since the start of the year seems to be the time for predictions, here are the… Read More


Accelera Technical Excellence Award

Accelera Technical Excellence Award
by Paul McLellan on 11-30-2012 at 3:46 pm

The Accellera Systems Initiative, most well-known for driving the standardization of various aspects of Verilog and SystemVerilog before handing the standards off to the IEEE, has announced that nominations are open for the 2013 Technical Excellence Award. This recognizes outstanding contributions in the creation of EDA… Read More


Semiconductor market negative in 2012

Semiconductor market negative in 2012
by Bill Jewell on 11-15-2012 at 12:30 am

September WSTS data shows the 3Q 2012 semiconductor market increased 1.8% from 2Q 2012. The year 2012 semiconductor market will certainly show a decline. 4Q 2012 would need to grow 11% to result in positive growth for 2012. The outlook for key semiconductor companies points to a 4Q 2012 roughly flat with 3Q 2012. The table below showsRead More


How Much Cost Reduction Will 450mm Wafers Provide

How Much Cost Reduction Will 450mm Wafers Provide
by Paul McLellan on 09-28-2012 at 9:05 pm

I’ve been digging around the Interwebs a bit trying to find out what the received wisdom is about how big a cost reduction can be expected if and when we transition to 450mm (18″) wafers from today’s standard of 300mm (12″). And the answers are totally all over the place. They vary from about a 30% cost reduction… Read More


iPhone 5: Boost to semiconductor market?

iPhone 5: Boost to semiconductor market?
by Bill Jewell on 09-25-2012 at 11:03 pm

The release of Apple’s iPhone 5 has led to much speculation on its impact on the economy. An analyst at J.P. Morgan estimated the iPhone 5 could add $3.2 billion to U.S. GDP in the fourth quarter, adding ¼ to ½ point to the GDP growth rate.

Analysts’ estimates for total iPhone sales in 4Q 2012 are in the range of 46 million to 50 million units.Read More


2012 semiconductor market decline likely

2012 semiconductor market decline likely
by Bill Jewell on 08-16-2012 at 9:00 pm

The worldwide semiconductor market in 2Q 2012 was $73.1 billion, according to WSTS data released by the SIA. 2Q 2012 was up 4.7% from 1Q 2012 but down 2.0% from 2Q 2011. Major semiconductor companies are generally expecting slower revenue growth in 3Q 2012 versus 2Q 2012. The table below shows revenue estimates for calendar 3Q 2012… Read More


Directed Self Assembly

Directed Self Assembly
by Paul McLellan on 07-19-2012 at 9:00 pm

At Semicon, Ben Rathsack of Tokyo Electron America talked about directed self assembly (DSA) at the standing-room only lithography morning. So what is it? Self assembly involves taking two monomers that don’t mix and letting them polymerise (so like styrene forming polystyrene). Since they won’t mix they will … Read More


Electronics markets showing signs of recovery

Electronics markets showing signs of recovery
by Bill Jewell on 07-19-2012 at 8:10 pm

attachment

Electronics markets bounced back strongly in 2010 from the 2008-2009 recession. The recovery stalled in 2011 as a series of natural and human-made disasters hit various parts of the world. Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Thailand was affected by floods which disrupted HDD production and thus impacted … Read More