Bouncing along a not too bad bottom
Given that we have followed the semiconductor industry through many down cycles, we can safely say that this one isn’t all that bad by comparison. Everyone, big & small, is still safely profitable and in relatively good shape. Though we are seeing the normal week long holiday shut downs
The Nanometrics – Rudolph Technology Merger: What Was Nanometrics Thinking?
On June 24, 2019, Nanometrics and Rudolph Technology announced they will combine in an all-stock merger of equals transaction. The companies say the combination increases the SAM (served available market) opportunity to approximately $3B.
This article attempts to analyze the two companies in their different business segments,… Read More
Two Fun Things To Do at SEMICON West on July 9, 2019
I will be at SEMICON / EE Design West on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, and so should you!
Quantum computing will be a hot topic at SEMICON West and on Tuesday, July 9, the IBM Quantum Computer will be on display at the Smart Design Pavilion in the South Hall (Moscone Center) from 10:00am to 5:00pm. It looks like no other computer I have ever… Read More
Double-digit semiconductor decline in 2019
The global semiconductor market is headed for a double-digit decline for the year 2019 after a decline of 15.6% in first quarter 2019 from fourth quarter 2018. According to WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Statistics) data, this was the largest quarter-to-quarter decline since a 16.3% decline in first quarter 2009, ten years … Read More
SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference – Imec design papers
At the SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference Imec presented several design papers and I have had the opportunity to review the papers and speak with the authors. In this summary I am going to address three emerging areas in order of when I think they may be implemented from soonest to latest.
Specifically, I will discuss:
- Buried Power
Micron beats subdued guidance on output cuts
2020 capex likely down at least 20% vs 2019 DRAM & NAND price drops versus slowing capacity. Investors happy cause it could have been worse.
Micron reported $1.05 in Non-GAAP EPS beating street consensus of $0.79 by $0.26. While this looks like a big beat, we would remind investors that estimates for the quarter were about… Read More
Lithography For Advanced Packaging Equipment
Advanced IC packaging, such as fan-out WLP (Wafer Level Packaging) and 2.5D TSV (Through Silicon Via) will drive the packaging equipment market, particularly lithography. This will help specific equipment manufacturers in 2019, since the WFE (Wafer Front End) market will drop 17%. But the Back-End lithography market, led … Read More
Meet the Experts @ ES Design West!
SEMICON West and ES Design West are right around the corner here in San Francisco and I wanted to point out the Meet the Experts segment in the appropriately named Meet the Experts Theater. Great idea really and a super great line-up. The best part of course is actually meeting the experts. Over my 35 year semiconductor career I have… Read More
#56thDAC SerDes, Analog and RISC-V sessions
The good news is that the next five DAC events will take place in Moscone Center in San Francisco! If going to Las Vegas from the Bay area is an easy trip, coming from Europe to Las Vegas makes it a 24+hours journey… One obvious consequence was the poor attendance to the exhibition floor. But let’s be positive and notice that the number… Read More
In Their Own Words: eSilicon Corporation
eSilicon was one of the first companies to focus on making the benefits of the fabless semiconductor movement available to a broader range of customers and markets. The company is credited with the creation of the fabless ASIC model. In this section, eSilicon shares some of its history and provides its view of the ever-changing … Read More
Rapidus, IBM, and the Billion-Dollar Silicon Sovereignty Bet