Semiconductor, Oil, and GDP – Correlated? What’s Expected?

Semiconductor, Oil, and GDP – Correlated? What’s Expected?
by Pawan Fangaria on 02-10-2016 at 7:00 am

In last 3 decades of semiconductor market, the largest growth in IC sales was at 33% in 2010. At that time global recession had started due to financial crisis and in 2009 oil prices fell more than 30%. It appeared that oil prices were negatively correlated with semiconductor market growth. Today again there is another sharp decline… Read More


Semiconductor Usage Revolves Around Asia

Semiconductor Usage Revolves Around Asia
by Pawan Fangaria on 09-07-2015 at 7:00 am

I just read Daniel Nenni’s blog titled “Is Silicon Valley Gridlock a Good Sign for Semiconductors?” Dan, there is no definitive answer to this, I mean in terms of semiconductors. Let me call it Semiconductor Gridlock in Silicon Valley. Yes it’s good because Silicon Valley promotes research, brings up innovative technology and… Read More


Atrenta Japan Technoloogy Forum

Atrenta Japan Technoloogy Forum
by Paul McLellan on 10-08-2013 at 12:27 am

As they have done for the last few years, Atrenta held its fifth annual user group meeting at the Shin Yokohama Kokusai Hotel on September 13. The attendees are a mixture of customers and other interested members of the semiconductor supply chain. There were nearly 90 people there representing 48 different companies in Japan.

The… Read More


Can China alone drive semiconductor growth?

Can China alone drive semiconductor growth?
by Bill Jewell on 06-25-2013 at 9:04 pm

Production of electronic equipment (including computers, communications, consumer, etc.) has been sluggish over the last year in all key regions of the world except China. The chart below shows three-month-average change versus a year ago for electronics production in local currency through April 2013 (May 2013 for China).… Read More


Can Japan Regain Semiconductor Leadership?

Can Japan Regain Semiconductor Leadership?
by Paul McLellan on 02-25-2013 at 1:14 pm

In the 1980s, Japan was seen as the leader in the semiconductor industry. Their quality was higher, especially in memories, and the US was worried about falling behind. In fact Sematech was created in 1987 by the US government and a consortium of 14 US-based semiconductor companies primarily to pool investment on common problems… Read More


9 Micron Wooden Gate

9 Micron Wooden Gate
by Paul McLellan on 02-08-2013 at 4:55 pm

When I started in this business, we were at 3 micron HMOS. A few other things are close to that size. A red blood cells is about 9 microns, a human hair is about 100 microns. And in a bizarre “only in Japan” video, people compete to plane the thinnest shaving off a plank of wood. It turns out the answer is 9 microns. That’s… Read More


EDS Fair: Dateline Yohohama

EDS Fair: Dateline Yohohama
by Paul McLellan on 11-20-2012 at 12:22 pm

Electronic Design and Solutions Fair (EDSF) was held in Yokohama Japan from Wednesday to Friday last week. It was held at the Pacifico Hotel, somewhere I have stayed several times, not far from the Yokohama branch of Hard Rock Cafe and, what used to be at least, the biggest ferris-wheel in the world.

Atrenta was one of the many companies… Read More


Atrenta Technology Forum, Japan

Atrenta Technology Forum, Japan
by Paul McLellan on 07-11-2012 at 6:32 pm

The 1st Atrenta Technology Forum in Japan (well, it used to be the user group meeting, so it’s only the first in a very technical sense) is next week on July 19th from 1pm until 5.15pm. It will be held in the Shin-Yokohama Kokusai Hotel (how to access it here).

In the unlikely event that non-Japanese are reading this blog, here’s… Read More


SNUG in Asia, US East Coast

SNUG in Asia, US East Coast
by Paul McLellan on 07-10-2012 at 8:05 pm

If you are in Asia then the Synopsys user group SNUG is coming up, soon in Japan and next month in China. Actually if you are in India I’m afraid you already missed it last month, just after DAC.

SNUG Japan is on 12th July in a couple of days time from 10am until 8pm in Tokyo.

In China there are 3 between August 14th and 21st

  • Beijing 北京
Read More

Wally’s u2u keynote

Wally’s u2u keynote
by Paul McLellan on 04-27-2011 at 3:25 pm

I was at Wally’s u2u (Mentor user group) keynote yesterday. The other keynote was by Ivo Bolsens of Xilinx and is here. He started off by looking at how the semiconductor industry has recovered and silicon area shipments are now back on trend after a pronounced drop in 2009 and revenue has followed. Finally the semiconductor… Read More