OTHER ELECTRONICS
UPDATE
April 2007
McIlvaine Company
Demo Facility for Polymer Nanocomposites Lets Manufacturers Tryout Nanotechnology
The University of Dayton Research Institute has opened what researchers are calling the world's first manufacturing centre for product demonstration of nano-enhanced polymer composites.
Created in collaboration with the National Composite Center in Dayton, where it is located, the aptly named CMPND (Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites and Devices) will allow manufacturers to try out nanotechnology for use in their composite products, but without the major investment dollars and risk involved in purchasing new equipment and retooling their facilities.
Russia to Invest Over US$1 Billion in Nanotechnology
Russia will pour over US$1 billion (€740 million) in the next three years into equipment for nanotechnology research as it uses massive oil and gas export earnings to seek to diversify an economy now heavily dependent on raw materials, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said Wednesday.
Nanotechnology is an emerging field that works with microscopic particles the size of atoms.
Ivanov, considered a possible candidate for Kremlin support to replace Putin after presidential election next March, said Putin had chosen him to head a council that will supervise spending on the nanotechnology effort under a program being developed by the government.
He said spending would amount to 28 billion rubles (US$1.1 billion; €800 million) over the next three years.
UR Gets $1.8 Million for Nanotechnology Center
The University of Rochester in New York State will get $1.8 million in federal money to help it establish a nanotechnology research center. The center will be called the Nanosystems Initiative, and will focus on nanoscience research in areas such as fuel-cell development and biomedical applications. The money will help outfit and equip a 10,000 square-foot lab in the school’s Institute of Optics annex building.
The initiative is a three-year $15 million project that school officials expect to lead to an additional $10 million annually in grants and funding. School officials expect as many as six startup companies to emerge from research done at the center over time.
University of Missouri’s Nanotech Center gets Contract
The University of Missouri's nanotechnology center has received a $10 million contract from the Department of Defense to build devices that produce energy and detect biological weapons. The contract is the second defense-related contract the university has received in less than a year, adding to a $3.5 million, two-year contract MU received in July to build miniature devices to enhance the performance of U.S. Army weapons systems.
Norfolk State University Gets Cleanroom
The air in the cluster of "clean rooms" at Norfolk State University's new research building is filtered so finely that the only thing you smell is the latex gloves visitors must wear.
The rooms are the technological centerpiece of the $35 million Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research. The clean room facilities are the largest of their type at a Virginia university, Norfolk State officials said.
That work will include nanotechnology, or creating materials molecule by molecule, so that desired properties can be engineered in. For example, Frances Williams, an assistant professor of engineering, is working on a microscopic sensor that detects toxic gases.
Norfolk State officials expect t he laboratories, classrooms and offices of the six-story brick building diagonally across Brambleton and Park avenues from the main campus to be fully occupied this fall. That's two years later than originally planned, due to funding shortages and construction delays. It's envisioned as the first phase of a 25-acre research and technology park with public and private tenants, called the RISE Campus. RISE is short for Research and Innovations to Support Empowerment.
To date, less than seven acres have been bought by NSU. Work toward soliciting more partners is just beginning after a period of planning, Norfolk State Rector Jack Ezzell Jr. said Friday.
Finland and China to Cooperate on Nanotechnology Research
Finland and China have launched a joint cooperation programme for nanotechnology research and development (R&D), the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes) has announced.
'This cooperation agreement between Finland and China is a strong step forward in an effort to foster a better exchange of ideas, people and resources between China and EU countries,' said Markku Lämsä, manager of Finland's National Nanotechnology Programme (FinNano).
Agreement on the cooperation was reached at a meeting in Beijing earlier this year, and an official Chinese delegation went to Helsinki at the end of March to attend the Nanotech Northern Europe conference, which was organized in the framework of the China-EU Science and Technology Year. A delegation from Finland is set to return the visit by attending the China Nano 2007 event in June.
According to Tekes, the Chinese were impressed by the high quality of nanotechnology research in Finland, and its strong focus on commercialization and industrialization. The FinNano programme is funded by Tekes to the tune of €70 million.
Nemoptic and Seiko Sign Agreement to Mass-Produce e-paper Displays
Nemoptic, an e-paper display company for consumer and professional handheld devices, today announced that it has agreed to subcontract manufacturing to Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII). According to the terms of the agreement, Nemoptic will grant SII access to its BiNem(R) technology, enabling SII to produce high volumes of Nemoptic's bistable LCD display modules. The e-paper displays are available in black and white, gray scale or full-color rendering.
The deal marks a significant step forward for Nemoptic an as industry player that can now secure the immediate availability of large industrial volumes of zero-power e-paper displays offering high optical performance at a competitive cost. Nemoptic and SII have signed an agreement for three years, with an option for annual renewal for subsequent years.
The high volume manufacturing of Nemoptic's bistable LCD displays will take place at SII's Microtechno plant, located in Akita, Japan. SII's Microtechno plant has a worldwide reputation as one of the most modern sites for high volume production of color super-twist nematic liquid crystal displays (CSTN-LCD displays). Customers can expect to see the first units appear from the plant at end Q2 2007.
Recent reports indicate that the e-paper market is rapidly developing for a number of applications. Nemoptic has already entered the electronic shelf labels (ESL) marketplace, estimated at 6 - 10 billion units in the grocery sector alone. Nemoptic is currently exploring other market sectors including e-newspapers that can be updated electronically several times per day, e-books for educational and leisure applications, industrial applications in factory automation, logistics and remote metering systems, and a whole range of new consumer products.
Nemoptic will continue to maintain independent production facilities at the plant in Sweden that produces BiNem display modules in small series. BiNem display modules are available to customers worldwide.
Czech Tech Students to Get Cleanroom Experience
Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, has announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art cleanroom environment on the campus to give microelectronics and technology students the experience of working within the dust-free surroundings required of their profession. The lab, funded by Masaryk University and ON Semiconductor, will see basic silicon technology and microelectronics R&D activities carried out and will hold the potential for use in future advanced technology activities.
The project is a combined effort on the part of the University's Condensed Matter Physics department and ON Semiconductor, and builds on their existing relationship that has seen ON Semiconductor staff providing lectures within the department, as well as the company's provision of grants for pre- and post-graduate students of the college department.
ON Semiconductor staff were available for guidance during the construction of the 120 m2 cleanroom and managed tool installation and start-up. University staff also undertook specialized training for the operation of the lab itself, which will see students from both Masaryk and other Czech universities availing of its facilities to further their professional training.
Russian Adopts Semiconductor Industry Development Program
A conference was held in Moscow on the issues of micro-electronics industry in Russia. The event was organized by technology company Sitronics and the Russian Managers Association. The keynote at the conference was delivered by Yuri Borisov, head of the radio-electronics division in the Federal Agency of Industry. The gist was that the best way to help the near-ruined industry turn around is to provide guaranteed government procurement. The rest can be handled by the business itself.
Bringing the semiconductor production back to life again means virtually starting things from scratch. Currently Russia only has one facility that works using the 0.5 micron process and services special customers. It belongs to the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to Borisov, the production can hardly be described as serial. This has brought about a situation in which the needs of the Russian industries in semiconductor components that were still satisfied by Russian manufacturers back in the early 1990s are now covered by imported products. That applies to the military segment as well. Only thirty percent of the military semiconductor needs are covered by Russian design bureaus and over sixty percent is covered by imported products. This causes national security concerns in the government.
According to Borisov, the micro-electronics market totaled 35.1 billion (US$1.35 billion) rubles in 2006 of which the Russian products share was only 1.2 billion rubles. Forecasts say that before 2011 Russia will see new market sectors appear that will give Russian chipmakers a chance.
The state program has it that what might play as a catalyst for the micro-electronics industry is the market for electronic IDs, passports, social security and transport cards, GLONASS satellite navigation systems and digital television.
The goals and objectives set in the program include reaching a fifty percent share for Russian companies in the specialized electronics market and a share of up to fifteen percent in the 'civil' market. The funding from the federal budget will reach 23.2 billion roubles till 2011. 15.8 billion of that will go to fund research and development projects, while 7.3 billion will be spent as capital expenses to create modern day design centers.
As for the micro-electronics manufacturing, the government virtually has no manufacturing facilities in its ownership - all of such enterprises are privately owned today. These include Angstrem and Micron in Zelenograd and the semiconductor plant in Voronezh.
The owners of these facilities are investing actively into new manufacturing lines using the experience of western companies. Thus Angstrem, than is going to operate as a foundry, struck partnership with AMD. AMD sells equipment from its plant in Drezden and shares technology. According to Borisov, the cost of the project is estimated at 650 million euros. The state has provided 3.4 billion rubles' worth of guarantee.
In the joint project of Sitronics and a French-Italian STMicroelectronics at Micron, the government is making a moderate investment, yet preparing a sizable state order.
Kansas City Area
The University of Missouri's nanotechnology center has received a $10 million contract from the Department of Defense to build devices that produce energy and detect biological weapons.
The contract is the second defense-related contract the university has received in less than a year, adding to a $3.5 million, two-year contract MU received in July to build miniature devices to enhance the performance of U.S. Army weapons systems.
Nokia to Open Research Center in Transylvania
Romanian officials disclosed that Nokia will open a cellphone plant and research center near the Transylvanian city of Cluj.
The handset maker is expected to invest about $267 million in the project to build a technology center in the village of Jucu that will employ 15,000 people, said Cluj prefect Marius Nicoara.
Local authorities agreed to provide Nokia with land, road access and utilities for the 159-hectare industrial park called Tetarom III, Nicoara said. The government will pay $44 million for the infrastructure improvements, the report said.
Hon Hai to Invest US$1 Billion in China Plants
Increased sales to Apple Inc and Huawei Technologies mean the electronics giant is looking to increase its number of plants in China's Hebei Province
Hon Hai group, controlled by Taiwan-based billionaire Terry Gou, signed an agreement to invest US$1 billion to build "several" electronics factories in northern China, a government official said.
The factories, to be located at the Qinhuangdao Economic and Technological Development Zone in Hebei province, may employ as many as 30,000 workers, Sun Liming, a spokesman for the development zone, said yesterday by telephone. Calls to the mobile phone of Hon Hai spokesman Edmund Ding went unanswered.
The group, which includes Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, the world's largest maker of electronics for other companies, is expanding production on increased sales to customers such as Apple Inc and Chinese phone equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. Hon Hai Precision said in January it may invest US$1 billion to build factories in Vietnam to help the company meet sales targets.
Hon Hai still needs Chinese government approval for the investment, Sun said. The group hasn't set a timeframe for construction of the plants, whose products may include printed circuit boards used to connect electronic parts, he said.
The Joint Laboratory and Training Centre (JLTC) at South China Normal University in China is the 30th such Training Centre
Part of Altera's worldwide University Programme, the JLTCs are equipped with the latest Altera Quartus II software and development kits to aid professors in conducting hands-on training with students. 'This is an outstanding contribution to overall PLD education in China', said Professor Liu Ming, Vice President of South China Normal University.
'The joint labs and training centers will enable design engineering students to build their expertise in FPGA and structured ASIC design methodology'.
'The joint labs are also beneficial to China's success in the increasingly competitive global electronics marketplace'.
'China represents a strategic area of growth for Altera, as it is quickly becoming a centre of innovation', said David Shen, Altera's Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific.
'We are committed to educating China's future workforce, as engineers at OEMs, startups and design houses in China are increasing their use of programmable technology for their time to market and cost advantages'.
In addition, Altera will continue to sponsor the annual Professor Conference and Nios II Embedded Processor Design Contest in China to help professors and students better understand and master Altera's latest technology and product development solutions.
IPC Book-to-Bill for February Still below One
The North American rigid PCB industry book-to-bill ratio for February 2007 climbed to 0.96. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio increased to 0.97. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in February 2007 reflected these gains and grew to 0.96.
These ratios are based on monthly data collected from PCB producers that participate in IPC's monthly PCB Statistical Program. Some analysts find the separate ratios for rigid and flex more meaningful than the combined ratio, because of the divergence in recent years between the rigid PCB and flexible circuit segments of the industry in growth rates and book-to-bill patterns.
The ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from the companies in IPC's survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which indicates probable near-term growth.
Rigid PCB shipments are down 9.9 percent and bookings are down 19.1 percent in February 2007 from February 2006. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 6.8 percent and bookings are down 19.2 percent. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 2.0 percent and rigid bookings increased 4.2 percent.
Flexible circuit shipments in February 2007 were up 2.7 percent and bookings were up 29.5 percent compared to February 2006. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are up 8.2 percent and bookings are up 5.6 percent. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments decreased 0.6 percent and flex bookings were down 2.0 percent.
For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in February 2007 decreased 9.2 percent from February 2006, and orders booked decreased 17.4 percent from February 2006. Year to date, combined industry shipments are down 6.0 percent and bookings are down 18.1 percent. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for February 2007 are up 1.8 percent and bookings are up 3.9 percent.
"Following a four-month decline in the PCB industry's book-to-bill ratio, it is finally turning upward," said IPC President Denny McGuirk. "The flexible circuit segment began its upward climb in December of 2006, and the rigid PCB segment showed its first up-tick in February 2007." He continued, "Book-to-bill ratios in both segments are still below parity, which indicates a slowdown in growth in early 2007. But sales and orders in both segments are following their usual seasonal patterns."
The book-to-bill ratios and growth rates for rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined are heavily affected by the rigid PCB segment. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 85 percent of the current PCB market in North America, according to IPC's World PCB Production and Laminate Market Report for the Year 2005.
IPC's monthly survey of the North American PCB industry tracks bookings and shipments from U.S. and Canadian facilities, which provide indicators of regional demand. These numbers do not measure U.S. and Canadian PCB production. To track regional production trends, however, IPC asks survey participants for the percent of their reported shipments that were produced domestically (i.e., in the USA or Canada). In February 2007, 91 percent of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 91 percent of rigid PCB and 96 percent of flexible circuit shipments in February by IPC's survey participants. These numbers are significantly affected by the mix of companies in IPC's survey sample, which remains constant throughout each calendar year, but may change with the January survey results.
IBM Tapped to Work on Electronic ID
IBM is starting a "new endeavor" at its Essex Junction facility and plans to produce electronic passport inlays and electronic identification cards this year, the company said.
The agreement with IRIS Corp. Berhad of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will create 60 to 70 jobs at IBM's Vermont plant, company spokesman Jeff Couture said.
IRIS Corp. specializes in electronic identification cards and electronic passports. The firm takes credit for pioneering the world's first electronic passport in 1998 and creating a national identity card for Malaysia. Those technologies are now used in countries throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the company said.
IBM will develop a 15,000-square-foot facility at its Essex Junction plant to produce the devices for IRIS' clients, Couture said. Production is to begin by the end of 2007, he said. Unlike many deals, this deal is "in-sourcing," since a foreign company will be manufacturing its product in the United States, Couture said.
IRIS is hoping to tap the North American market.
IBM's Essex Junction plant, which employs about 5,800 people, was selected as a partner in the deal, because the U.S. government has deemed it a "trusted supplier" and it is recognized as a secure facility. There are only five semiconductor component manufacturers in the country with such a designation.
Essex Junction is one of four full-time IBM manufacturing facilities in the United States, Couture said. The other locations are in East Fishkill, N.Y., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and Rochester, Minn.
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