OTHER ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY
UPDATE
April 2012
McIlvaine Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Entegris to Create Advanced Nanotech R&D and Manufacturing Center
Shimadzu Opens Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry
EU to Fund Research into Safe Nanotechnology
Qualcomm IC Design and Engineering R&D Center in Singapore
TI Launches Analog, Mixed-Signal Research Lab
High-Field NMR and Mass Spectrometry will Promote Nanoscience Research in Mexico
CVD Equipment Doubles Manufacturing Space
After a worldwide search for a premier location, Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG), a Billerica-based supplier to the semiconductor and microelectronics industries, announced its plans to create the Entegris i2M Center for Advanced Materials Science ("i2M Center") in Bedford, Massachusetts.
The i2M Center will be one of New England’s leading R&D and manufacturing centers for filtration media, electrostatic clamps (E-Chucks) and proprietary advanced, low-temperature coatings. These technologies are needed to develop critical components used in the world’s most demanding and stringent semiconductor manufacturing environments. Entegris’ products, which control nano-level contamination so small it is measured in widths of atoms, enable the production of advanced semiconductor devices and other electronics used in computers, smartphones, TVs and cars.
“As next-generation devices — which are at the heart of tomorrow’s computers, tablets, and mobile phones — become smaller, more powerful, and consume less energy, the technologies used to make these devices are pushing the boundaries of physics,” said Gideon Argov, president and chief executive officer of Entegris. “To support the manufacturing of these devices, the Entegris i2M Center will focus on solving the most difficult purification, process control, and material protection challenges, something only a handful of companies in the world can do.”
Entegris recently purchased land and an existing 80,000 square foot building at 9 Crosby Drive in Bedford, Massachusetts to house the i2M Center. It expects to invest approximately $45 to $50 million in building infrastructure upgrades and equipment over the next two years. Entegris, which reported a record $749 million in sales in fiscal 2011, expects the first phase of the Center to be operational in early 2013.
The i2M Center will consolidate certain existing Entegris operations in Massachusetts and house approximately 100 professional and skilled employees who will transfer from those sites. The company also plans to add 10 new engineering and development positions specializing in membrane science and E-Chucks. Entegris currently employs approximately 350 employees in Massachusetts, and approximately 2,700 employees worldwide.
“i2M denotes ‘ideas to market.’ This facility will be our flagship innovation center for developing break-through materials science technologies to support our global customers, many of which are in Asia. Given our long history in the region, local employee talent, and the concentration of materials science and engineering experts in New England, there is no better location than right here in Massachusetts for our i2M Center,” said Bertrand Loy, chief operating officer of Entegris.
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments has opened the Shimadzu Center for Advanced analytical Chemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington. The center contains $6 million of chromatography, mass spectrometry and spectroscopy equipment, and is among the largest installations of Shimadzu analytical instrumentation.
The Shimadzu Center will allow researchers in the UT Arlington College of Science and the College of Engineering to access the enhanced capabilities for trace qualitative and quantitative analysis. Shimadzu’s instruments will be used in the research of preventions and treatments for illnesses such as cancer and malaria, as well as in the development of nanofabrication materials for industry.
Kevin Schug has been named the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the university. Mr. Schug is an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UT Arlington and will oversee the new lab.
“UT Arlington has a dynamic science program focused on the future, and Shimadzu is pleased and eager to support such a research institution,” said Shuzo Maruyama, president at Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. “In addition, Kevin Schug is one of the leading young scientists in the country, and it will be a pleasure to work with him and the entire team at UT Arlington on future projects.”
ERA-NET, a European scheme that aims to step-up the coordination of research activities in member and associated states, has allocated €8.35m for joint European research into potential safety and toxicity issues involved in applying nanosciences and nanotechnology in industry.
In its first transnational call for proposals, ERA-NET SIINN (Safe Implementation of Innovative Nanoscience and Nanotechnology) is seeking multilateral research projects focusing on four topics related to the safety of manufactured nanomaterials:
The establishment and development of models and methods for analytical tools, theoretical prediction and characterization;
Exposure assessment;
Studies on the impact of manufactured nanomaterials on the environment;
Studies on the properties and effects of manufactured nanomaterials on human health.
The aim of the first call is to close knowledge gaps with respect to EHS (Environment and Human Safety) issues so that industrial applications of nanotechnology can be created in reliable conditions.
ERA-NET SIINN hopes to fund about 8–10 projects, each lasting up to three years. Submissions must involve a minimum of three independent partners from at least two countries.
The Technology Strategy Board has a budget of up to €1.5m allocated for UK businesses looking to collaborate with European partners and will fund 4–6 applications from UK partners, each receiving a maximum of €300,000. Applications must be submitted by 5 June.
The ERA-NET SIINN brings together funding organizations, managers and experts from Austria, Wallonia (Belgium), France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Veneto (Italy), the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
Qualcomm Incorporated will establish an integrated circuit (IC) design and engineering R&D center in Singapore. The operation will work on analog, power, mixed-signal, and digital chip design and development, as well as mask layouts and pre- and post-silicon verification.
Local Singapore and regional talent will work at the IC Design and Engineering R&D center, developing hardware and software design support.
Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, the company's chipset division, will also manage certain strategic business planning and development, sourcing, procurement and distribution, and marketing and administrative functions from Singapore. It will augment its existing product test center in Singapore as part of the initiative.
Singapore's Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Teo Ser Luck, called Qualcomm's Singapore expansion "a significant addition to our electronics/semiconductor ecosystem." Applied Materials (AMAT) recently established a chip packaging R&D center in Singapore, collaborating with A*STAR.
Qualcomm first set up its chipset distribution center in Singapore in 2000. In 2008, Qualcomm established its first test development center outside of the United States in Singapore, enabling Singapore to become Qualcomm’s development hub for the Asia Pacific region.
Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies.
"We are delighted to expand our Singapore operations by establishing a world-class IC design and engineering R&D facility. This facility will deliver powerful and innovative chipset designs that will continue to improve the mobile experience for consumers," said Jim Lederer, executive vice president and general manager, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.
Texas Instruments Inc. has launched a research center for innovation in analog and mixed-signal electronics. The TI Silicon Valley Labs will focus on advanced research and development in analog and mixed-signal electronics.
The lab will be closely collaborating with its customers and universities in recruiting the talent pool needed for the research program.
Currently under development in the research center are advanced research projects ranging from analog signal processing for ultra-low power pattern recognition to re-architecting power management for future cloud servers.
"Many of today's toughest challenges, from efficiently powering cloud computing to making quality medical care more affordable and portable, can be addressed with inventive analog semiconductors, and TI has the analog manufacturing, design and research resources to make this possible," said Gregg Lowe, TI senior vice president of analog. "TI Silicon Valley Labs will tap into and invest in the Silicon Valley ecosystem of innovation, to tackle challenges like these with our customers and grow our business worldwide," Lowe added.
The TI Silicon Valley Labs will focus on advanced research and development in analog and mixed-signal electronics.
The company is working with Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley, and other area universities to further strengthen key engineering undergraduate programs. The university collaboration will also provide opportunities for graduate-level research on-site at TI's recently-acquired 283,279.94-square meter (70-acre) facility in Santa Clara, California. The company is also doubling its internship opportunities for top engineering undergraduate students as well as training programs at TI in Silicon Valley for top new college graduates.
"Breakthrough innovation in the modern competitive landscape demands multidisciplinary research in collaboration with universities and other research centers," said Ahmad Bahai, TI Analog chief technology officer. "Our labs are built on relationships and investment in the entire innovation value network—from undergraduate internships to advanced analog semiconductor research with consulting professors and customers' research teams—to further R&D advances in our industry."
The NMR and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry systems will further strengthen the role of the National Polytechnic Institute as a center of excellence for Nanoscience and Micro-Nanotechnology research in Mexico.
The NMR and MS spectrometers will promote the Center‘s mission in supporting scientific research and knowledge with core competencies in nanosciences and nanotechnology, for eventual transfer of high-impact technical developments to the private and public sectors in Mexico and abroad.
The AVANCE III 750 includes a 750 MHz (17.6 Tesla) magnet based on Bruker’s latest Ascend™ magnet technology. Ascend magnets feature advanced superconductors and proprietary magnet technology resulting in smaller physical size and lower weight for easier installation in customer laboratories. The AVANCE III 750 includes Bruker CryoProbe™ technology, enabling National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) researchers to benefit from the increased sensitivity of this cryogenically cooled probe, ideal for detecting small amounts of sample. Combining the CryoProbe with the AVANCE III’s unprecedented level of digital control, speed, flexibility and exceptionally pure NMR frequency generation provides IPN an NMR platform perfectly suited to many of IPN´s research strengths, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine and materials.
The micrOTOF-Q II ESI-Qq-TOF mass spectrometer features the latest technology to provide confidence for small molecule identification, metabolomics and proteomics. Easy molecular sum formula determination of small molecules, metabolic studies, analysis of complex mixtures, protein digests and intact proteins are key applications.
The Autoflex Speed MALDI TOF/TOF incorporates Bruker's proprietary smartbeam™-II laser technology for uncompromised laser performance to combine the advantages of both the proven analytical performance of nitrogen lasers and all-solid-state laser reliability. The Autoflex Speed is optimized to be a robust system for applications such as detailed protein/peptide characterization, synthetic polymer analysis, high resolution MALDI imaging and glycan analysis.
Dr. Gerardo Cabañas Moreno, Director of the CNMN of IPN, stated: “We are very pleased with our decision to select Bruker’s NMR and mass spectrometry instrumentation to equip our new Center. These advanced, new platforms will have an immediate and significant impact in a broad range of experiments, focused on nanotechnology, biotechnology, life sciences and several engineering fields. This shows again the clear commitment from IPN´s General Director, Dr. Yoloxóchitl Bustamante Díez, to improve the standing of our Institution at the national and international level.”
Dr. Werner Maas, President of Bruker BioSpin, added: “Bruker is honored to support the growing science community in Mexico. The establishment of the CNMN exemplifies the commitment of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional to increasing the quality of research and establishing an international presence with the addition of these state-of-the-art NMR and MS instruments.”
CVD Equipment Corporation purchased a new facility in Central Islip, NY, doubling the space for its chemical vapor deposition (CVD), gas control, and other wafer fab equipment assembly.
The new facility also unifies CVD Equipment Corp.'s Application Laboratory in one location, noted Leonard Rosenbaum, president and CEO, who said that the new space will enable "multiple growth opportunities." The Application Laboratory will focus on nanomaterials manufacturing, pilot/demo lines for nanomaterials usage in macro-materials and sub-assemblies, and technology transfer/partnerships around nanomaterials. These product development efforts will be marketed through CVD Materials Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary.
CVD Equipment Corporation makes equipment for the development, design and manufacture of advanced electronic components, materials, and coatings. Customers research, design and manufacture semiconductors, solar cells, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanowires, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), smart glass coatings, battery and/or ultra capacitor materials, medical coatings, industrial coatings and equipment for surface mounting of components onto printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Integrated Manufacturing Group, LLC (IMG), an engineering and precision machining and fabrication company, announces it has expanded into the Asia Pacific region through a strategic alliance with Onn Wah Precision Engineering Pte Ltd, (Onn Wah), an Asia Pacific engineering and precision machining and fabrication company. IMG also announces significant local growth in its Bay Area facilities.
The new Asia Pacific joint facilities will operate under the name IMG Precision Technologies (Asia) Pte Ltd. and enable the company to manufacture and fabricate complex critical components and parts at state-of-the-art facilities in Singapore and Suzhou, China.
“We are strategically focused on servicing our global customers as they localize their supply chains. Currently, they need support in high-growth markets including China, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore,” said Kam Pasha, IMG’s CEO. “We’ve spent years aligning with Onn Wah to ensure our partnership offers our global customers access to the same high quality engineering expertise, state-of-the-art precision equipment, machinery, and infrastructure they expect from IMG.”
IMG’s Bay Area facilities are also looking to hire 15 new employees, including positions with its ever-growing degreed engineering staff. IMG has also recently committed more than $2 million in new equipment, including a new E-Beam Welder machine capable of holding up to 6,000 pounds of metal. This machine will enable IMG to service a growing customer base in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense and semiconductor industries. Today, IMG is a $60 million company and expects year-over-year growth of 10 percent in 2013.
“Our growth in the Bay area demonstrates our ability to achieve total cost reduction in production with highest quality results for our customers. Several U.S. OEM’s, based in cities from New York to Houston, are coming to us despite having similar engineering facilities right in their own back yard,” continued Pasha.
McIlvaine Company
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