Electronics Supply Chain News & Analysis

Diodes Unveils Wide Temperature LED Driver

The driver allows for a temperature range of – 40 degrees Celsius to 125 degrees Celsius for LED applications such as signage, strip lighting and retrofit lamps.

Qualcomm Backs Silicon Image IoT Spinoff

Chip vendor invests in Qterics to support the Internet of Things to bring more support to a next generation of smart connected devices.

Connected Street Lighting to Grow 4X in Next 5 Years

The market for connected street lighting may only be worth $104 million but with the benefits to cities’ budgets, revenue is expected to surge in the coming years to $450 million.

ON Semi Signs Two Asian Distributors

The semiconductor vendor will allow Ryosan and Macnica to distribute all ON product lines in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, specifically in expanding sales in the automotive and industrial segments.

Veeco Buys Wafer Processing Equipment Vendor SSEC

The $150 all-cash deal will provide Veeco with a complimentary technology expanding the company’s compound semiconductor and MEMS equipment portfolio.

Bourns Buys Battery Safety Firm

Acquisition will bring complementary products to the company in its plan for long-term growth in the lithium-ion battery market.

Broadcom Adds Chips, NFC to its IoT Platform

Two offerings into the company’s Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices portfolio include a Wi-Fi SoC and software that enables NFC capability for mobile and smart devices.

GaN Systems Signs with Japanese Distributor

Japanese distributor Daitron to sell GaN Systems’ gallium nitride power switching chips in Japan and Korea.

IP Vendor eSilicon Launches Procurement Portal

Web-based tool allows chip designers to specify the requirements of their design and then select a silicon foundry to produce their custom IC was introduced by eSilicon.

WSTS Expects Moderate Chip Growth in 2015

The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics group predicts chip sales will grow 3 percent to reach $344.5 billion in 2015.

Chip Equipment Spending Expected to Grow 15% in 2015

Sales of new semiconductor equipment expected to reach nearly $44 billion in 2015, according to the SEMI trade group.

Freescale Acquires Zenverge to Advance IoT Security

Acquisition expected to enhance Freescale’s media streaming portfolio, specifically in offering secure sharing of HD video and other content in the cloud.

SureCore Raises Funds For SRAM IP

A UK design group has raised a series A round of funding with the aim of being able to license out its leading-edge SRAM IP in the coming months.

Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron Merger Delayed

The formation of Eteris BV, a merger of chipmaking equipment leaders Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron has dragged on for more than a year and sign-off by regulatory authorities on issues such as competition is not yet in sight.

Cypress, Spansion Agree to $4 Billion Merger

All-stock transaction expected to result in firm with $2 billion in annual sales.

MagnaChip Offering 0.18 Micro SOI RF CMOS Process Technology

South Korean chipmaker will target the process technology at RF front-end module devices specifically antenna switching and tuner applications in smartphones and tablets.

Digital Signal Controllers Aim at Harsh Environments

Line of 5V digital signal controllers that allows for easy connection to sensors and noise immunity in appliances, industrial and automotive products.

Infineon to Expand Wafer Fab, Buy Into PCB

Infineon plans to expand a 200mm wafer fab in Kulim Malaysia and is moving closer to a PCB manufacturing partner in Germany through acquisition of a minority share. This after Infineon posted solid quarterly financial results.

Lime Micro Offers Field Programmable RF for 4G, MIMO

A programmable RF dual transceiver could be just the thing for multi-standard software-defined radio systems. Lime has iterated its design and is dropping the price on an earlier implementation.