Electronics Supply Chain News & Analysis

Synopsys, IMEC Expand Technology Agreement

Agreement expands the relationship between the two companies to provide TCAD tools to chip makers developing 5nm products.

Corning Acquires Fiber-optic and Copper Vendor

The deal will strengthen Corning’s reach into the optical devices for communications portfolio as the company becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent.

Crossbar Edges Closer to ReRAM Debut

Startup Crossbar is presenting details of the selector device 'inherent' in its filamentary silver-based resistive RAM at the IEDM 2014 conference. The company claims the development will allow dense vertically-stacked ReRAM components but it now sees 2016 as the year its technology will become fully commercially available.

Qualcomm Invests $40M in Chinese Startups

The investment, part of the $150 million Qualcomm set aside in the summer for funding, will go to technology companies in the wireless communication market.

Fujitsu Targets Industrial Market with FRAM Chip

Memory device said to consume far less memory than other standard FRAM offerings for energy harvesting for rotary encoders, motor control and sensors.

Murata Completes Acquisition of Peregrine Semi

The closing of the acquisition that started in August has been finalized with Peregrine’s RF products being integrated into Murata’s own RF portfolio.

Cool Silicon Project Enhances Prospects For Scalable FRAM

Research into the ferroelectric effect in thin films of hafnium dioxide – and including Globalfoundries as a participant – is supporting the idea that FRAM could be an embedded non-volatile memory option at the 28nm node and beyond.

Microchip Unveils JukeBlox 4

Audio products platform can be used to create next-generation high quality listening devices such as AV receivers, wireless speakers, mini and micro systems and sound bars.

Semiconductor Incubator Gains Synopsys, TSMC Support

Silicon Catalyst is a mentoring and networking company formed earlier this year that plans to focus on the semiconductor startup sector. The organization is starting in Silicon Valley but intends to have a global remit.

STMicro Touts Experimental 3D Graphics Application

Using FPGAs and in partnership with Politecnico di Milano, the ray-tracing technology is part of the European Union’s FASTER initiative for research and development of next-generation technology.

Chip Gear Revenue Rose 15% in Q3

Fab tool sales up year-to-year but down compared with the second quarter of this year, trade group says.

Intel Rolls IoT Reference Model

Microprocessor giant’s Internet of Things platform will allow for better security and ease-of-use for developers making next generation connected devices and wearables.

TI Expands Cloud IoT Ecosystem

Chip vendor adds 10 new service providers to its Internet of Things ecosystem in order to speed up TI-based products connecting to the cloud.

TowerJazz JV Building Chips for Fairchild

Volume production commences in Japan after rapid process technology transfer.

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.