http://www.electronicsweekly.com/ElectronicsWeekly.com - News, analysis, research and opinions provided by the journalists of Electronics Weeklyen-gbCopyright Reed Business Information 2006http://www.electronicsweekly.com/images/ew-logo.gifhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/14430Electronics WeeklyMon, 13 Oct 2008 13:01:00 GMT60http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/42684/q5-interviews-with-electronics-industry-leaders.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/42684/q5-interviews-with-electronics-industry-leaders.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsFrom ARM's chairman, Sir Robin Saxby, to touchscreen technology firm Zytronic's MD, Mark Cambridge, the business leaders share their particular insights on the UK electronics industry.Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:01:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44697/qualcomm-targets-gps-enabled-handsets-with-sirf-deal.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44697/qualcomm-targets-gps-enabled-handsets-with-sirf-deal.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsSiRf's patent portfolio includes some of the early GPS patents that SiRF acquired through its acquisition of Conexant's GPS business in 2003, and Motorola's GPS assets in 2005Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:39:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44696/imec-develops-artificial-skin-technology.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44696/imec-develops-artificial-skin-technology.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsBelgian researchers claim to have made the first functional optical links that can be embedded in a flexible substrate. This could lead to new types of pressure sensor being used as a form of “artificial skin”Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:10:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44695/micron-pays-400m-for-stake-in-qimonda-fab-venture.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44695/micron-pays-400m-for-stake-in-qimonda-fab-venture.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsInotera operates two 300mm wafer fabrication facilities producing a total of 120,000 wafers per monthMon, 13 Oct 2008 10:11:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44694/elpida-numonyx-finalise-300mm-nor-flash-foundry-agreement.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44694/elpida-numonyx-finalise-300mm-nor-flash-foundry-agreement.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe agreement gives Numonyx access to additional 300mm capacity while reducing the costs to make high-density NOR flash commonly used in mobile phones and embedded applications, the companies said.Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:56:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44693/eda-revenue-down-in-q2-edac.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/13/44693/eda-revenue-down-in-q2-edac.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsReflecting year-over-year growth in the PCB/MCM and services, offset by declines in CAE, IC physical design and verification, and semiconductor IP, according to the EDA Consortium (EDAC) Market Statistics Service (MSS).Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:39:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44690/analysis-what-is-avnet-getting-with-abacus-buy.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44690/analysis-what-is-avnet-getting-with-abacus-buy.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAvnet’s £42.2m takeover bid for Newbury-based component distributor Abacus should surprise no one as business consolidation has been a fact of life in the European distribution business.Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:14:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44691/freescale-in-45nm-soi-production.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44691/freescale-in-45nm-soi-production.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNews Freescale is bringing out its first 45nm Silicon On Insulator (SOI) products and says it will be one of the first companies to use 32nm SOI processes. "We're...Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:59:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44689/the-electronics-weekly-news-roundup-freescale-and-lte-fabless-amd-arm-smartphones.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44689/the-electronics-weekly-news-roundup-freescale-and-lte-fabless-amd-arm-smartphones.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsA pick of the main stories crossing the ElectronicsWeekly.com News Index this week, from Freescale strategy on LTE and AMD going fabless to ARM boosting smartphone performance and a cutting-edge laser fusion programme...Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:54:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44688/semi-market-to-grow-3.5-per-cent-isuppli.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44688/semi-market-to-grow-3.5-per-cent-isuppli.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsiSuppli, the US semiconductor analysts, are forecasting 3.5 per cent growth for the semiconductor industry this year.Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:05:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44687/micron-cutting-workforce-by-15-ramping-down-nand-ops.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44687/micron-cutting-workforce-by-15-ramping-down-nand-ops.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAs part of its restructuring, Micron said it will reduce its global workforce by approximately 15% over the next two years, most of which will be in the company's Boise headquarters as part of a NAND operation shutdown, and will begin with a voluntary programme.Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:05:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44686/freescale-completes-multi-core-purchase.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44686/freescale-completes-multi-core-purchase.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsFreescale Semiconductor has completed its purchase of Intoto, which supplies networking and communications softwareFri, 10 Oct 2008 10:35:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44685/avnet-buys-abacus-for-42.2m.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44685/avnet-buys-abacus-for-42.2m.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsUS-based Avnet sees growth opportunities in the European components market and this deal supports thatFri, 10 Oct 2008 10:01:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44684/ultratech-acquires-patent-rights-to-ibm-wafer-annealing-technology.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/10/44684/ultratech-acquires-patent-rights-to-ibm-wafer-annealing-technology.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe agreement between Ultratech and IBM covers US and foreign patents for a portfolio including hardware for thermal processing of semiconductor wafers, as well as patents for temperature control and metrology.Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:31:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44683/osram-signs-key-led-lighting-patent-deal-with-philips.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44683/osram-signs-key-led-lighting-patent-deal-with-philips.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe signficance of this is that it relates to key colour-changing LED patents held by Color Kinetics and TIR Systems, companies which were acquired by Philips last yearThu, 09 Oct 2008 16:07:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44680/top-ten-blog-posts-nxp-semi-rankings-antiques-roadshow-intel-feuds.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44680/top-ten-blog-posts-nxp-semi-rankings-antiques-roadshow-intel-feuds.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsMannerisms leads the way with NXP's fall down the semiconductor supplier rankings, with a Gadget Freak Antiques Roadshow and feuds at Intel not far behind...Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:26:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44678/freescale-lte-strategy-has-zero-defects-ceo-rich-beyer.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44678/freescale-lte-strategy-has-zero-defects-ceo-rich-beyer.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsFreescale is looking to its strengths: automotive microcontrollers, power management, sensors, communications processors for networking, and broadband and Internet access, Rich Beyer, Chairman and CEO of Freescale, told the Freescale Technology Forum in Paris this week.Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:17:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44677/renesas-and-panasonic-join-push-for-32nm-chips.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44677/renesas-and-panasonic-join-push-for-32nm-chips.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThis is the latest in a stream of 32nm process technology moves, which indicates that even in these times of financial turmoil chip companies continue with their long-term technology plansThu, 09 Oct 2008 12:02:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44675/broadcom-ups-pressure-in-qualcomm-legal-row.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44675/broadcom-ups-pressure-in-qualcomm-legal-row.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsBroadcom stated in its filing that it believes these practices have brought Qualcomm “a financial windfall and brought harm to the industry and consumers”Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:37:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44671/nxp-puts-fishkill-200mm-fab-up-for-sale.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44671/nxp-puts-fishkill-200mm-fab-up-for-sale.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe NXP site up for sale develops and produces high performance BiCMOS RF and High Voltage CMOS technologies on 200mm 0.25-micron equipment.Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:04:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44668/glasgows-ftdi-is-looking-to-hire.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44668/glasgows-ftdi-is-looking-to-hire.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsFuture Technology Devices International (FTDI), the Glasgow developer of USB ICs, is looking for more people. The 60 employee company is looking for ten more employees including an IC designer, PCB designers and a technical support engineer.Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:37:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44669/cadence-tessera-to-optimise-illumination-for-22nm-lithography.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44669/cadence-tessera-to-optimise-illumination-for-22nm-lithography.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsCadence Design Systems and Tessera Technologies announce their collaboration on a new computational-lithography approach aimed at the problems of the 22nm node. Like an earlier announcement from IBM and Mentor Graphics, it abandons hope for extreme UV lithography at this node and instead substitutes more comprehensive OPC and PPC.Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:35:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44667/semi-equipment-demand-down-until-2010-gartner.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/09/44667/semi-equipment-demand-down-until-2010-gartner.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsWith capital spending still slowing across the board, all segments are seeing a decline in capital spending in 2008 and through 2009, according to Gartner Dataquest.Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:21:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/08/44666/east-kilbride-terms-exceptionally-high-freescale-ceo-rich-beyer.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/08/44666/east-kilbride-terms-exceptionally-high-freescale-ceo-rich-beyer.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe redundancy terms on offer to the Freescale workers at the company's East Kilbride plant are 'exceptionally high', according to Freescale CEO Rich Beyer.Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:15:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/08/44665/intersil-ceo-holds-steady-on-analogue-strategy.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/08/44665/intersil-ceo-holds-steady-on-analogue-strategy.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsSix months after Dave Bell took over as CEO of Intersil from Rich Beyer, who went off to head up Freescale, the strategy at Intersil remains unchanged although there has been a change in the company's structure and acquisition ambitions. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:07:00 GMT