On January 29, 2013, the LED & Power Electronics Industry Seminar was held at the Novotel Ambassador Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, Korea. The event, powered by Yole Développement, was organized into two parts: a free seminar and a coffee break/lunch/cocktail hour during which attendees could discuss their opinions and challenges. Most of the seminar’s 90+ attendees partook in both parts, with the improving LED market being the main talking point. Korea has become synonymous with the LED market’s recovery, having shown a 70% recovery rate since late 2012; thus, it’s no surprise that our seminar was held in Seoul. Several Korean LED players were in attendance, including Samsung, LG and Seoul Semiconductor, along with materials companies such as KCC, Iljin, OCI, and Sapphire Technology. It was exciting to see Korea’s entire LED chain gathered in one place! At the LED Korea tradeshow, which ran from Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, more than 30% of the people who attended Yole’s seminar visited our booth to follow up. Needless to say, we’re quite pleased with how many LED players are now paying attention to Yole Développement’s 2013 market forecast. Thanks very much to everyone who attended our inaugural seminar. We wish your business much success in 2013!

Hailey YangYole Développement, Korea Offi ce

Korea: Ground Zero for the LED market’s recovery

ISSUEN°139

7/02/13

T H E D I S R U P T I V E S E M I C O N D U C T O R T E C H N O L O G I E S M A G A Z I N E

LED 9

ITL unveils key new UV LED curing product launch for wide

OPTOELECTRONICS 11

Zephyr Photonics opens semiconductor fab and foundry unit

ADVANCED PACKAGINGS 13

SK Hynix readying for 3D stacked memory commercialization

Free registration on www.i-micronews.com

Fluigent, headquartered in Paris, France, is a microfluidic flow control and fluid handling expert. LabSmith Inc., based in

Livermore, California, offers a wide range of tools for innovative laboratory electronic and microfl uidic solutions. LabSmith and Fluigent join forces in the promotion of a microfl uidic voltage control plat form composed of LabSmith’s HVS448 Eight Channel High Voltage Sequencer and Fluigent’s MFCSTM (Microf luidic Flow Control System) and Electrowell device. Promotion of this tool combination highlights a simplifi ed automated platform for the control of fl uids and voltage in a microfluidic set-up. «Combining the HVS448, MFCSTM and Electrowell systems will provide customers with a combined microfluidic solution for precise fluid and voltage control,” explains Fluigent CEO François Leblanc. Fluigent and LabSmith plan to leverage their technical expertise and market experience to offer products that can be easily integrated into any microfluidics experiments for R&D laboratories and industrial applications.labsmith.comwww.fl uigent.com

With the new BMC150, Bosch Sensortec announces the second generation of its revolutionary electronic compass

module. The new implementation again raises the bar in terms of package size, accuracy and versatility.

The BMC150 is a 6-axis electronic compass module based on Bosch’s proven FlipCore technology which provides high accuracy and at the same time low power operation for longer battery life for smartphones, tablet computers and similar mobile devices. With a size of just 2.2 x 2.2 mm2 and a power consumption as low as 190 μA it sets new standards for compactness and battery lifetime.«Our focus for the BMC150 design was reducing the footprint and thus to help our customers to save valuable PCB real estate,» comments Bosch Sensortec CEO Stefan Finkbeiner. «An equally important goal was increasing the measurement range. As the result, the BMC is the ideal eCompass module for innovative applications in battery-driven mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet computers and watches.»BMC150 combines a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor and a s tate-of-the-ar t 3-axis accelerometer in a single package. Its high

integration translates into another benefi t for users: It reduces the number of components that otherwise have to be handled and qualified separately. Both sensors form a logical and functional unit, since the g-vector generated by the accelerometer is required to calculate the tilt compensation for the azimuth data produced by the geomagnetic sensor. The ac ce le r omete r and the geomagnetic sensor in BMC150, however, can a lso be used as two fu l ly func t ional independent devices.

Besides high integration, the sensor offers very high accuracy. Its exceptionally wide measurement range of +/- 1300 μT per axis makes it more tolerant to stray magnetic fields associated to loudspeakers or other magnetic components in smartphones. On the other hand, its extremely low noise of just 0.3 μT enables very accurate measurement.

Many applications for handheld devices such as user interface or navigation depend on an orientation vector. With eCompass library V3.0, Bosch Sensortec also offers a sensor data fusion software that performs the calculations for tilt compensation and thus generates precise heading information for compass applications.

Labsmith and Fluigent join forces Two leading microfluidic instrument manufactures are partnering to provide seamless access to an expansive range of tools for electrokinetic and electrophoretic experiments.

Small footprint, very low power consumptionBosch Sensor tec int roduces nex t-gen e lec tronic compass BMC150 geomagnetic sensor and accelerometer in a single package.

EDITORIALMEDTECH

MEMS

P L A T I N U M P A R T N E R S :

ZOOM

Everywhereyoulook™

The LabSmith HVS448 Eight Channel High Voltage Sequencer with Sequence™ software (left) combined with the Fluigent MFCS™ (Microfl uidic Flow Control System and Electrowell) (right) for sample introduction (Courtesy of LabSmith and Fluigent)

This cell design has the potential to b r eak the 50 pe r cent power conversion efficiency mark under

concentrated illumination.In multi-junction (MJ) solar cells, each junction is ‘tuned’ to different wavelength bands in the solar spectrum to increase efficiency. High bandgap semiconductor material is used to absorb the short wave length rad ia t ion w i th l onger wavelength parts transmitted to subsequent semiconductors.

NRL designs multi-junction solar cell based on InP substrateU.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists in the Electronics Technology and Science Division, in collaboration with the Imperial College London and MicroLink Devices have proposed a novel triple-junction solar cell with the potential to break the 50 percent conversion efficiency barrier, which is the current goal in multi-junction photovoltaic development.

>p.5>p.12

Kopin Wireless is a global manufacturer of heterojunction bipolar transistor (“HBT”) materials which are used in

power amplifiers (“PA”), a key wireless component in mobile devices. These are produced using Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (“MOCVD”) epitaxial wafer technology.

Acquisition highlights• $60 million payable in cash (“Initial

Consideration”) to Kopin on completion of the Acquisition (“Completion”) and $15 million payable in cash to Kopin on the third anniversary of Completion (“Deferred Consideration”)

Acquisition of Kopin Wireless for $75 million, placing to raise £16.5 million and trading updateIQE has agreed to acquire the compound semiconductor epiwafer manufacturing business of Kopin Corporation (Kopin) for total consideration of $75 million in cash.

ZOOM

>p.8

2 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

LATEST NEWS

G O L D P A R T N E R S

About Yole DéveloppementBeginning in 1998 with Yole Développement, we have grown to become a group of companies providing ma r ke t r e s e a r c h , t e c hno l o gy ana lys i s , strategy consulting, media in addition to fi nance services. With a solid focus on emerging applications using silicon and/or micro manufacturing, Yole Développement group has expanded to include more than 50 associates worldwide covering MEMS, MedTech, Advanced Packaging, Compound Semiconductors, Power Electronics, LED, Image Sensors and Photovoltaics. The group supports companies, investors and R&D organizations worldwide to help them understand markets and follow technology trends to develop their business.

Custom studies• Market data, market research & marketing

analysis• Technology analysis• Reverse engineering & reverse costing• Strategy consulting• Corporate Finance Advisory (M&A & fund raising)

Technology & market reports• Collection of reports• Players & market databases• Manufacturing cost simulation tools• Component reverse engineering & costing

analysisMore information on www.yole.fr

Media• Critical news, Bi-weekly: Micronews, the magazine• In-depth analysis & Quarterly Technology

Magazines: MEMS Trends – 3D Packaging – iLED – Power Dev’ – Image Sensors Industry

• Online disruptive technologies website: www.i-micronews.com

• Exclusive and editorial webcasts• Live event with Market Briefi ngs

ContactsFor more information about:• Services : Jean-Christophe Eloy (eloy@yole.fr)• Reports: David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr)• Media: Sandrine Leroy (leroy@yole.fr)

CONTENT

INSIDE 3EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS 4MEMS 5MEDTECH 7COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS 8LED 9IMAGING 10OPTOELECTRONICS 11NANOTECHNOLOGY 11PHOTOVOLTAICS 12ADVANCED PACKAGING 13POWER ELECTRONICS 14

Editorial StaffBoard Members: Jean-Christophe Eloy - Media Activity, Editor in chief: Dr Eric Mounier - Editors: Alexandre Avron, Frédéric Breussin, Lionel Cadix, Paul Danini, Wen-bin Ding, Dr. Éric Mounier, Pars Mukish, Laurent Robin, Milan Rosina, Benjamin Roussel, Dr. Philippe Roussel - Media & Communication Manager: Sandrine Leroy - Media & Communication Coordinators: Clotilde Fabre, Camille Favre - Layout: atelier JBBOX - Production: Kzen

__An intimate forum for decision-makers to define, collaborate on, and grow the global MEMS market.

__Amsterdam,The Netherlands12 March 2013

Featured Keynote SpeakersRALF SCHNUPPVice President Segment Occupant Safety & Inertial SensorsContinental Automotive GmbH

RENZO DAL MOLINAdvanced Research Director,SORIN GROUP

Register before 15 February to save €100

__

www.memscongress.com

organizer and presenter ®

MEMS STMicroelectronics ships three billionth MEMS chip and

reinforces its lead in motion sensors for phones, tablets and other consumer devices

MedTech Trinean launches the Xpose, a new micro-volume

spectrophotometer

Compound Semiconductors Excess capacity to trigger massive consolidation and

attrition: Will cell phone display covers come to the rescue? wonders Yole Développement

LED Packaging cost reduction is driving new technology and

design adoption

Imaging USB3 standard ratifi ed

Optoelectronics Jenoptik targets €800M turnover by 2017

Photovoltaics Solar wafer start-up 1366 Technologies opens new

production-scale factory

Advanced Packaging STATS ChipPAC and UMC unveil World’s fi rst 3D IC

developed under an open ecosystem model

Power Electronics A $1B SJ MOSFET market by 2018, forecast at 10.3%

growth per year, announces Yole Développement

CONSULTING

FROM CONCEPTTO DEVICESTECHNOLOGIES, FINANCE, BUSINESS, MARKETS...

THE DISRUPTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES WEBSITE

G o t o w w w. i - m i c r o n e w s . c o m t o r e a d t h e l a t e s t n e w s :

Co-organizer:

Part of the activities of:

Amsterdam, The Netherlands,13 – 14 March 2013smartsystemsintegration.com

International Conference and Exhibitionon Integration Issues of Miniaturized Systems – MEMS, NEMS, ICs and Electronic Components

BE PART OF IT!Knowledge exchange

Trends and innovations

Networking

Main conference topics:

• 3D-Integration and system packaging

• Manufacturing technologies for smart

integrated systems

• Smart medtech systems and systems for

prognostics health management

In cooperation with:

Register now atsmartsystemsintegration.com/registration

Further information: +49 711 61946-16 orsmart@mesago.com

7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 3

piezoMEMS competence centre established at SINTEF

INSIDE…

REVERSE COSTING

The MEMS market is increasingly turning its attention to creating semiconductor-based devices that convert real-world

non-digital as wel l as non-elec tronic information such as mechanical, thermal, acoustic, chemical, optical and biomedical phenomena to and from the digital domain. One particularly promising technology is the integration of piezoelectric thin films with silicon MEMS.Piezoelectr ic ity is the abil ity of some materials to generate an electric potential in response to applied mechanical stress. The piezoelectric effect is reversible in that

materials exhibiting the direct piezoelectric effect (the production of electricity when stress is applied) also exhibit the converse piezoelectric effect (the production of stress and/or strain when an electr ic f ield is applied). This is what makes the piezoMEMS technology so versatile. Due to this two-way operation of piezoelectric materials - going all the way from DC operation to several tens of MHz - piezoMEMS technology provides a huge pool of design opportunities.A market analysis for piezoMEMS based devices was recently performed by Yole Développement. PiezoMEMS have already

demonstrated their potential for use in mass product applications like ink-jet print heads by EPSON and Matsushita. As of 2012/2013 there are many others to come. Examples of known future applicat ions inc lude RF switches, fi lters, gyro sensor, tilted mirror arrays, energy harvesters, particle detection for biomedical applications and actuators for fi ne positioning- i.e. for optical lenses (www.polight.com).

The piezoMEMS processpiezoMEMS is fabricated using modif ied versions of established MEMS processes as well as specially developed add-on processes. To develop this process deep knowledge about piezo and ferroelectric materials were needed and it is important to realize that the rules and processes used when designing and fabricating Si-MEMS often cannot be applied to piezoMEMS. One important issue is the incompatibility of non-CMOS materials in most MEMS fabs.The full fabrication chain, including the development of high volume tools for thin fi lm deposition and in-line quality control, has been in focus for several years, most recently through the FP7 project piezoVolume- coordinated by SINTEF.

The competence centreThe piezoMEMS Competence Centre at SINTEF (www.piezomicrosystems.com) is a perfect match for small and medium size companies that want to get started with piezoelectric MEMS based on PZT. Since piezoMEMS technology is quite new, and there are no open facilities for volume production of piezoMEMS, it is natural that the barrier for considering piezoMEMS

technology is quite high. The Competence Centre has a large network of infrastructure as well as experts able to guide people through the challenges with this new technology. We cover the whole process from design to packaging and offer small-scale production of devices. People within the Competence Centre have worked with design, model l ing, process development and prototyping of piezoMEMS since 2002 and several successful projects have been completed. The unique experience that has been acquired reduces the risks and time-to-marked for our customers. Technology transfer from prototyping to high volume production is ensured through collaboration with independent MEMS fabs – in addition to the in-house capabilities at SINTEF. The continuing research in material science and fabrication processes at SINTEF ensures access to state-of-the-art technology. SINTEF has taken a leading role in the competence center, in a joint effort with our technology partners to bring piezoMEMS to the market.www.piezomicrosystems.comwww.sintef.no

Embedded die packaging is an emerging solution for increased integration in mobile products. It’s supported by a

game-changing, low-cost, panel-based PCB infrastructure that has the potential to create an alternative supply chain for t oday ’s we l l - e s t ab l i shed packag ing standards.Rohm and TDK-EPC have joined forces to p r ov ide an a l t e r na t i ve s o lu t i on f o r embedded die technology.

This SiP module is a second-source supply version of Texas Instruments’ MicroSiP™ DC-DC Converter, with packaging from AT&S (see our article in Micronews #125).

TDK-EPC’s embedded die processT D K- E P C ’ s p r o c e s s , c a l l e d S E S U B (Semiconductor Embedded in SUBstrate), is an innovat ive SiP module packaging

t e chno logy based on t he emerg ing “embedded die in laminate substrate” concept. Most of the packaging assembly operations are done at the panel-scale level, and a fan-out area with a four layers 3D in te r c onnec t i on r ou t ing pa th i s provided.

This packaging technology extends the package size beyond the IC surface area and a l l ows f o r mount ing add i t i ona l components such as discretes and passives on top of the laminated SiP module.

Supply chain and costing resultsWe believe that manufacture of the IC die and copper RDL are handled by Rohm Semiconduc tor in Japan. The SESUB packaging is performed by TDK-EPC on a large-scale panel in Japan, allowing for assembly o f thousands o f packages simultaneously.

A l t hough f u l l y c ompat ib l e w i th the previously analyzed TI module, the process and cost structure is very different.

A full reverse costing report, including technological analysis of the device and detailed manufacturing costs, is currently available.

Rohm DC/DC micro converter using TDK-EPC embedded die packaging

piezoMEMS wafer before dicing. Several design-types for various technology demonstrators are shown for this joint

piezoVolume project wafer. (Courtesy of Sintef)

Device fabrication

Market value

Model

Design

Processand fab

M

Design n

Ideasand IP

piezoMEMS Competence Center covers the whole piezoMEMS process, illustrated here as the working tools of hardware and know-how needed for manufacturing piezoMEMS. (Courtesy of Sintef)

CONSULTING

Recent reverse costing reports• ST LSM333D: 4x4mm 9-Axis IMU• Luxtera Silicon Photonic Die• TI DLP: nHD Pico Projector• SETi UVTOP270: UV LED• Mitsubishi CM450DY-24S: 1200V IGBT Power

Module

System Plus Consulting develops costing tools and performs on demand reverse costing studies of semiconductors (from integrated circuits to power devices, from single chip packages to MEMS and multichip modules) & of electronic boards and systems.

www.systemplus.fr

SiP module cost breakdown (Courtesy of System Plus Consulting)

SiP cross-section and drawing(Courtesy of System Plus Consulting)

IC Die Cost60%

SESUB PackagingCost + TDK-EPC

Overheads20%

Passives AssemblyCost EMSOverheads

8%Final test + Yield

losses cost2 %Passives

Components Cost10%

Embedded active component

Inductor Capacitor Capacitor

Four redistribution

layers Solder ball

Rohm DC-DC micro converter(Courtesy of System Plus Consulting)

4 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

Equipment & materials suppliers of front-end and back-end areas are fi nding business opportunities in

the ‘Middle-End’ space, a new blur area at the cross-roads between wafer fabrication and back-end assembly processesDemand for ‘mid-end’ tools and related materials is surging, thanks to the growth of 3DIC & Wafer-Level-packaging technologies such as 3D TSV, FO WLP, 3D WLP, WLCSP, 2,5D interposers and F l ip-chip wafer bumping.According to Yole Développement’s analyst, the material market will grow from ~$ 590M this year to over $ 2B by 2017 with a CAGR of 24%, driven mainly by the expansion of 2,5D interposer s and 3D TSV & WLP platforms. Also, the equipment market

reached a value of ~$ 870M in 2011 with a CAGR of 28% fueled by the 3D IC technology with TSV interconnects, which represents one of the main emerging areas in the coming years; an area offering opportunities for new equipment modification and new materials development.A slight decrease in 2012 is forecast, since manufacturers invested in equipment tools dedicated to the 3D TSV & WLP markets last year and high-volume production in 3D TSV, FO WLP, and 3D WLP has not started yet.

Market share for 3DIC/WLP: breakdown by equipment & materialsThe materials market is diversif ied and segmented into several materials suppliers. Specialist material suppliers are involved and specialized in one specifi c sector.

However, the equipment market for 3D TSV & WLP applications is quite fragmented and diversifi ed.

Yole Développement identifi es three main groups of equipment suppliers coming from different business markets:• Large equipment suppliers coming from

the semiconductor and front–end area who have expanded their business into the 3D TSV & WLP semiconduc to r business through acquisition of other companies.

• Equipment suppliers coming from niche application wafer processing markets with a broad product portfolio.

• “Specialist” equipment suppliers that have developed knowledge and expertise in very specifi c equipment lines.

The competitive landscape and market share for all main equipment & materials suppliershave been quantifi ed and detailed by Yole Développement.

Demand for ‘Mid-End’ tool and related materials is surging due to the growth of 3DIC & Wafer-Level-Packaging technologies driven mainly by the expansion of 2.5D interposers and 3D TSV& WLP platforms. The wafer-level-packaging market remains a huge business opportunity and shows the greatest potential for signif icant future growth in the semiconductor industry.

www.yole.fr

The equipment & materials business will grow by 4X in the next fi ve years …« Mid-End » infrastructure is growing and is the leading driver and the fastest growing semiconductor packaging technology with more than 18% CAGR in units over the next 6 years.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS

The equipment & materials business

Equipment & Materials for 3DIC & Wafer-Level-Packaging

0,0

5,0

10,0

15,0

20,0

25,0

30,0

35,0

40,0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Vol

ume

(in M

units

of 3

00m

m w

afer

eq.

)

(Source: Equipment & Materials for 3DIC & Wafer-Level-Packaging, October 2012, Yole Développement)

Global Wafer-Level-Packaging demand

3DIC

Flip-chip

2.5D interposers

3D WLP

WL CSP

FO WLP

3D SiP

(in Munits of 300mm wafer eq. )

As this wafer-level-packaging industry develops over t ime, a real infrastructure has spontaneously emerged into what is now being called the “Mid-end” of the semiconduc tor manufac tur ing environment. Indeed, wafer-level-packages are true “Mid-end” technologies in the sense that they can all be served in the ‘blur zone’ of overlap between the IDMs or CMOS foundries’ back-end-of-line (BEOL) wafer fabs and the back-end wafer bumping assembly facilities of the OSATs and wafer bumping houses

Strippable thick resist for WLP applications2011 Market share breakdown by supplier (in M$)

(Source: Equipment & Materials for 3DIC & Wafer-Level-Packaging, October 2012, Yole Développement)

JSR Micro$ 52,0 M

40%

Others*$ 13,0 M

10%

AZ ElectronicMaterials$ 39,0 M

30%

TOK (Tokyo Ohka Kogyo

Co. LTD)$ 26,0 M

20%

*Dow Electronic Materials, Dupont,Shin-Etsu Chemical, Shin-Etsu MicroSi

TOT ~ $ 130 M

7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 5

In cases where a h igh ly dynamic orientation vector is indispensable – such as augmented reality or games –

designers typically employ a gyro sensor to provide this information in a 9-axis sensor system. Along with Bosch Sensor tec’s FusionLib V3.0 algorithm, the 3-axis stand-alone gyro sensor BMG160 is the ideal complement to the BMC150.

The inherent intelligence of the BMC150 helps to signifi cantly reduce time to market for application developers. With its powerful and versatile interrupt system, the BMC150 greatly facilitates the design of a broad range of different applications.

The integrated smart interrupt engine enables the sensor module to automatically identify motion patterns and situations. For instance, it detects free fall conditions, fl at orientation on a table, tap sensing or even no motion at all for a definable period of time. These status data enable the implementation of many innovative features for mobile devices such as activating sleep mode and

waking it up by tapping it with a f inger. Developers also benefi t from the new FIFO buffer which acts as a temporary storage for measurement data until they are needed. This feature of f loads the appl icat ion processor further, effectively reducing the system’s overall power consumption.

The accelerometer section of the sensor can be adjusted to four dif ferent g ranges between +/- 2g and +/- 16g, enabling designers to select the g range that fi ts best their application.

www.bosch.com

Small footprint, very low power consumptionFrom page 1

MEMS

The 2SMPP-03 MEMS based pressure sensor is seen as ideal for medical applications such as negative pressure

wound therapy (NPWT) as well as leak detection, movement control, level indicators, home appliances and industrial control instruments. It offers precise measurement between -50kPa to +50kPa, complementing the 2SMPP-02 with a 0 to 37kPa range.To read full article, please visit electropages website.

www.electropages.com

BMC 150 (Courtesy of Bosch Sensortec)

Kionix announced the release of the KX022, a 2x2x0.9mm tri-axis, robust accelerometer with integrated FIFO/

FILO buffer that maintains low power while of fer ing a wide var iety of embedded algorithms for maximum functionality. Embedded features include tap detection, orientation detection, activity monitoring, and motion wake-up algorithms, as well as an internal voltage regulator and self-test function. With an ultra-small package, high-performance embedded functionality, and current consumption as low as 2μA, the KX022 is ideally suited for smartphones, tablets, and health and fi tness applications.The KX022 also features a user-confi gurable, low-power, embedded motion wake-up function, allowing the user to conserve battery life by powering down other systems until needed. Combined with Kionix’s XAC sensor, which provides outstanding stability with a market-leading combination of improved shock, refl ow, and thermal performance, as well as a decreased need for production-line calibration, the KX022 provides customers with substantial reductions in power, noise, and cost.“Kionix continues to aggressively address customer requirements for a small sensor footprint and for greater product functionality,” said Scott Miller, Vice President of Engineering, Kionix. “As a result, we have successfully enhanced our previous 2x2 offering by adding in a full range of embedded algorithms and functionality and an integrated FIFO/FILO buffer, dropping current consumption, and reducing noise, thereby making this part perfect for mobile applications.”

KX022 features include:• Low current consumption in all modes: 2 μA

in standby, 10 μA at normal resolution (25Hz ODR), and 130 μA for high resolution

• User-selectable resolution and acceleration ranges at +/-2g, +/-4g or +/-8g, as well as user-selectable Output Data Rate (ODR)

• Embedded FIFO/FILO buffer• Two interrupt registers• Digital high-pass fi lter outputs• Low noise for better resolution

• I2C and SPI digital output• An internal voltage regulator that maintains

constant internal operating voltages over its 1.8 – 3.6V range of input supply

• Up to 14-bit resolution for greater precision• Self-test function• Embedded functionality, including tap

detection, orientation, activity, and motion wake-up algorithms.

Available in a 12-pin, LGA, plastic package, the KX022 will be sampling to qualif ied customers during Q1 2013.

www.kionix.com

Kionix introduces low power, full-featured 2x2x0.9mm accelerometer with FIFO/FILO bufferThe KX022 of fers low current consumption and a ful l range of high performance embedded algorithms optimized for mobile applications.

Omron – New MEMS pressure sensor for medical, industrial and other applications (2SMPP-03 MEMS)Omron Electronic Components Europe has added a new piezo-resistive gauge pressure sensor featuring an extended pressure range as well as low power consumption and small size.

2SMPP-03 MEMS (Courtesy of Omron)

6 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

Bosch designs Application-Specifi c Integrated Circuits for MEMS sensors in DresdenFocus on automotive and consumer applications.

Bosch has started its ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) design ac t iv i t ies for MEMS sensors in

Dresden, Germany. These sensors are silicon-based and sense for instance motions, pressure or magnetic fi elds. MEMS sensors are to be used in a variety of automotive applications such as motor controls, vehicle dynamics controls and rollover detection – more and more in consumer electronics applications such as smart phones, games consoles or tablets as well.The related ASIC reads out the sensor and transmits the metered value in analog or digital mode. The correspondent design of the circuit allows reliable and secure fi gures of merit to be required for applications such as in smart phones or cars.Bosch sees a huge growth potential in the market for MEMS sensors and related ASICs (Application Specifi c ICs). The new Dresden

design center expands the company’s existing network of IC design locations in Reut l ingen, Mun ich, Shangha i and Bangalore. With its local presence in Dresden as one of Europe’s most dynamic microelectronics industrial centers, Bosch also gets access to the great academic and engineering potential in the Dresden area.«Besides our profound expertise in MEMS technology, excellent IC developers are essential factors for the expansion of our innovative product portfolio,» says Udo-Martin Gomez , CTO of Bosch Sensortec GmbH. «At the same time, this move refl ects Bosch’s commitment to Germany as s e m i c o n d u c t o r d e ve l o p m e n t a n d manufac tur ing locat ion,» says Er ich Biermann, Senior Vice President Engineering at Bosch Semiconductors.

www.bosch.com

ZOOMMEMS

Integrated Device Technology (IDT®) announced the industry’s f irst high-per formance quad frequency MEMS

oscillators with multiple synchronous outputs. IDT’s latest oscillators offer confi gurable outputs in an industry-standard compatible package footprint, saving board area and bill-of-materials (BOM) cost in communication, networking, storage, industrial, and FPGA applications.The IDT 4E series ±50 ppm enhanced MEMS oscillators integrate an LVDS or LVPECL output with a synchronous CMOS output into a single package, eliminating the need for an external crystal or secondary oscillator. Available in frequencies up to 600 MHz, the new oscillators save board area, simplify the application circuit, and reduce BOM cost in any high-performance application requiring an LVDS or LVPECL frequency source. Additionally, the oscillators feature two control pins to select between four factory-programmable output frequencies, allowing for the replacement of four components with a single device. This enables the customer to reduce their BOM count, consolidate their inventory, and realize cost benefi ts.“Our new CrystalFree™ MEMS oscillators eliminate the need for additional quartz crystals and bring tremendous value to our customers,” said Christian Kermarrec, vice president and general manager of the timing and synchronization division at IDT. “Our new 4E series provides our customers with what they’ve been asking for – simplicity and cost savings. Not only have we met these demands, we’ve also maintained backward compatibility with their existing socket footprints to ease the transition to these new devices.”The IDT 4E series oscillators are designed with the physical dimensions and pinout of an industry-standard six-pin CMOS, LVDS or

LVPECL oscillator, but with four additional pins (10 pins total) strategically placed to maintain backward compatibility with existing six-pin sockets. This allows designers to use the oscillators in existing sockets while offering additional functionality for new designs.

System designers can choose from three different output combinations: LVDS and CMOS outputs, LVPECL and CMOS outputs, or three synchronous CMOS outputs – offering the fl exibility to use the innovative devices in a myriad of applications.

The IDT 4E MEMS oscillators are currently sampling to qualified customers and are available in a standard 7.0 x 5.0 mm VFQFPN package.

www.idt.com

IDT announces industry’s fi rst high-performance quad frequency MEMS oscillators with multiple synchronous outputsIDT’s enhanced 4E MEMS oscillators of fer conf igurable outputs in an industry-standard package footprint, saving board area in communication, networking, and storage applications.

SiTime introduced the SiT8920 MEMS oscillator for industrial and high reliability applications. Due to its unique silicon

MEMS and analog architecture, the SiT8920 outperforms quartz oscillators in every major performance category. While operating over the widest temperature range, -55°C to +125°C, the SiT8920 consumes half the power of quartz oscillators, is twice as stable, 20 times more reliable and 30 times more robust to shock and vibration. These key benefits dramatically improve system performance and reduce failures in harsh environments.«SiT8920“SiTime’s MEMS and analog expertise allows us to deliver unique, leadership products with performance that is far beyond what is available in the market,” said Piyush Sevalia, executive vice president of marketing at SiTime. “The SiT8920 is a win-win for customers developing industrial and high-reliability applications. They benefit from dramatically better robustness and reliability, while simultaneously improving system performance. SiTime’s MEMS oscillators incorporate unique features that are simply not available from quartz products. For example, the SiT8920 incorporates SiTime’s unique SoftEdge™ rise/fall time control that reduces system EMI without additional components, expensive shielding or PCB re-design. By offering such compelling benefits, SiTime is transforming the timing industry with its silicon MEMS solutions.”

SiTime is also introducing two additional devices that are well suited for replacing quartz oscillators and crystal resonators.

• SiT1618 – a fi xed-frequency oscillator that operates over -40°C to +125°C

• SiT8918 – a programmable oscillator that operates over the same temperature range and supports any frequency between 1 and 110 MHz as well as 1.8V and 2.5 to 3.3V operation

These new high-temp oscillators offer many unique features and benefi ts listed below.• Best robustness: 30 times better than

quartz oscillators - 0.1 ppb/g vibration sensitivity, the best in the industry- 50,000 g shock and 70 g vibration resistance• Best reliability: 500 million hours MTBF (2 FIT),

20 times better than quartz oscillators• Best frequency stability: ±25 PPM over the

operating temperature for better system timing

• Low power consumption: < 4 mA typical• Five industry-standard package options

including a tiny 2.0 x 1.6 mm, all of which are drop-in replacements for quar tz oscillators

• The SiT8920, SiT8918 and the SiT1618 MEMS oscillators are sampling now with mass production scheduled for April 2013.

www.sitime.com

SiTime expands portfolio with +125C MEMS oscillators for industrial and high reliability applicationsBest robustness and reliability are ideal for harsh environments; best stability and power consumption improve system performance.

Tutorial Webcast

Prepare yourself for 2013funding opportunities!Would you like to benefit from interesting programmes and offers to finance your advanced technology projects?

By participating in this webcast tutorial, you’ll gain valuable insights into:

Join the online tutorial on14th February - 1:00 PM CET*

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7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 7

Akonni Biosystems announces results from three pre-clinical studies that contribute to the body of clinical

evidence that verifi es the effi cacy of Akonni’s TruDiagnosis molecular diagnostics (MDx) platform. Akonni TruArray® Tests are designed to fulfill market needs for mid-multiplex molecular diagnostics (tens to hundreds of molecular markers) deployed in near point-of-care settings, at a similar cost to conventional culture tests and with the accuracy and speed of gold-standard low-multiplex approaches.

These studies, including those for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), mul t i -drug res is tant Mycobac ter ium tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and inf luenza subtyping, were funded and developed over the past six years by carefully leveraging more than $45M in private and public funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Well positioned to take advantage of a $3.0B plus marketThe aggregate market oppor tunity for infectious disease diagnostics exceeds $3B in the United States alone, according to an October, 2012 report by Cowen & Company, LLC. Akonni’s TruDiagnosis platform is positioned to exploit this and broader global health markets with its unique TruArray Tests, which are designed to signifi cantly reduce the complexity and cost of traditional mid-mul t ip l ex mic r oar r ay consumab le s, equipment, and workflows for laboratory technicians. Mid-level multiplexed molecular assays that can be deployed in the fi eld or in lower-resource settings are particularly useful for infectious disease diagnostics, detecting drug resistance markers, and improving the health of at-risk populations.

Streamlined chemistry simplifies workflow compared to other microarray platformsRelative to the microarray products provided

by Affymetrix (AFFX), Agilent (A), Combimatrix (CBMX), and by Luminex (LMNX), Akonni’s TruArray tests signifi cantly simplify microarray workfl ows by combining conventional target amplification, fragmentation and labeling processes into a single tube or microfluidic chamber. Preliminary studies also indicate that all amplifi cation, labeling, hybridization, and wash steps can be combined into a single, self-c on t a ined amp l i f i c a t i on mic r oar r ay consumable, resulting in an entirely closed-amplicon microarray-based test.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus programIn collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Akonni conducted a retrospective study on 87 clinical isolates and 246 nasal swab samples acquired from a non-random, high-risk patient population. Of the 87 isolates, the TruArray test accurately classifi ed 86 (98.8%) and correctly identifi ed 14 mecA dropout specimens that were falsely positive in the BD GeneOhm MRSA or BD GeneOhm StaphSR tests. The overall prevalence of MRSA in the clinical sample set was 16.7%. The TruArray test resulted in 80.5% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity, comparable to or better than Cepheid Xpert

MRSA or BD GeneOhm tests when applied to similar, high-prevalence patient populations containing a significant number of mecA dropouts. This study was published in 2012 in the Journal of Microbiological Methods.

MDR-TB programIn collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Akonni conducted a study with 185 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates representing a world-wide distribution of r i fampin, isoniazid, streptomycin and ethambutol resistance genotypes. The simplifi ed TruArray Test containing 96 unique probes for 39 drug-resistant mutations in 5 genes enabled a single technician to run up to 24 samples in under 6 hrs using an industry standard thermal cycler and a fi eld-portable, low cost microarray imager. Of 196 mutations in the culture set that were also represented on the microarray, the TruArray test correctly detected 193 (98.4% success rate). This study is scheduled to be submitted for publication in the fi rst quarter of 2013.

Infl uenza subtyping programIn collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New York Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center, and Little Company of Mary Hospital (Chicago), Akonni developed a simplifi ed TruArray Test for inf luenza detec t ion, sub-typing, and neuramidase resistance detection from nasopharyngeal swabs (in viral transport medium). Limits of detection in clinical nasophar yngeal swab samples were approximately 100 RNA gene copies per test, regardless of influenza subtype. The most sensitive probes were those targeting seasonal and pandemic influenza A H275Y variants. Using a CDC surveillance and reporting guideline, defi nitive identifi cation was provided for 164 of 178 samples (92%) and 328 of 342 hybridizations (95.9%). No false positives were detected.

www.akonni.com

Akonni pre-clinical results on rapid, low-cost array moves company closer to commercialization for its infectious disease test portfolioData demonstrate that the TruDiagnosis® platform is ready for expanded, multi-site clinical trials.

Quick detection of periodontitis pathogens based on lab-on-chip technologyA new diagnostic platform enables the pathogens to be detected quickly, enabling dentists to act swif tly to initiate the right treatment.

MEDTECH

TruArray technology (Courtesy of Akonni)

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BioMEMS and microsensors

are reshaping healthcare applications

Discover the NEWreport on

i-Micronews.com/reports

BioMEMS

Each drop is an individual biosensor

Each drop is 100 microns in diameter

Each drop can indentify a unique disease marker

Bleeding gums during tooth brushing or when biting into an apple could be an ind i c a t i on o f pe r i odont i t i s , an

inflammatory disease of the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Bacterial plaque attacks the bone, meaning teeth can loosen over time and in the worst case even fall out, as they are left without a solid foundation to hold them in place. Furthermore, periodontitis also acts as a focal point from which disease can spread throughout the entire body: If the bacteria, which can be very aggressive, enter the bloodstream, they can cause further damage elsewhere. Physicians suspect there is a connection between periodontitis pathogens and the sort of cardiovascular damage that can cause heart attacks or strokes. In order to stop the source of inflammation, dentists remove dental calculus and deposits from the surface of teeth, but this is often not enough; particularly aggressive bacteria can only be eliminated with antibiotics. A new mobile diagnostic platform is designed to speed up identifi cation of the eleven most relevant periodontitis pathogens considerably. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI in Leipzig have collaborated with two companies, BECIT GmbH and ERT-Optik, to develop a lab-on-a-chip module called ParoChip. In future this will allow dentists and medical labs to prepare samples quickly and then analyze the bacteria. All the steps in the process – the duplication of DNA sequences and their detection – take place directly on the platform, which consists of a disk-shaped microfluidic card that is around six centimeters in diameter. To read the complete article, please visit Fraunhofer website.

www.fraunhofer.de

8 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

The patent covers Rubicon’s process developed to perform grinding and polishing to achieve consistent, ultra-

fl at and defect-free surface quality for the high-volume production of large diameter sapphire wafers.

Rubicon’s customers in the LED and SoS/RFIC markets have very demanding requirements for the quality of sapphire wafers used in their applications. The patent addresses the quality and fl atness challenges inherent in the production of sapphire wafers at larger diameters. The patented ultra-flat, high-throughput lapping process enables Rubicon to achieve high levels of fl atness and quality while maintaining the highest levels of throughput in the production of large diameter sapphire wafers. As wafers are

lapped and polished, the platens facing the wafers become worn and deformed, leading to the deterioration of wafer quality. In the pa t en t ed p r o c e s s , t he p l a t en s a r e continuously self-conditioned and self-optimized to maintain high performance. “Rubicon continues to build its patent portfolio and increase its technological leadership throughout the sapphire wafer manufacturing process,” said Raja M. Parvez, President and CEO of Rubicon Technology. “This patent underscores our dedication to improving the large-diameter sapphire manufacturing process and improving the leading technology platform for the high-throughput production of high-quality large diameter sapphire wafers for our customers.”

rubicon-es2.com

Graphene is a material that has a promising future. Swedish research h a s s h o w n t o b e l e a d i n g i n

manufacturing graphene on silicon carbide. The applications range from demanding e lec tronics to var ious approaches of biosensors.

The company was founded in November 2011 by the researchers who have taken the fi rst steps of the commercialization and as entrepreneurs. The business development curve has an international evolution as judged from the customers during the fi rst year. And this can be speeding up. Some of the potential applications are energy related. Therefore the Swedish Energy Agency supports the company with about € 60000 for business development that will bring the company to a balanced evolution.

Last year Graphensic was selected as one of the 33 hottest technology start-up companies in Sweden. The company is a member of LEAD Incubator that suppor t star t-up companies from university research. The new f inancing will provide the company the possibil ity to raise the vision with an experienced entrepreneur.

The fi nancing is intended for a chairman of the board, and that person will also be working with sales and marketing, says Mikael Syväjärvi, cofounder and project manager against the Energy Agency.

The company will during 2013 be in contact with investors. The need of production may increase fast, and new equipment will then be needed.

www.graphensic.com

Rubicon Technology patent allowed for ultra-fl at, high-throughput wafer lappingRubicon Technology that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed Rubicon’s patent application entitled, “Ultra-f lat, high-throughput wafer lapping process.”

Swedish Graphensic is granted business support for graphene on silicon carbideT h e S w e d i s h e n e r g y a g e n c y supports Graphensic for business deve lopment . The f und ing w i l l g i v e t h e c o m p a n y i n c r e a s e d oppor tun i t i e s f o r in te rnat iona l development of graphene on silicon carbide.

• Signifi cantly extends IQE’s market share and leadership in wireless industry supply and delivers a market leading position in MOCVD HBT

• Bui lds subs tant ia l ly on IQE’s r i sk mitigation strategy in wireless - adding Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (“Skyworks”), which has a long s tanding supply agreement with Kopin Wireless, as a major customer

• Taiwan manufacturing facility adds to IQE’s global manufacturing footprint and will provide the Group with a strong position to access the growing Asian semiconductor market

• Attractive terms - earnings enhancing from 2013 fi nancial year onwards

• Signifi cant cost synergies of at least £7 million per annum expected from 2014

Acquisition fi nancing• New banking facility with HSBC for $40

million• $20 million will be funded from the £16.5

million proceeds of the Placing (defi ned below)

• Organic cash flow to pay the deferred consideration of $15 million payable in January 2016

Placing• IQE intends to raise approximately £16.5

million through a placing by the Joint Bookrunners, Espirito Santo Investment Bank and Canaccord Genuity Limited, of 56,900,961 new ordinary shares (“placing shares”) at a price of 29 pence per placing share (the “placing price”) (the “placing”)

• The placing price represents a discount of approximately 0.85 per cent. to the c los ing mid-market pr ice of IQE’s ordinary shares of 29.25 pence on 9 January 2013, being the last practicable date before this announcement

• T h e p l a c i n g s h a r e s r e p r e s e n t approximately 8.82 per cent of the Group’s enlarged share capital following Admission (defi ned below)

• The books for the Placing will open with immediate effect and are expected to close no later than 4.30 p.m.

Trading update for 2012For the year ended 31 December 2012, IQE expects revenue to be in the range of £87 million to £88 million, with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the range of £16 million to £17 million and net debt as at 31 December 2012 of approximately £15.5 million.

Drew Nelson, CEO of IQE, said:“This acquisition is our third key transaction in the past 12 months. It signif icantly enhances our scale and provides us with a highly complementary product line in the wireless space». “The transaction marks another major step forward in our risk mitigation strategy, whilst significantly boosting our wireless market share. At the s a m e t i m e , i t d e l i v e r s e xc e l l e n t oppor tunities for additional business growth, particularly in Taiwan and from there into the As ian semiconduc tor market».

“This transaction will be a key driver of signifi cant earnings and cash generation and also brings substantial fi nancial and scale benefi ts. This will enable the Group to make signifi cant cost savings from FY14 onwards and further underpins our leading position in the supply of wafers to the global compound semiconductor industry.”

www.iqep.com

Acquisition of Kopin Wireless for $75 million, placing to raise £16.5 million and trading updateFrom page 1

COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS

Could excess capacity trigger massive consolidation?

Sapphire Substrates 2013

Discover the NEW report oni-Micronews.com/reports

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7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 9

A dedicated curing system for wide format inkjet printers, the new Subzero LED offers ground-breaking performance for

air-cooled LED technology combined with the architectural pedigree, features and benefi ts of the UK-based company’s 2005 launched SubZero UV lamp range.Key features align the brand’s reduced footprint, low weight and fi eld serviceability, with a cur ing abi l i t y previous ly only

achievable using water cooled LED systems.Two years in development, the SubZero LED offers six model sizes from 60mm up to 210mm all achieving exceptionally high dose output at an intensity of 7W/cm2. Field testing has conf irmed that the new air cooled SubZero LED cures easily well as equivalent 8W/cm water cooled systems in addition to outperforming other air-cooled LED offerings.The range is purpose-designed for inkjet

pr inter s drawing on I TL’s unr iva l led experience in this sector being exceptionally lightweight and ensuring exhaust air and stray light is directed away from inkjet heads and other key platform components.Available in different system specifi cations, the SubZero LED comes as a turnkey system – including LED head (one or two), power supply and hi-fl ex cabling – or the lamp heads alone can be supplied, leaving the integrator

to complete the necessary cabling, power supply and other components. Further user benefi t is to be found in serviceability: 30mm modules are replaceable in the fi eld, greatly extending system service life compared to a l t e r na t i ve p r oduc t s , w i t h r ou t i n e maintenance parts restricted to air filters, which are also simple to clean or replace.

www.uvintegration.com

LED

UGA researchers invent new material for warm-white LEDsLEDs are known for their energy efficiency and durability, but the bluish, cold light of current white LEDs has precluded their widespread use for indoor lighting.

Lextar Electronics to merge Wellypower OptronicsLextar Electronics and Wellypower Optronics announced that they have entered into an amalgamation agreement. The merger agreement was approved by the Boards of Directors of both Lextar and Wellypower.

Infi niLED MicroLEDs achieve ultra-high light intensityInfiniLED’s latest MicroLEDs (μLEDs) have produced record optical beam intensity.

Integration Technology unveils key new UV LED curing product launch for wide format graphics sectorUK UV technology developer Integration Technology (ITL) has introduced an LED variant to its heritage SubZero UV lamp range providing class leading high power output for an air-cooled system.

Now, University of Georgia scientists have fabricated what is thought to be the world’s fi rst LED that emits warm

white light using a single light emitting material, or phosphor, with a single emitting center for illumination. The material is described in detail in the current edition of the Nature Publishing Group journal «Light: Science and Applications.»

Two main variables are used to assess the quality of artif icial light, Pan explained. Correlated color temperature measures the coo lness o r warmth o f a l i ght , and temperatures of less than 4,000 kelvins are ideal for indoor lighting. Correlated color temperatures above 5,000 kelvins, on the other hand, give off the bluish color that white LEDs are known for. The other important measure, color rendition, is the ability of a light source to replicate natural light. A value of more than 80 is ideal for indoor lighting, with lower values resulting in colors that don’t seem true to life.

The material that Pan and his colleagues fabricated meets both thresholds, with a correlated color temperature of less than 4,000 kelvins and a color rendering index of 85. Warm white light can commonly be achieved with a blue LED chip coated with light emitting materials, or phosphors, of different emitting colors to create what are called phosphor-based white LEDs, Pan said. Combining the source materials in an exact ratio can be diffi cult and costly, however, and the resulting color often varies because each

of the source materials responds differently to temperature variations. To create the new phosphor, Pan and his team combine minute quantities of europium oxide with aluminum oxide, barium oxide and graphite powders. They then heat the powdered materials at 1,450 degrees Celsius (2,642 degrees Fahrenheit) in a tube furnace. The vacuum of the furnace pulls the vaporized materials onto a substrate, where they are deposited as a yellow luminescent compound. When the yellow luminescent compound is encapsulated in a bulb and illuminated by a blue LED chip, the result is a warm white light.

Although his team’s results are promising, Pan emphasized that there are still hurdles to be overcome before the material is used to light homes, businesses and schools. The effi ciency of the new material is much lower than that of bluish white LEDs. Scaling the production to an industrial scale will be challenging as well, s ince even slight variations in temperature and pressure in the phosphor synthesis process result in materials with different luminescent colors.The new yellow phosphor also has a new lattice structure that has not been reported before. The researchers currently are working to discern how the ions in the compound are arranged in hopes that a better understanding of the compound at an atomic level will allow them to improve its effi ciency.

news.uga.edu The consolidation date of the merger is targeted for February 1st, 2013, at which time Wellypower will be absorbed into

Lextar. The merged entity will operate as Lexstar. The swap ratio for Wellypower and Lextar is planned to be 2:1, based on the stock’s market value, net worth, industry status and prospects, production capacity and profi ts, and subject to be approved by the shareholders meeting of both companies.Lextar is a vertically integrated LED company and merging with Wellypower will provide many advantages in the sales and supply chain segments. Wellypower has ample experience in LED packaging as well as in lighting product production and sales. After the merger, the LED industry will be provided with a high degree of integrated operations. The merger will reduce repeated investment and enhance the economies of scale of production and procurement, while at the same time expand sales channels abroad. Additionally, Wellypower is one of the largest T5 tube providers for China Electric MFG. Corporation, which has its own lighting brand TOA. This means that Lextar can have a more developed relationship with China Electric and will be able to enhance mutual competitiveness in the LED lighting market.Wellypower’s Chairman Allen Huang said

“Wellypower has already accumulated years of ample experience in the Taiwan lighting industry. In order to accommodate international energy-conservation trends, Wellypower believes it will obtain technological and management resources after the merger, which will be benefi cial in quickening the company’s transformation into an LED one. The merger w i l l a l s o i n c r e a s e t h e c o m p a ny ’ s competitiveness and will benef icial for stockholders.”Meanwhile, Chairman of Lextar Dr. David Su said, “Lextar is one of the top three LED companies in Taiwan and is the only one throughout the island to have a vertically integrated business model. Lextar believes the integration with Wellypower will be effective and resourceful, and will help the companies maintain a competitive edge in the LED market. Lextar has resource management, production and supply chain experience with company merging back in 2010 where it merged with the largest LED backlighting maker at the time, Lighthouse. Lextar’s merger with Wellypower this time around will provide the two sides more talent and resources, and will increase Lextar’s advantages in the ever-quickening and evolving LED lighting market.”www.lextar.com

This new device is capable of producing up to 1mW of light from a single 20μm pixel at 405nm. This is equivalent to a

light output density of more than 300 W/cm2 – the highest recorded for a commercially available LED type device. The MicroLED combines the benefits of a laser and a LED to produce ultra-high light ou tpu t . The M i c r oLED p r ov ide s the wavelength fl exibility, drive characteristics and simplicity of a LED as well as the power and collimated beam of a laser. The ability to produce such light intensity and control directly from the chip enables the light to be effi ciently used in a range of applications. In f i n i L ED has ach i eved th i s r e co r d performance using the patented MicroLED structure. A parabolic refl ector is etched into the semiconductor material during the fabrication process. This places an optical component directly at the site of light generat ion and at the most ef fec t ive position for control of the light produced. Not only has the light been shown to be extracted in ultra-high intensity but also at high ef f ic iencies. By direc t ing al l the generated light through a single surface of the semiconductor it can be ef f iciently collected and used in the wider system.

The MicroLED is currently being used in a range of applications included life sciences, consumer electronics and OEM equipment. The MicroLED (μLED) can be fabricated as a single pixel, large clusters of pixels or as addressable arrays where each pixel is individually switchable. The single pixels can be used to produce high intensity, collimated light over a small area or to produce useable light at ultra-low currents. The single pixels produce light with a few nanoamps of current. To produce larger amounts of light, clusters of tightly packed MicroLEDs are available. This results in high light density and collimated emission over a wider area. MicroLEDs (μLEDs) are also available as addressable arrays of pixels. The collimation from each pixel results in h igh pack ing dens i t i e s and min imal crosstalk between the devices.

Additionally, the high current densities achievable and low capacitance allows the MicroLEDs to be switched at very high speeds. Experimental work is on-going with the Tyndall National Institute and the results will be announced shortly.

www.infi niled.com

The DCP helps establish a larger solid-state lighting ecosystem, matching Cree LED products with compatible

third-party drivers and Cree customers with driver manufacturers, enabling everyone to win in the LED revolution.The fi rst of its kind program for LED modules extends the value of Cree’s LED module warranty to customers who use any third-party driver tested to meet the Cree driver compatibility criteria. No other LED component manufacturer provides this level of design fl exibility.For driver manufacturers, the DCP provides early access to Cree’s LED product roadmap, determines driver compatibility, identifi es market needs and increases product and company visibility to Cree’s customers,

expanding their market and enabling them to better serve lighting manufacturers. Register to submit a driver.For lighting manufacturers, the program provides access to a wide range of third-party drivers, greater design fl exibility and enables a shorter design cycle to get products to market faster. By leveraging the variety of technology and performance features of third-party drivers, the DCP enables lighting manufacturers to quickly address the unique requirements of dif ferent market regions and lighting applications, further differentiating their products and bringing new luminaires to market faster. www.cree.com

CREE launches Driver Compatibility ProgramCree Driver Compatibility Program (DCP) identifies third-party drivers and determines the compatibility with Cree LED products.

ZOOM

10 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

IMAGE SENSORS 2013FOCUS ON DIGITAL IMAGING19-21 March, Park Plaza Victoria, London

image-sensors.com

Two day conference plus expert pre-conference workshops and innovation platforms

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This year’s Image Sensors agenda has now been released. The programme includes 14 brand new speakers, including:

Dr Howard E Rhodes, Chief Technical Offi cer, OMNIVISION, USA

Jim De Filippis, CGO, Consultancy in Media & Broadcast, (formerly FOX TV), USA

Prof Franco Zappa, POLITECNICO DI MILANO, Italy

Alan Roberts, Colour Science Consultant (formerly BBC R&D), UK

Opgal introduces EyeCGas Camera System for remote gas detectionOpgal answers the needs of the petro and drilling industry’s gas leak detection requirements with its EyeCGas™ Camera System. EyeCGas, an innovative, unique gas detection camera, has already achieved worldwide success for remotely detecting gas in the industrial environmental market.

Collection of customs duty on image sensors suspendedFRAMOS eliminates cost factor for European industry.

Cost-effective process to improve performance of CMOS sensorsImage sensors are at the core of every digital camera. Before a snapshot appears on the display, the sensors f irst convert the light from the lens to electrical signals. The image processor then uses these to create the final photo.

Forward facing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (FF ADAS) are becoming increasingly important,

especially as the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) ratings are tied to AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) and other important car safety features. Euro NCAP recently announced a new rating scheme for the years 2013 to 2017, which is also driving ADAS trends for players across the automotive market, from tier 1s and manufac turer s, to semiconduc tor suppliers. ADAS applications such as AEB and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) will be taken much more strongly into account by 2014, and will be key for achieving a top Euro NCAP 5-star rating, which significantly impacts car manufacturers’ sales rates.

To the complete article, please visit eetimes website. www.eetimes.com

Embedded vision boosts driver-assistance designsBy Tom Wilson, CogniVue Corp.

IMAGING

ZOOM

The oil & gas industry continues to face increasing safety and environmental constraints, driving stricter regulations.

The recent discovery of signifi cant gas reserves off the coasts of Israel is just one example of this growing issue. But the case of the city of Haifa shows that Opgal’s camera addresses other environmental hazards beyond those of gas exploration and production.Benzene, a component of gasoline, is known as a potential contributor to the development of human cancer. Dr. Ofer Dressler , the Director General of the Haifa Bay Urban Association for Environmental Protection, states that «Petrol stations in the Haifa Bay

contr ibute about 15% of the benzene emissions in the area as well as other toxins. It’s critical that we continuously monitor these stations.» The Haifa Bay Urban Association for Environmental Protection has given top priority to detecting the harmful gas. Opgal’s EyeCGas provides a solution to this potential problem as it is used to monitor more than 100 petro stations located within the city of Haifa and will soon also monitor petrochemical plants in the Haifa Bay area. EyeCGas, equipped with a 75mm lens, is the only camera of its kind in the world that has been certif ied for use in sensitive and hazardous locations according to American

and European standards (ATEX, CSA, UL). The camera’s impressive performance has earned worldwide accolades and has been sold to dozens of companies around the world through its inter national network of specialized partners and marketing channels.Opgal’s EyeCGas camera technology is based on a unique infrared sensor and algorithms that enable detection of multiple types of hydrocarbon vapors, viewing them as a clear video image on an LCD screen and recording those video images together with an associated audio narration. Assessments conducted by third party laboratories have proven the camera’s sensitivity way beyond

the minimum EPA requirement of 60 grams per hour. EyeCGas detects methane levels as low as 0.35 grams per hour.www.opgal.com

FRAMOS has achieved a Europe-wide suspension of customs duty on CMOS image sensors with the support of two

members of the German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) and the industrial association VDMA. Allocating imported goods into the correct customs tariff class is a complicated task, especially when a range of applicable tarif f groups exist. A typical example in this regard is the correc t allocation of imaging sensors, especially CCD and CMOS sensors. As all of the main functional assemblies are housed on a chip, it is reasonable to allocate CCD and CMOS to tarif f group 8542 for “Integrated circuits” and thus to account for them as exempt from duty. However, the usual interpretation applied by customs of f icials is that this tarif f group is not applicable to these components, since almost all sensors commonly used nowadays also contain purely optical elements (micro lenses, colour fi lters) without an electrical input or output signal.Under this interpretation, such an imaging sensor is not an integrated circuit. Instead, the sensors are to be allocated to tariff group

“8529 – Parts for television cameras” and are therefore subject to a hefty rate of duty. A customs duty suspension has already been in place for special CCD sensors within the applicable customs tariff number 85.29 9092 since 2010. As the technical description broadly applies both to CCD and to CMOS within the scope of this customs duty suspension, the FRAMOS Group, one of the biggest European importers of image sensors, fi led an application to have the customs duty suspension extended to cover CMOS sensors. This application was approved with effect from 1 January 2013.

The prevalence of CMOS sensors has increased in virtually every relevant branch of industry in recent years. The automotive industry, in particular, is increasingly reliant on imaging techniques and extensively on CMOS technology. The trend is also sharply upwards in the areas of quality assurance, process automation and medical technology.

www.framos.com

EyeCGas™ Camera System (Courtesy of Opgal)

Ultra-thin: Organic sensors can be applied to CMOS chips over large and small surfaces, as well as to glass or

fl exible Ultra-thin: Organic sensors can be applied to CMOS chips over large and small surfaces, as well as to glass or fl exible plastic fi lms.Many compact and cellphone cameras contain silicon-based image sensors produced using CMOS (comp lement ar y met a l ox ide semiconductor) technology. Prof. Paolo Lugli and Dr. Daniela Baierl from TUM have developed a cost-effective process to improve the performance of these CMOS sensors. Their approach revolves around an ultra-thin film made of organic compounds, in other words plastics.

The challenge lay in applying the plastic solution to the surface of the image sensors. The researchers tested spin- and spray-coating methods to apply the plastic in its liquid, solution form as precisely and cost-effectively as possible. They were looking for

a smooth plastic fi lm that is no more than a few hundred nanometers thick. Spray-coating was found to be the best method, using either a simple spray gun or a spray robot. Organic sensors have already proven their worth in tests: They are up to three times more sensitive to light than conventional CMOS sensors, whose electronic components conceal some of the pixels, and therefore the photoactive silicon surface.Organic sensors can be manufactured without the expensive post-processing step typically required for CMOS sensors. Every part of every single pixel, including the electronics, is sprayed with the liquid polymer solution, giving a surface that is 100 percent light-sensitive. The low noise and high frame rate properties of the organic sensors also make them a good fi t for cameras.Another advantage of the plastic sensors is that different chemical compounds can be used to capture different parts of the light spectrum. www.tum.de

7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 11

OPTOELECTRONICS

A new forecast by market researchers at ElectroniCast Consultants suggests that the market for dev ices used in

commerc ial f ree-space opt ical (FSO) communications systems will near-double by 2018. However, such is the niche appeal of the technology that, outside of military use, the total market will still be worth less than $60 million by the end of the forecast period. According to ElectroniCast’s white paper, in 2012 the global market for devices used in commercial FSO links grew by 13% on the previous year, reaching just shy of $30 million.The research fi rm divides the market into three key geographical regions: the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacifi c (APAC). Over the next fi ve years the market is expected to expand at a modest rate overall, although growth will be more rapid in the Asia-Pacific region (19%) than elsewhere. In contrast the EMEA region – currently the largest of the three with a market estimated at $11.4 million last year – will grow at a measly 4.6% and be the smallest of the three by 2018. Meanwhile, deployments in the Americas are forecast to grow at a compound rate of around 12% to reach $21.2 million by 2018. “The increase in the consumption of FSO links in the Americas region will be attributed to not only continued upgrades and network facilitation in the US and Canada, but also from the accelerating economic growth of major cities in Latin America,” stated Electronicast. Its researchers believe that while the APAC region already has advanced communication technology in Japan and elsewhere, there is scope for FSO deployment in some countries, such as Australia, China and India. “The APAC region has rapidly expanding market opportunities and therefore the forecast shows this region with the fastest annual growth,” Electronicast says.To the complete article, please visit optics.org website.

optics.org

ASML closed out its fiscal 2012 with annual sales of €4.7 billion – in line with expectations but down from the record-

breaking 2011 fi gure of €5.7 billion.“2012 fourth-quarter and full year sales and profi t came in as expected, making the year our second best ever,” reported Eric Meurice, CEO at the market-leading lithography fi rm, in its full-year results. “We plan net sales for 2013 at a similar level to that of 2012, with a slow Q1 star t, recovering in Q2 and a relatively large second half.”That prediction is based on an expected transition to more lithography-intensive 14-20 nm foundry and logic nodes as 2013 unfolds,

driven by the requirements of next-generation por table devices. “A l l semiconduc tor architecture leaders have designs pending and need initial capacity,” said Meurice.But market demand for deep-UV lithography systems remains subdued among memory chip manufacturers, although ASML’s CFO Peter Wennink told an investor conference call that there could be an upturn in the NAND sector towards the end of the year.

To the complete article, please visit optics.org website

optics.org

Free-space optics market to reach $58M by 2018N o n - m i l i t a r y f r e e - s p a c e communic a t i ons l ink s to enjoy s t r o n g e s t g r o w t h i n A s i a a s European demand stagnates.

ASML expects slow start to 2013Lithography firm expecting to post EUV tool sales of around €700 million this year.

Zephyr Photonics, a developer of harsh environment, optical interconnect solutions for intelligence, defense, aerospace and diverse industrial applications, based in Zephyr Cove, NV, USA, has launched a Semiconductor Fabrication and Foundry Services business unit.

Tom Sted ing, the company ’s CEO, commented, “Our fab and foundry unit was formed to match the growing demands of fabless semiconductor companies and semiconductor companies with our growth, fabr icat ion, tes t ing and produc t ion capabilities. Zephyr Photonics currently provides time-critical device development, testing and production services for a number of key industry customers.»Among Zephyr Photonics’ resources is its 10,000 square foot cleanroom in its Zephyr Cove facility, which includes a wide variety of growth, processing, testing, and production equipment. The facility is accredited by the US Government ’s DMEA, the Defense

Microelectronics Activity. Furthermore the new Zephyr facility is ITAR-compliant and ISO 9001:2008 certifi ed.

Tim McAllister, Zephyr Photonics’ VP of Business Development, added “We are excited about this opportunity to play a key fabrication role in the semiconductor industry, enabling our customers’ innovation, and improving their time to market by leveraging our exper ience, in-depth knowledge, process librar ies, IP and facilities».

”Our new business unit will grow to be a very important part of our overall corporate miss ion, to be a high-per formance, specialized and trusted foundry partner.» Zephyr Photonics’ SFFS is fully operational, and is now ready to begin customer engagements.

www.zephyrphotonics.com

Zephyr Photonics opens semiconductor fab and foundry unitCompany to provide DMEA-accredited, ITAR-compliant services for semiconductor developers.

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NANOTECHNOLOGY

The Graphene Flagship will coordinate 126 academic and industrial research groups in 17 European countries with

an initial 30-month-budget of 54 million euro.

The miss ion o f Graphene i s to t ake graphene and related layered materials from academic laboratories to society, revolutionize multiple industries and create economic growth and new jobs in Europe.

Graphene has been subject to a scientifi c exp los ion s ince the groundbreak ing experiments on the novel material less than ten years ago, recognized by the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 to Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov, at The University of Manchester. Graphene’s unique combination of superior properties makes it a credible starting point for new disruptive technologies in a wide range of fi elds.

With this announcement Europe is launching a new form of joint, coordinated research init iative of unprecedented scale. The Graphene Flagship br ings together an academic-industrial consortium aiming at a breakthrough for technological innovation. The research effort will cover the entire value chain from materials production to components and system integration, and targets a number of specif ic goals that exploit the unique properties of graphene.

Key applications are for instance fast electronic and optical devices, f lexible e l e c t r on i c s , f un c t i ona l l i gh t we i gh t components and advanced bat ter ies. Examples of new products enabled by graphene technologies include fast, fl exible and strong consumer electronics such as electronic paper and bendable personal communication devices, and lighter and more energy eff icient airplanes. On the longer term, graphene is expected to give

rise to new computational paradigms and revolutionary medical applications such as artifi cial retinas.

From the star t in 2013 the Graphene Flagship will coordinate 126 academic and industrial research groups in 17 European countries with an initial 30-month-budget of 54 million euro. The consortium will be ex tended with another 20-30 groups through an open call, issued soon after the start of the initiative, which will further strengthen the engineering aspects of the fl agship. The fl agship will be coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Director is Professor Jari Kinaret who will lead the research activities together with the leaders of the 15 work packages. The management team is supported by a Strategic Advisory Council that includes the European Nobel Laureates Andre Geim (chairman), Albert Fert, Klaus von K l i t z ing and Kos t ya Novose lov,

industrial representatives from Nokia and Airbus, and two representatives of the global graphene research community.

During the 30 month ramp-up phase, the Graphene Flagship will focus on the area of communications, concentrating on ICT and on the physical transpor t sector, and supporting applications in the f ields of energy technology and sensors. After the ramp-up phase, the fl agship will grow to full size and include many new groups and a c t i v i t i e s . T h e d e t a i l s o f f l a g s h i p implementation after the ramp-up phase are st i l l open and form a par t of the discussions on the Horizon 2020 research program of the European Union.

www.chalmers.se

European Commission selects Graphene as one of Europe’s Future Emerging Technology fl agshipsThe European Commission has chosen Graphene as one of Europe’s first 10-year, 1,000 million euro FET flagships.

New technologies & application opportunities

promise a bright future for the CMOS image

sensors industry

Discover the NEW report oni-Micronews.com/reports

Status of the CMOS Image

Sensors Industry

12 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

Intevac. announced that it has received an order for an Ion Implant ENERGi™ system, scheduled to ship in the first quarter of

2013. ENERGi incorporates enabl ing technologies that align with solar industry cost

reduction roadmap and is extendible to ac commodate f u tu r e advanced c e l l architectures and effi ciency requirements.

www.intevac.com

EMCORE, a provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the f iber optic and

solar power markets, announced that it recently delivered its 1 millionth high-effi ciency, multi-junction solar cell to Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), which will ultimately represent more than a megawatt of power delivered into space. EMCORE and Space Systems/Loral will mark the occasion with a special event at EMCORE’s Albuquerque facilities during the week of February 25, and w i t h a c omme mo r a t i ve awa r d symbolizing the 1 millionth solar cell.EMCORE has been supplying Space Systems/Loral with high-effi ciency, multi-junction solar cells for more than 10 years and in May 2009 announced a long term supply agreement with Space Systems/Loral to continue manufacturing and delivering solar cells for their spacecraft programs through 2014.

EMCORE’s business relationship with Space Systems/Loral has been integral to the development of the Company’s photovoltaics division and the growth of its space satellite solar power business. Since its formation in 1998, EMCORE Photovoltaics has grown to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-effi ciency, multi-junction solar cells for space power applications. EMCORE’s industry-leading multi-junction solar cells have a Beginning-Of-Life (BOL) conversion effi ciency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode to provide the highest available power to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites. EMCORE’s proven manufacturing capability, technology leadership, and high-reliability solar cells and panels make us the supplier of choice for demanding spacecraft power systems. www.emcore.com

The company’s new facility includes PV cell processing equipment for testing and validation of its wafer technology.

On January 30th, 2013 star t-up 1366 Technologies (Bedford, Massachusetts, US) opened a new production facility based on its Direct Wafer technology in the US state of Massachusetts, with the ability to reach up to 25 MW of annual production capacity.The Direct Wafer process forms ultra-thin multicrystalline silicon wafers directly from molten silicon, removing several steps in conventional production processes. The factory also contains 1366’s research and development operations.The new factory includes processes to turn the company’s wafers into solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, allowing internal testing and validation.1366 notes that in customer trials, its cells have achieved 17% effi ciencies, comparable with PV cells produced from conventional multicrystalline wafers. The company also states that the quality of its wafers varies less than those produced with conventional processes.Advantage in reduced silicon wasteHowever, the greatest advantage may be in reduc t ion of waste. 1366 notes that conventional polysilicon-to-wafer processes are not only energy- and capital-intensive, but lose a signifi cant portion of polysilicon through the sawing process.The company’s wafers are typically produced at thicknesses of roughly 200 microns, however 1366 notes that its process allows it to produce wafers in a range of thicknesses.1366 process includes proprietary wet process 1366 has a lso deve loped a proprietary wet process for the surface treatment of its wafers, a step which is necessary as its wafers initially have a higher refl ectivity compared to conventional wafers. The process creates a surface texture of micro-scale pits, which increases light absorption.

Plans to build additional 1 GW facility 1366 states that over the next 12-18 months its wafer production will increase as its team fine-tunes the process to where it can be transferred and replicated in future facilities.In addit ion to the facil ity in Bedford, Massachusetts, the company plans to build a 1 GW manufacturing facility, for which the US Department of Energy awarded the company a USD 150 mil l ion loan guarantee in September 2011. 1366 states that it expects to begin its search for a location in 2013. www.1366tech.com

Phoen i x So l a r, an i n t e r na t i ona l photovoltaic system integrator listed in Prime Standard of the Frankfurt

Stock Exchange, has successfully taken its f lagship projec t in Saudi Arabia into o p e r a t i o n . T h e g r o u n d - m o u n t e d photovoltaic plant with a peak power of 3.5 megawatts is located in Riyadh on the premises of KAPSARC (King Abdul lah Petroleum Studies and Research Center), home to the world’s largest oil research facility. The solar power plant is part of the US G r e e n B u i l d i n g C oun c i l ’ s L E E D Certif ication (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) which KAPSARC aims to achieve. This certifi cation is proof o f c omp l i an c e w i t h t he demand ing requirements and standards placed on sustainable and green building.Over the last 20 months, Phoenix Solar has installed more than 12,000 Suntech Power crystalline modules on an area of 55,000 square meters. The German company SMA supp l i ed the cent ra l inve r te r s . The expected energy yield amounts to around

5,800 megawatt hours and is fed directly into KAPSARC’s medium voltage grid.This project in the Saudi Arabian desert presented many challenges, as there is l it t le research available so far on the performance of solar power plants in desert regions. Phoenix has developed a special s o l u t i o n t o a c c ommoda t e t he h i gh temperatures and sand s torms: the photovoltaic array boxes, which normally stand in the fi eld array, were placed in a well insulated, air-conditioned inverter bui lding. This approach considerably improves the conditions under which the power plant can be maintained as well as prolonging its life cycle. The engineers and t e c hn i c i an s o f P ho en i x S o l a r have incorporated the demanding requirements based on the Saudi Aramco Standards into t h e p l a nn i n g , e l e c t r i c a l wo r k , a i r conditioning technology and lighting. Saudi A ramco as the P ro jec t Management Consultant was responsible for the whole project on behalf of KAPSARC.www.phoenixsolar-group.com

Intevac receives fi rst production order for ENERGi Ion Implant system for solar industryThe compact ion implant ENERGi system meets the cost, eff iciency and productivity requirements of solar cell manufacturing and is the most cost-effective doping solution.

EMCORE delivers 1 Millionth solar cell to Space Systems/LoralEMCORE has been supplying Space Systems/Loral with high-eff iciency, multi-junction solar cells for more than 10 years.

Solar wafer start-up 1366 Technologies opens new production-scale factoryThe new production facility is based on the Direct Wafer technology and has the annual production capacity of 25 MW.

Phoenix Solar completes fl agship project in Saudi ArabiaGround-mounted solar power plant with a peak power of 3.5 megawatts. The installation is equipped by 12,684 crystalline silicon PV modules supplied by Suntech and is owned by Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco.

PHOTOVOLTAICS

ENERGi implant tool (Courtesy of Intevac)

In theory, an infi nite-junction cell could obtain a maximum power conversion percentage of nearly 87 percent. The

challenge is to develop a semiconductor material system that can attain a wide range of bandgaps and be grown with high crystalline quality.By exploring novel semiconductor materials and applying band structure engineering, via strain-balanced quantum wells, the NRL research team has produced a design for a MJ solar cell that can achieve direct band gaps from 0.7 to 1.8 electron volts (eV) with materials that are all lattice-matched to an indium phosphide (InP) substrate.The primary innovation enabling this new path to high effi ciency is the identifi cation of InAlAsSb quaternary alloys as a high band gap material layer that can be grown lattice-matched to InP. Drawing f rom their experience with Sb-based compounds for detector and laser applications, NRL scientists modeled the band structure of InAlAsSb and

showed that this material could potentially achieve a direct band-gap as high as 1.8eV. With this result, and using a model that includes both radiative and non-radiative recombination, the NRL scientists created a solar cell design that is a potential route to over 50 percent power conversion effi ciency under concentrated solar illumination.

Recently awarded a U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) project, NRL scientists, working with MicroLink and Roches te r Ins t i tu te o f Techno logy, Rochester, N.Y., will execute a three year materials and device development program to realize this new solar cell technology.

Through a highly competitive, peer-reviewed proposal process, ARPA-E seeks out transformational, breakthrough technologies that show fundamental technical promise but are too ear ly for pr ivate-sec tor investment. These projects have the potent ial to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and to have large commercial impacts.

www.nrl.navy.mil

NRL designs multi-junction solar cell based on InP substrateFrom page 1

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Schematic diagram of a multi-junction (MJ) solar cell formed from materials lattice-matched to InP and achieving

the bandgaps for maximum effi ciency (Courtesy of NRL)

n-type InAlAsSb emitter

p-type InAlAsSb base

p-type InAlAsSb tunnel diode

n-type InAlAsSb tunnel diode

n-type InGaAlAs/InGaAsP emitter

p-type InGaAlAs/InGaAsP base

p-type InGaAlAs/InGaAsP tunnel diode

n-type InGaAlAs/InGaAsP tunnel diode

n-type InGaAs emitter

p-type InGaAs baseInGaAs QWs

metal

metal

7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 13

ST A T S C h i p P A C a n n o u n c e d implementat ion of breakthrough performance and packaging innovation

in multiple advanced chipsets for the rapidly developing smartphone market in China. Spreadtrum Communications, a leading fabless semiconductor provider in China, has adopted STATS ChipPAC ’s packaging innovations for a number of its mobile chipsets. The combination of Spreadtrum’s advanced silicon design capabilities with STATS ChipPAC’s next generation embedded Wafer Level Ball Grid Array (eWLB) packaging technology offers increased performance and compact form factor at a competitive cost for the fast-growing China smartphone market.

Spreadtrum offers mobile chipsets for a range of smartphones, feature phones and other consumer electronics products t ha t suppor t 2G, 3G and 4G wireless communications standards. Spreadtrum’s TD-SCDMA (time division synchronous code division multiple access) chipsets have set a

new standard for increased performance and size reduction in the highly competitive smartphone market in China. TD-SCDMA is a 3G mobile telecommunications standard that is currently utilized in China to enable data, voice, video and media in mobile phones and internet-enabled devices.

eWLB is a powerful fan-out wafer level packag ing (FOWLP) te chno logy and integration platform that provides signifi cant advantages including a more space-effi cient package design enabling a smaller footprint, higher density input/output (IO) and a lower package height than is possible with laminate or f l ip chip semiconductor packages. Spreadtrum and STATS ChipPAC are jointly working to utilize innovative packaging technology across a full spectrum of complex product designs such as dual and quad core mobile processors.

www.statschippac.com

Imec and PVA Tepla present breakthrough results in the detection of TSV voids in 3D stacked IC technology. After having

applied Scanning Acoustic Microscopy to temporary wafer (de)bonding inspection, they successfully used new advanced GHz SAM technology to detect TSV voids at wafer-level after TSV Copper plating. Together, they will continue to investigate the applicability of high-frequency scanning acoustic microscopy for non-destructive submicron void detection.The initial focus of the collaboration was on

developing metrology aimed at detecting voids after temporary wafer bonding, allowing for proper rework of 3D wafers. Temporary wafer (de)bonding and thin wafer handling remains challenging for 3D stacked IC technology. The development of interface particles and voids during the temporary bonding process has a detrimental impact on the subsequent wafer thinning process steps, affecting the wafer thinning performance as we l l as long-te rm too l s t ab i l i t y and performance. PVA Tepla and imec have

developed an automated foup-to-foup, wafer-level process based on 200MHz Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) using Tepla’s AutoWafer 300 tool. After demonstrating non-destructive detection of interface particles and voids, imec used PVA Tepla’s high-resolution capability GHz frequency SAM tool to successfully detect voids in TSVs of 5μm diameter and 50μm depth, immediately after plating. Future work

will concentrate on further ref ining the process and implementing GHz SAM capability to increase the spatial detection resolution. Moreover, imec and PVA Tepla will investigate the applicability of GHz SAM to detect submicron voids in TSV and to investigate other aspects related to 3D-technology such as bump connection quality.www2.imec.bewww.pvatepla.com

Spreadtrum adopts STATS ChipPAC’s eWLB for China’s smartphone marketeWLB packaging technology platform delivers transformative performance and form factors at competitive cost for Spreadtrum’s mobile chipsets.

PVA Tepla and imec demonstrate 3D TSV void detection using acoustic microscopyScanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) for non-destructive void inspection after wafer bonding improves wafer thinning performance and tool stability and can also be applied to detect voids in TSVs during processing.

ADVANCED PACKAGING

Embedded wafer-level-package activity is expected to pick-up above $200M by 2015

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Suh indicated that SK Hynix like their competitors Samsung and Micron/Elpida are readying themselves for

stacked memory product introductions. Suh noted that “ Cost is the 1st barrier for successful TSV memory stack business” and this is the issue that all memory suppliers are working on.Suh, currently a SK Hynix assignee to the Sematech 3D Interconnect program, which SK Hynix joined in 2011, explains their goal at Sematech “…collaborating with industry-leading partners, we expect to play a critical role in accelerating the commercialization of wide I/O DRAM and to realizing 3D’s potent ia l as a manufac turab le and affordable path to sustaining semiconductor productivity growth.”

SK Hynix has been working on stacked memory with TSV for several years. In 2008 they announced their ability to stack NAND fl ash, in 2010 their prototypes for LPDDR2 and in 2011 their 16 Gb, 8 chip stacked DRAM and logic chip.Suh indicates that there are dif ferent motivations for stacked DRAM depending on the application. Their 3DS products (solder ball + organic substrate + stacked memory chips) will be focused on Main Memory” and HBM products on Networks and Graphics applications.

To read the complete article, please visit i-micronews.com website www.yole.fr

SK Hynix readying for 3D stacked memory commercialization: a closer lookAt the recent RTI 3D ASIP Conference in Redwood City Minsuk Suh, principle engineer at SK Hynix was available to discuss stacked memory technologies. iMicronews thought review of Hynix stacked memory technology was worth…

ZOOM

SK Hynix 4 Gb fl ash, 4 Gb DRAM and 16 Gb DRAM

14 | ISSUE N°139 | 7/02/13

Fairchild Semiconductor, a leading g l oba l supp l i e r o f power semi-conductors,announced results for the

fourth quarter and full year ended December 30, 2012. Fairchild reported fourth quarter sales of $333.4 million, down 7 percent from the prior quarter and 2 percent lower than the fourth quarter of 2011.

Fairchild reported a fourth quarter net loss of $13.6 million or $0.11 per share compared to net income of $24.7 million or $0.19 per diluted share in the prior quarter and $21.3 million or $0.17 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2011. Gross margin was 29.8 percent compared to 33.5 percent in the prior quarter and 30.0 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Full year revenues for 2012 were $1.4 billion, down about 12% from 2011. Fairchild reported net income of $25 million or $0.19 per diluted share in 2012, compared to net income of $146 million or $1.12 per diluted share in 2011. The company reported 2012

adjusted net income of $71 million or $0.55 per diluted share, compared to $170 million or $1.30 per diluted share in 2011.

«We saw better than seasonal distribution sell through and a signifi cant improvement in bookings during the fourth quarter,» said Mark Thompson, Fairchild’s chairman and CEO. «The solid sell through contributed to our larger than expected channel inventory reduction of $17 million during the fourth quarter. Bookings were up substantially in the fourth quarter and we have a solidly positive book to bill so far in the fi rst quarter. We also reduced internal inventory another 2% and now have very lean channel and internal inventories at levels not seen since we emerged from the recession. We believe we are well positioned to translate improving demand into higher sales and margins as we progress through 2013.»

Fourth quarter fi nancials «Gross margin decreased 370 basis points sequentially due primarily to lower factory

loadings as we further reduced inventories,» said Mark Frey, Fairchild’s executive vice president and CFO. «R&D and SG& A expenses were $86.9 million which was better than guidance due primarily to spending controls. In the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results there are three noteworthy items totaling nearly $23 million for the fourth quarter. The largest is the realized loss we recorded after selling all our remaining auction rate securities in the quarter.

There is also a restructuring expense related to organization streamlining and a small VAT expense due to an internal IP sale. Free cash fl ow was a positive $49 million for the fourth quarter which was driven by lower capital spending, reduced internal inventory and improved cash conversion cycle time. Given this strong cash fl ow we paid down our debt another $50 million in the four th quarter to $250 million, the lowest level in our history.»

www.fairchildsemi.com

After acquiring the majority of Compact Dynamics, the development specialist for electric and hybrid cars, in May

2010, Semikron International GmbH now have acquired the remaining 30 percent of shares that were so far held by the three Managing Direc tor s, Maximi l ian Eck, Bernhard Hoffmann and Dr. Andreas Gründl. A l l three of them wil l leave Compact Dynamics GmbH on February 28, 2013, as scheduled, and will remain active consultants to the company.

At the same time, Semikron International GmbH have apppointed, with immediate effect, Oliver Blamberger the new General Manager of Compact Dynamics. As of March 01, 2013, Mr. Blamberger will be the solely responsible business manager for Compact Dynamic, while closey cooperating with the mother company.

«I am proud to be holding a key position within such a highly innovative and exciting fi eld of technology», says Blamberger. «We

ar e de l i gh ted t o have f ound in Mr. Blamberger an experienced business leader to lead our innovative team into the future», said former business owners, Maximilian Eck, Bernhard Hoffmann and Dr. Andreas Gründl.

www.semikron.com

P ower-One, a global manufacturer of renewable energy and energy-effi cient power conversion and management

solutions, and Panasonic Corporation, a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products and solutions, announced today that they have entered into a strategic alliance to develop, produce and market energy storage systems for the residential and non-residential markets worldwide combining Power-One inverters with Panasonic lithium-ion batteries and systems.As part of the agreement, the companies will leverage their respective research and development and sales and marketing resources for joint product and market development around the world. Initial efforts will focus on developing the residential, commercial and utility-scale, grid-connected, energy storage systems business in Europe and the U.S. as well as the non-residential segment in Japan. Additionally, the companies have committed to develop the large-scale commercial and utility photovoltaic inverter business in Japan.Energy storage systems have been garnering a lot of attention lately for their ability to reduce investment in equipment through power leveling and the reduction of peak power consumption in large scale renewable energy systems as well as for their use as backup power supplies in the event of natural disasters and other emergencies. It is estimated that the size of the global market for energy storage systems will exceed $11 billion by 2020, mainly in Europe, North America, and Japan, where renewable energy technology is now being adopted.

www.power-one.com

Eric Lidow, a photovoltaics whiz kid who f led Nazi Germany with $14 in his pocket and went on to become a

p o w e r - e l e c t r o n i c s p i o n e e r a n d multimillionaire philanthropist in the United States, died Jan. 18 at the age of 100. Mr. Lidow co-founded IR in 1947 and served as Chairman of the company’s board of directors until his retirement in May 2008.

Over the course of more than six decades, Mr. Lidow transformed International Rectifi er from a start-up company that developed selenium photoelectric cells and selenium rectif iers into a world leader in power management technology. Mr. Lidow served as the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until 1995, after which time he assumed the position of Executive Chairman.www.irf.com

Fairchild semiconductor reports results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012Fairchild reported fourth quarter sales of $333.4 million, down 7 percent from the prior quarter and 2 percent lower than the fourth quarter of 2011.

Semikron acquire all shares in electric and hybrid car drives developer Compact DynamicsOliver Blamberger appointed new general manager / Three managing directors to leave company as scheduled.

Power-One enters into strategic alliance with PanasonicCompan i e s w i l l c o l l abo r a t e t o d eve l o p, p r o du c e and ma r ke t e n e r g y s t o r a g e s y s t e m s f o r r es ident ia l and non-res ident ia l markets worldwide.

Eric Lidow,co-founder of International Rectifi er, died at 100Lidow’s career was remarkable not only because he worked every day in i t - more than 60 years at IR alone - but that he entered into it in the first place.

POWER ELECTRONICS

How to gain market shares

and ST Microelectronics?

Super Junction MOSFETbusiness update

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7/02/13 | ISSUE N°139 | 15

TECHNOLOGY & MARKET REPORTS

For information on our reports and specifi c market analysis services, please contact D. Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr).Discover some of our latest reports :

YOLE IN THE PRESS

SuccessfulSemiconductorFabless

2013

LED PackagingPackaging cost reduction is driving n e w t e c h n o l o g y a n d d e s i g n adoption, and fuelling a booming equipment and material market.

Depend ing on the dev i ce t ype, packaging can represent 40% to 60% of LED total cost. As such, packaging

represents the single-largest opportunity for cost reduction, which is required in order for the industry to access the “Holy Grail” that is General Lighting. However, if you’re expecting t h i s c o s t r e du c t i o n t o c o m e f r o m standardization, you can abandon all hope. The creat iv i t y of LED engineers and specifi cities of each application have led to an infi nite number of package type and formats.Released in February 2013

Sapphire Substrates 2013Excess capacity to trigger massive consolidation and attrition. Will cell phone windows come to the rescue?

The sapph i r e mate r ia l shor t age experienced from 2010 to early 2011 created a window of opportunity for

new entrants. In the last two years, more than 80 companies announced their intention to enter the industry, bringing the potential number of players to 130+ -- with more than 50 of these potential new entrants located in China. Coupled with slow demand from LED makers in 2012, this has created a very challenging environment with cores and wafers often selling at prices at or below manufacturing cost. Revenues increased 15% in 2011 but are expected to drop 9% in 2012 due to lower Average Selling Prices, despite volume increase and a favorable product mix with the percentage of PSS wafers increasing dramatically. Released in December 2012

Status of the CMOS Image Sensors Industry New technologies & appl icat ion opportunities promise a bright future to the CMOS image sensors industry CMOS image sensor market is expected to grow at an 11% CAGR in revenue in the 2012 - 2017 period, growing from $6.6B in 2012 to $11B in 2017. Many different applications are driving the integration of CMOS image sensors. If mobile handsets accounted for ~ 65% of total shipments in 2011, many new applications are poised to drive the future growth of this industry. Three fast emerging applications of signifi cant size should drive the growth of the market to an expected CAGR over 30%: Tablets, Automotive, and Smart TV. More details are available in the report on each application.Released in October 2012

LED Packaging material revenue (2010 - 2017)(Report includes detailed breakdown : package substrates, die attach silver pastes, phosphor powders,

encapsulation and primary optics materials, ESD protection chips) (Source: LED Packaging 2013 report, Yole Développement, January 2013)

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LED & PE seminar, powered by Yole Développement: more than 90 attendees including Samsung, LG, Seoul Semiconductor …For the fi rst time, Yole Développement organized an LED & Power Electronics seminar just prior to SEMICON Korea, in Seoul. Dedicated to the areas of LED and Power Electronics, the seminar consisted of Yole Développement presentations on the aforementioned market areas, along with presentations from System Plus Consulting on their Reverse Costing and Cost Simulation tools. Featured speakers were Dr. Philippe Roussel, Yole Développement Business Unit Manager; Pars Mukish, Yole Développement Technology & Market Analyst for LED & Compound Semiconductors; and Michel Alain, CEO of System Plus Consulting.Sources: Semiconductor Packaging News – LEDNewsKorea – Global LEDs/OLEDs – EDN network – CompoundSemiconductor.net – Electronic Specifi er …

Save the date in your agendaNext seminar will take place in June 2013, prior LED Lighting Taiwan in Taiwan.

Detailed program will be available soon. Feel free to contact us for further information (leroy@yole.fr)