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BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC presented Special Recognition, Distinguished Committee Leadership and Distinguished Committee Service awards at its trade show this week.
SAN FRANCISCO – The combination of firming global IT demand, the release of Windows 7 and an aging PC installed base will drive a strong multiyear PC replacement cycle, says a leading analyst.
Deutsche Bank Equity Research today raised its 2009 PC unit outlook from a drop of 8% year-over-year to a drop of 2%. For 2010, the firm now expects PC units to rise 10% year-over-year, up from a prior estimate calling for a flat year.
LONDON – The global economic downturn had a marked effect on the tantalum supply/demand balance. Demand in 2009 will probably prove to be 40% down on 2008, but some market watchers believe it will fully recover by 2012.
Whether the supply will be in place to meet that demand is another issue entirely.
In mid 2008, tantalum consumption was on a strong growth trend in its principal markets – electronics and aerospace superalloys – which make up around 75% of tantalum consumption. Adequate primary supply was in place, along with substantial quantities of scrap, which is mostly generated during capacitor manufacture.
By the second half of 2009, the tantalum market faces a period of uncertainty that will, quite possibly, remain until 2012, according to Roskill Information Services.
A large part of the primary supply chain is not producing in 2009, with no clear indication about when, or if, it will come back to the market. Inventories are running down; scrap is in shorter supply because of a fall in capacitor manufacture. It is possible legislation under consideration in the US could severely restrict or even halt the supply of tantalum from Central Africa, says Roskill.
Several projects are at various stages of development around the world and some could be in production by 2011 or 2012. Combined, their output would solve the tantalum supply question for the foreseeable future and obviate the need to source conflict minerals.
It is almost certain a tantalum supply squeeze is approaching. If demand picks up more quickly than expected, a spike in spot prices seems inevitable, says the firm.
CLINTON, NY – Indium Corp. has acquired the processes, equipment, and know-how of Reactive NanoTechnologies Inc., developer and manufacturer of NanoFoil.
Indium will move the RNT process and equipment, and a core staff, to its Utica, NY facility.
Customers will now place orders and inquiries directly through Indium. The core RNT team and Indium personnel will support NanoFoil and NanoBond businesses.
No financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.
ATLANTA – Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems has moved to an expanded complex north of Atlanta. The move was finalized in July.
The facility, located in Suwanee, GA, is now fully operational.
BROMMA, SWEDEN – Alpha and AIM have released solder pastes designed and qualified for the Mydata MY500 Jet Printer.
SINGAPORE – Flextronics International Ltd. has sold its remaining stake in its former software development business to private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Canada's CPP Investment Board for $255 million.
The firm said it is selling the stake to raise cash and improve financial flexibility.
Flextronics sold most of its stake in the business to KKR in 2006. The New York-based firm paid roughly $900 million for the unit, now a privately held company called Aricent, and Flextronics kept a 15% stake.
KKR says its total stake in the company is now 79%.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – In a remarkable turnaround, July IC sales and unit volume numbers indicate the IC industry is in the midst of a solid rebound, says IC Insights.
Data show the upturn is being experienced across many product lines, including DRAM, NAND flash memory, analog and microprocessors, as well as the overall IC industry.
Growth has been explosive in the seven-month period from January to July; this is true for both dollar and unit volume. Granted, in January, the semiconductor market was at (or nearly at) its lowest point of the current downturn, but there is no doubt from examining July data that markets have rebounded – in several cases, surpassing levels from the same time last year, according to the firm.
IC Insights believes the market for ICs is set up for strong growth continuing into 2010 and 2011. Several global and US companies have hinted about stronger bookings and/or production ramps through the balance of this year and 2010.
GDP outlooks have moved well into positive territory and, in the US, about 60% of the $750 billion economic stimulus package is expected to be spent in 2010 and 20% in 2011.
What has captured IC Insights' attention above all else is that many wafer fabs and production lines have closed since the fourth quarter of 2008, resulting in reduced industry-wide capacity as the market returns to health. Recently, IC Insights showed IC industry capacity utilization jumped to 78% in the second quarter from 57% in the first, and forecasts an increase to around 90% by the end of the year.
With significant IC unit demand on the horizon and little capital spending being allocated for new and upgraded facilities, industry-wide capacity utilization stands a good chance of being maxed out in the coming months, resulting in longer lead times, spot shortages, and escalating average selling prices throughout the industry, concludes IC Insights.
BANNOCKBURN, IL – An IPC survey due today on IPC-J-STD-709 revolves around the debate over whether the proposed standard's requirements will be based on a verifiable series of tests.
SAN JOSE – North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $599 million in orders in August and the book-to-bill remained above the key 1.0 level indicating future growth.
