AMD and UMC plan to jointly develop advanced process control (APC) technology for 300mm semiconductor manufacturing. APC aims at minimising costs, maximising productivity, ensuring consistent high quality and facilitating real-time adjustments to the manufacturing process for improved yields. APC techniques include run-to-run control (RtR) and fault detection and classification (FDC). RtR minimises process drift and variation by providing real-time, automated feed-forward and feedback adjustments to process tools. FDC reduces wafer losses by monitoring and proactively shutting down complex tools before machine drift can adversely affect device yields.

The companies will implement the jointly developed technology at the Au Pte
joint-venture 300mm semiconductor manufacturing facility in Singapore. This
facility is currently expected to begin production in 2005. This technology
will also be implemented at UMC's other 300mm facilities, including Fab 12A
in Taiwan, which is reported as being "in volume production".
AMD is considered by many to be a world leader in APC, and first began
implementing APC technology at the company's Fab 25 facility located in
Texas in 1996. AMD's Fab 30 (Dresden, Germany) is a highly automated,
APC-based facility. UMC began production at Fab 12A in 2001.

More than 30 computing and communications companies have become members of
the newly formed Intel Developer Network for PCI Express technology.
The PCI Express architecture is designed to meet the needs of emerging
computing models exceeding the capabilities of the traditional PCI bus with
much greater internal system bandwidth and rich feature sets. PCI Express is
a high-speed, general-purpose, serial I/O interconnect for computing and
communications that provides a unifying standard, consolidating the number
of I/O interconnects within a platform. PCI Express architecture provides
bandwidth scalability from 2.5Gbits/sec and higher over time. Multiple
widths (lanes) of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 32 are supported. Target markets
are desktop, mobile, server and communications. The specification was
finalised in July.
Silicon building blocks based on the PCI Express architecture are expected
to be available in H2 2003 with systems available in 2004.
Intel's Developer Network says it will complement the activities of the PCI
Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG), which manages and maintains the PCI
Express specifications. The companies that have endorsed the Intel Developer
Network for PCI Express include Agilent Technologies, ATI Technologies,
Broadcom, Cypress Semiconductor, Dell, eInfochips, Emulex, FCI, Foxconn
Electronics, Genesys Logic America, Innovative Semiconductors, InSilicon,
Kontron, LSI Logic, Matrox, Mellanox Technologies, Mentor Graphics, Molex,
National Semiconductor, NEC Electronics, NetChip Technology, nVidia, Philips
Semiconductor, PLX Technology, QLogic, Redswitch, S3 Graphics, Silicon
Image, Standard Microsystems, Stargen, Synopsys, Tektronix, Trident
Microsystems, Tyco Electronics, VMIC, Wavecrest and Xilinx.

Cypress Semiconductor has signed a co-development agreement with Infineon
Technologies and Micron Technology to collaborate in the development of the
specifications for CellularRAM memory. CellularRAM is a new family of
low-power pseudo static RAM (PSRAM) components based on a one-transistor
(1T) DRAM technology aimed at the market for 2.5G and 3G wireless handset
designs (Bulletin 438, June 24, 2002). SRAM usually requires six-transistors
for a cell.
Each company will design and manufacture the products using their own design
and process technology. Infineon and Micron plan to make several CellularRAM
devices available in the next 12 months. The first is a 32Mbit device
scheduled for initial availability in late 2002.
Cypress signed a (1T) pseudo-SRAM development agreement with ProMOS
Technology of Taiwan in March (Bulletin 422, March 4, 2002). ProMOS is a
joint venture between Infineon and Taiwan memory producer Mosel Vitelic.

Entegris and Tru-Si Technologies have formed a non-exclusive open alliance
to support thin silicon wafer handling in the semiconductor industry. The
companies will join forces to provide integrated solutions for semiconductor
wafer thinning and stress removal, along with promoting advanced techniques
for thin wafer handling and transport. Entegris specialises in materials
management and wafer transport and Tru-Si has developed a plasma etch
process for wafer thinning and finishing.

Compound semiconductor wafer foundry Global Communication Semiconductors
(GCS) has made an alliance with communications technology design consultancy
Plextek. Plextek has chosen GCS as III-V foundry partner and GCS has chosen
Plextek as a UK resource for IC design services. GCS offers InGaP and InP
HBT processes.