Semiconductor today

Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA has announced its artificial intelligence (AI) data center technology roadmap for to up to 3x power increase to support similar exponential growth in AI power demands expected in just the next 12–18 months...

Third-quarter 2023 saw a significant rebound in global smartphone production, marking the end of an eight-quarter slump, according to market research firm TrendForce. In a strategic year-end surge, brands amped up production to capture more market share, propelling fourth-quarter smartphone output up 12.1% to 337 million units. Despite this final-quarter growth, 2023 rounded off with a slight 2.1% dip in annual production — totaling 1.166 billion units...

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) says that its record-breaking, multi-vendor interoperability demonstrations at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference & Exposition (OFC 2024) in San Diego, CA, USA (24–28 March) will spotlight interoperable solutions in 800ZR, 400ZR and OpenZR+ optics; Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) & Co-Packaging; 112G and 224G Common Electrical I/O (CEI); and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations...

Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America, OSA) says that Dr Radhakrishnan Nagarajan has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the David Richardson Medal. Nagarajan is honored for the successful manufacturing and commercialization of indium phosphide (InP)- and silicon (Si)-based photonic integrated circuits for use as optical interconnects with a wide range of applications. Described as an insightful engineer and outstanding innovator and mentor, Nagarajan’s ability to move from concept to commercialization and deployment continues to have a profound impact on our industry, says Optica...

Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America, OSA) has named Kenichi Iga, Professor Emeritus and former president of Tokyo Institute of Technology, as recipient of the 2024 Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize for his “pioneering contributions and visionary leadership in the field of semiconductor lasers and optoelectronics and a dedication to training and educating future generations”...

Theodore Moustakas (ECE, MSE, Physics) — Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Photonics and Optoelectronics at Boston University (BU) — has been awarded the Nick Holonyak Jr Award by Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America, OSA) for his pioneering contributions to nitride semiconductor materials and optical devices that helped build the foundation for efficient blue and ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs)...

For fourth-quarter 2023, deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has reported record revenue of €214.2m, up 30% on €165m last quarter and up 17% on €183.2m a year ago: This is also about three times first-quarter 2023’s revenue of €77.2m, underlining Aixtron’s flexibility in its supply chain and manufacturing...

Polar Light Technologies (PLT) — which stems from research by founder professor Per-Olof Holtz and his team at Sweden’s Linköping University — has appointed Oskar Fajerson as CEO to lead it through the final stages of research and into commercialization of its micro-LED technology...

Teledyne e2v HiRel Electronics of Milpitas, CA, USA (part of the Teledyne Defense Electronics Group that provides solutions, sub-systems and components to the space, transportation, defense and industrial markets) has announced the availability of the TDLNA2050SEP radiation-tolerant S-band low-noise amplifier (LNA), suitable for demanding high-reliability, space and radar applications where low noise figure, minimal power consumption and small package footprint are critical to mission success. Developed on a 90nm enhancement-mode pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT) process, the new LNA is available in an 8-pin dual-flat no-lead (DFN) 2mm x 2mm x 0.75mm plastic surface-mount package, and is qualified per MIL‑PRF‑38534 Class K...

Phlux Technology (which was spun out of the UK’s Sheffield University in December 2022) has won a six-figure (GBP)-value export contract and is now shipping production quantities of its 1550nm indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) avalanche photodiode (APD) infrared sensors...

Discrete semiconductor and passive electronic component maker Vishay Intertechnology Inc of Malvern, PA, USA has completed its acquisition of the wafer fabrication facility and operations in Newport, South Wales, UK of Netherlands-based Nexperia B.V. for about $177m in cash on hand (net of cash acquired)...

The National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT) and the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has applauded Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — for the establishment of its New York Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). As part of its role in the USA’s semiconductor talent pipeline development, the Institute serves as the USDOL’s national Intermediary responsible for expanding Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) throughout the semiconductor and nanotechnology industry supply chains...

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has introduced its next generation of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET trench technology. The new CoolSiC MOSFET 650V and 1200V Generation 2 is said to improve MOSFET key performance figures such as stored energies and charges by up to 20% compared with the prior generation without compromising quality and reliability levels, leading to higher overall energy efficiency...

Riber S.A. of Bezons, France — which makes molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems as well as evaporation sources — has received a multi-million Euro order from a new customer in Asia for an automated MBE 412 system in order to strengthen its fundamental and advanced nitride research capabilities...

Luminus Devices Inc of Sunnyvale, CA, USA – which designs and makes LEDs and solid-state technology (SST) light sources for illumination markets – has expanded its Gen 2 CCT tunable chip-on-board (COB) LED portfolio with the introduction of the CTM-18 and CTM-22. Both feature the same 6500K to 2700K color combination of the exiting CTM-6, CTM-9 and CTM-14, along with two additional CCT (correlated color temperature) ranges: 4000K to 1800K and high-melanopic 5000K Salud to 2200K...

Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (which designs and makes optical and photonic products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) has appointed Jae Kim as senior VP, general counsel & corporate secretary, reporting to president & CEO Alan Lowe. Kim will be responsible for leading Lumentum’s Legal department, including Corporate Affairs, Commercial Transactions, Trade Compliance, and Intellectual Property. He will also be responsible for Facilities, Real Estate and Security...

Market research firm TrendForce’s latest reports indicate a significant turning point for the LED lighting market in 2024, as an estimated quantity of 5.8 billion LED lamps and luminaires reach the end of their lifespan. This is set to trigger a substantial wave of secondary replacements, breathing new life into the market and boosting total LED lighting demand to 13.4 billion units, the firm adds...

After having been informed of the unexpected cancellation of a cornerstone project for its micro-LED program, ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany says that it is re-assessing its micro-LED strategy. Discussions with the related customer — reported to be Apple — are ongoing...

Semiconductor production test and reliability qualification equipment supplier Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA has shipped the first order from a major silicon photonics customer for a new high-power configuration of its FOX-XP system for volume production wafer-level burn-in and stabilization of next-generation silicon photonics integrated circuits (ICs)...

Wise-integration of Hyeres, France — which was spun off from CEA-Leti in 2020 and designs and develops gallium nitride (GaN) integrated circuits and digital-control technologies for power supplies — has raised €15m in a Series B funding round led by imec.xpand and joined by Supernova Invest, BNP Paribas Developpement, Région Sud Investissement (RSI), Creazur, CASRA Capital and Angels for Greentech...