UMC will be the main supplier of mixed-mode microchips to Micronas under the terms of a five-year agreement. Micronas, of Freiburg, Germany, will be given access to the Taiwanese foundry's technologies and capacity. Micronas says its DPS 9450 device is in qualification at UMC. In addition, first lots of its single-chip analog-digital TV decoder device, the MDE 9500, are scheduled for processing at the foundry. UMC manufactures both devices with its 180-nm mixed-mode CMOS process.

1st Silicon joins e-biz net

The Malaysian foundry 1st Silicon has joined an Asia-based consortium that is developing e-business standards for microelectronics companies. The nonprofit consortium, RosettaNet, is creating standards for suppliers of semiconductors, electronic components, and IT services. 1st Silicon is the first fab in Malaysia to join the Malaysian affiliate of the organization. It now has affiliates in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

The foundry says it has begun to use the network's specifications for WIP reports to customers. Rather than require customers to log on to a chipmaker's Web site in order to download the information, RosettaNet automatically sends new WIP status reports to clients. More than 450 high-tech companies belong to RosettaNet. 1st Silicon's membership will enable the company "to leverage the Internet to exchange business documents and information across the entire supply chain, on a global basis and in a timely manner," says Jurgen Ertle, vice president in charge of information technology.

Inficon names new president

Inficon of Syracuse, NY, has named Tatsuhiko Nagai president of Inficon Japan. Nagai will oversee sales, service, and technical support operations for the manufacturer of vacuum instruments and sensors. The new executive head was most recently managing director of GSI Lumonics Japan.

Europe

EU backs CVD project

A project established to assess the performance of a low-energy plasma-enhanced CVD tool for silicon germanium layers has been launched by the European Union. At the center of the Semiconductor Equipment Assessment project is a new LEPECVD tool from Unaxis Semiconductors. The system has been installed at the STMicroelectronics/LETI site in Grenoble, France. Operating at low temperatures, the system deposits both silicon and SiGe layers. The fully automatic tool accommodates both 200- and 300-mm wafers. The project will focus on the reliability and cost of ownership of the Unaxis tool.

The joint endeavor is the second such collaboration involving SiGe technology between STM and Unaxis. In September 2001, the chipmaker and the supplier initiated a project called ECOPRO-SiGe to develop an economical, dependable process for producing SiGe layers on 200- and 300-mm wafers, Unaxis says.

Finns crank up SOI volume

Okmetic has begun volume production of silicon-on-insulator wafers at its plant in Espoo, Finland. The Finnish firm opened an SOI pilot line early in 2000. The wafers are used primarily for MEMS devices, including optical MEMS products and RF systems. Currently manufacturing on 100- and 150-mm substrates, Okmetic says it will offer 200-mm SOI wafers before the end of the year.

Tronic signs MEMS pact

Tronic Microsystems has signed an R&D contract with LETI to explore SOI-based MEMS technology. The three-year pact expands on work begun by LETI and transferred to Tronic when the company was launched in May 1997. The contract includes the development of new devices.