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EuroAsia Semiconductor is published four times a year on a controlled circulation basis. Non-qualifying individuals can subscribe at: £105.00/€158 pa (UK & Europe), £138.00 pa (air mail), $198 pa (USA). Cover price £4.50. All information herein is believed to be correct at time of going to press. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any errors and omissions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort has been made to obtain copyright permission for the material contained in this publication. Angel Business Communications Ltd will be happy to acknowledge any copyright oversights in a subsequent issue of the publication. Angel Business Communications Ltd © Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced in whole or part without the written consent of the publishers. The paper used within this magazine is produced by chain of custody certified manufacturers, guaranteeing sustainable sourcing.
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Multiple opportunities
Financial concerns about future possibilities again dominates industry coverage as the realisation of eight positive quarters points to a corrective slowdown with over stocked inventories leading to an inevitable reduction in business along the value chain. With global economy uncertainty the caution expressed by financial watchers make is appear gloom and doom is on the horizon for everyone. Most of financial focus is on the commodity and volume edge of the business and even the pessimists are predicting growth for 2012 although well below 3%. These large semiconductor sectors will continue to be slave to the broader economic trends but there is plenty of opportunity in other areas of the industry.
The technological and economic transitions we see at the volume and bleeding edge part of the industry continue to occur along the value chain. With 300mm manufacturing beginning to migrate down technology nodes there are developing opportunities and job creation continuing to occur. Expertise developed at the top end is now required throughout the industry. Emerging industries continue to open up as these sectors realise the decades of knowledge accumulated in silicon manufacturing means the best chance to scale to required volumes is utilising existing proven manufacturing techniques. A number of new companies are capitalising on this trend by looking at research progress in a wide range of technologies to see if their manufacturing experience can provide solutions to manufacturing challenges. Who knows what roadblocks researchers are facing where a fresh experienced pair of eyes may see an engineering possibility.
Solar energy has cetainly being one area that semiconductor companies have benefited from but that is only one emerging market of opportunity. Medical applications of technology will be a major area of expansion and one that traditional semiconductor OEM manufacturers have barely touched. Challenges in deposition, consistency, yield and micromachining are some of the areas that this sector will need to develop.
When the semiconductor industry moved to 300mm there was a fear of a lack of knowledge but this turned out unfounded as other industries has many of the answers. There are many emerging ideas that are waiting for engineers to provide know how to manufacturers who feel they are faced with a herculean task.
David Ridsdale Editor-in-Chief
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www.euroasiasemiconductor.com Issue IV 2011
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