News
SAN JOSE – Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments grew more than 6% sequentially during the second quarter to 2.3 billion sq. inches, according to SEMI.
Compared to the second quarter of 2007, total area shipments increased nearly 5%.
"Following the slightly weaker first quarter and macro-economic concerns, silicon shipments grew more than 6% in Q2, which is in line with normal seasonality for the quarter, particularly with the start of a new fiscal year for most Japanese companies,” said Kazuyo Heinink, SEMI spokesperson. “This growth was mainly attributed to 300 mm.”
BANNOCKBURN, IL – The EC Regulatory Committee on Ecodesign and Energy Labeling has agreed to a draft concerning the standby and off modes of energy-using household and office products.
This proposal will be sent to the European Council and European Parliament for review. It should be adopted by the Commission and published by the EU at the beginning of 2009, barring any objections.
The first phase will come into effect in 2010.
The proposal is already coming under fire from electronics engineers. As one critic noted to a well-known industry email list, “The EU commission groups seem to be very inept when defining scopes and no two policy making groups seem to learn from the other's mistakes,” adding that the proposal’s scope is “extremely vague and confusing … the [EU] drops in words like household and office equipment into the scope, possibly with the intention of making it clearer but in reality just making it more obscure.”
A pdf of the proposal can be viewed at pdf.
This proposal will be sent to the European Council and European Parliament for review. It should be adopted by the Commission and published by the EU at the beginning of 2009, barring any objections.
The first phase will come into effect in 2010.
The proposal is already coming under fire from electronics engineers. As one critic noted to a well-known industry email list, “The EU commission groups seem to be very inept when defining scopes and no two policy making groups seem to learn from the other's mistakes,” adding that the proposal’s scope is “extremely vague and confusing … the [EU] drops in words like household and office equipment into the scope, possibly with the intention of making it clearer but in reality just making it more obscure.”
A pdf of the proposal can be viewed at pdf.
STAMFORD, CT – Despite ongoing demand from emerging markets, electronics sales will slow as consumers worldwide cut spending in response to the sluggish economy, says Gartner Inc.
"In coming months we expect to see signs of a widespread slowdown in the electronics sector," said Richard Gordon, Gartner analyst. The chip industry will most likely not begin recovery until the second half of 2009, says the firm.
PC and cellphone sales have held up well so far to this year because of demand in emerging markets such as China, India, Russia and South America, Gordon said, according to published reports. But, these nations will eventually feel the impact of global economic struggles.
In March, Gartner lowered its 2008 global semiconductor forecast, citing falling memory chip prices and the weakening global economy.
In March, Gartner’s 2008 global semiconductor revenue forecast dropped to 3.4%, to $278.4 billion, compared to a prior prediction of 6.2%. In 2007, semiconductor revenue reached $269.4 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year.
A week later, Gartner cautioned about increasing chip inventories, which continues to be an issue, according to the firm.
Also, many memory chipmakers recently have reported huge second-quarter losses, with expectations low for the third quarter as well, says the researcher.
"In coming months we expect to see signs of a widespread slowdown in the electronics sector," said Richard Gordon, Gartner analyst. The chip industry will most likely not begin recovery until the second half of 2009, says the firm.
PC and cellphone sales have held up well so far to this year because of demand in emerging markets such as China, India, Russia and South America, Gordon said, according to published reports. But, these nations will eventually feel the impact of global economic struggles.
In March, Gartner lowered its 2008 global semiconductor forecast, citing falling memory chip prices and the weakening global economy.
In March, Gartner’s 2008 global semiconductor revenue forecast dropped to 3.4%, to $278.4 billion, compared to a prior prediction of 6.2%. In 2007, semiconductor revenue reached $269.4 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year.
A week later, Gartner cautioned about increasing chip inventories, which continues to be an issue, according to the firm.
Also, many memory chipmakers recently have reported huge second-quarter losses, with expectations low for the third quarter as well, says the researcher.
