LOS ALTOS, CA – Aggressive deficit spending, record-low interest rates, consumer subsidies and inventory rebuilding gradually lifted world GDP from a 6.5% annualized rate of contraction during the fourth quarter of 2008 to a strong 4.9% expansion during the first quarter of 2010. However, the impact of those expansive measures has gradually worn off, says Henderson Ventures.

SAN JOSE – Shocking Technologies opened its expanded production facility, unveiling a manufacturing plant for voltage switchable dielectric material.

The lab and equipment will be used to develop, simulate and produce the company’s nanocomposite Xtstatic 100 VSD material. Xstatic is embedded in PCBs or semiconductor packaging to increase a product’s protection against harmful ESD events.

The facility is capable of producing material to equip more than 200 million cellphones or other similar products a year, the firm says.

Shocking Technologies’ manufacturing line is run by a site-wide manufacturing execution system that maintains product genealogy and component traceability.

The City of San Jose and its redevelopment agency made an investment of $500,000 toward capital equipment.

STAMFORD, CT – The semiconductor market rallied in 2010, with worldwide revenue reaching a landmark $300.3 billion in 2010, up 31.5% year-over-year, says Gartner.

ALBANY, NY – Sematech, the Semiconductor Industry Association and Semiconductor Research Corp. said they have established a 3D enablement program to drive industry standardization efforts and technical specifications for heterogeneous 3D integration.