SANTA CLARA, CA – As global LCD TV brands ramp up production for the fourth quarter, LCD TV production is nearing a record high, with 19.8 million units in October, and is expected to maintain that level in November, says NPD DisplaySearch.

November is estimated to be the highest record, with 19.9 million units built by the surveyed brands globally, says the research firm.

TV demand outlook is turning positive for unit volume in the near term, but the focus is on inexpensive and simple-feature sets. TV brands, including leading global vendors, are planning to carry new TV sizes and low-specification LCD TVs to create business opportunities and drive traffic in 2012.

Despite strong sell-through results in North America and China, LCD TV brands are cautiously controlling their inventories. For December through February, LCD TV brands are planning to reduce production to prevent overstocking for the slow season in the first quarter of 2012. Global LCD TV production plans of surveyed LCD TV brands will fall to 13.4 million in January. LCD TV panel suppliers will need to continuously control their capacity utilization in the coming months, even as panel prices stabilize, says NPD DisplaySearch.

Shortages of hard disk drives caused by the flooding in Thailand are expected to last until the first quarter of next year, impacting production of notebook PCs and LCD monitors. In particular, NPD DisplaySearch foresees mobile PC brands cutting low-margin mobile PC production (netbook PCs or 15.6" mainstream models). Beginning in the second quarter of 2012, mobile PC production volumes could increase substantially as a result of channel refilling and new 2012 model launches, says the firm.

Monitor brands that have high attach rates to desktop PCs or have higher presence in the China market are being impacted strongly by the HDD shortage and the slowing demand outlook, while standalone monitor brands are less affected. However, in the China do-it-yourself market, demand is weakening due to increases in HDD prices.

SAN JOSE – Technical presentations are requested for the first SEMA and SMTA Solar Engineering and Reliability Conference, scheduled for Mar. 21-23 in the Silicon Valley.

Presentations should be original, unpublished and noncommercial in nature, and address experiments, new techniques, processes and procedures used in the manufacture of photovoltaic and other solar power generation and energy-saving technologies, in addition to general standards, outlook and issues for PV systems.

Potential topics include cell and module manufacturing technology; global solar outlook; quality control; test and reliability; material evaluations (sealant, EVA, backsheet, junction box, etc.); inverter/microinverter manufacturing and reliability/balance of systems; PV module failure analysis; general module hazardous issue (electrical/fire); module warranty and traceability; tabbing and stringing; lamination; flash/IR/electroluminescence testing; manufacturing reliability and safety standards and development, and module reliability testing programs.

Abstracts of 350 words or fewer are due Jan. 13.

Submit abstracts at http://www.smta.org/solar/call_for_papers.html or to Patti Hvidhyld at patti@smta.org.

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN -- Digi-Key and Aspen Labs have produced an online schematic drawing tool said to easily create the blueprint for any design while also allowing access to Digi-Key’s components listing.

SAN JOSE — Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment bookings plummeted 38% year-over-year in the third quarter as slower end-product demand and rising inventories took their toll.

SANTA ANA, CA -- Powerwave Technologies has filed suit against Microelectronics Technology and MTI Laboratory in a California US District Court claiming patent infringement.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – A new quantitative test methodology helps determine how much strain packages can take before reliability degradation.

LANSING, MI – EMS firm MPL Inc. sustained fire damage this morning, according to published reports.

OLATHE, KS -- Elecsys today announced sales at its Electronic Design and Manufacturing Services unit grew 17% to $3.77 million for its second fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL -- Electronics manufacturing services company SigmaTron today said second-quarter net income fell 73% to $158,267 due to the lingering stagnant economy.

AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND -- On Semiconductor will not reopen its semiconductor probe, assembly and test operations in Thailand for an indefinite period, if at all, due to the severity of the flood damage, the company said.

STONY BROOK, NY -- SMT Corp. will begin marking chips with a novel DNA material said to be impervious to counterfeiting.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics reported non-consolidated November revenues of NT$307.2 billion ($10.2 billion) on higher demand for consumer electronics ahead of the holiday season.