3 posts and columns on silicon wafers

Japan Quake Rattles Chip Industry

in News on March 11, 2011 at 3:51 pm PT

Japan’s massive earthquake affected operations at dozens of semiconductor factories, raising fears of shortages or price increases for a number of widely used components—particularly the chips known as flash memory that store data in hit products like smartphones and tablet PCs.

Intel Ex-Chief Hoping to Help Ireland Rebound

in News on December 15, 2009 at 12:30 am PT

After Japanese competitors nearly sunk Intel in the 1980s, Craig Barrett helped the chip maker rebuild its manufacturing prowess. Now he’s going to lend Ireland a hand. The former Intel CEO and chairman, who retired from the company in May, on Tuesday is being named chairman of a non-profit collection of executives called the Irish Technology Leadership Group.

New TI Factory Shows How the Chip World Has Changed

in News on September 29, 2009 at 3:45 pm PT

It was a big deal when Texas Instruments announced plans in 2003 for a massive chip factory in a suburb of Dallas, its home town. Six years later, the company is finally preparing for production there–under a strategy that has changed dramatically.