What are the topics covered this week? There’s electric motor energy use at CERN, the newest LG flagship CineBeam 4K laser projector, the sale of DUV immersion lithography tools to China, an Infineon acquisition and plans for an open access compound semiconductor foundry…
5. ABB and CERN partner to study electric motor energy savings
CERN-electric-motors-credit-CERNCERN and ABB are to study electric motor energy use at CERN, and will publish the results for public use. ABB described the project as “non-commercial” and said that it will demonstrate how data insight and service expertise can be applied to make better decisions about saving energy and increasing reliability at large-scale research facilities.
4. Gadget Watch: LG Ultra Short Throw CineBeam 4K laser projector [Gadget Master]
I don’t know quite what to make of this, the newest LG flagship CineBeam 4K laser projector, with Ultra Short Throw (UST) goodness. The idea is to provide 4K picture quality from a short distance, so this projector comes with a more space-friendly design in mind. What’s not to like? I guess it just seems counter-intuitive. The model name is actually HU915QE, and it projects images ranging from 90 to 120 inches in size (measured diagonally). That’s a 90-inch image when placed 5.6 cm from the wall or a 120-inch picture at a distance of just 18.3 cm.
3. ASML under pressure to stop selling DUV tools to China
ASML is under pressure from the US to stop selling DUV immersion lithography tools to China. The company is already banned from selling EUV tools to China. Being the main workhorse litho tool, a DUV ban will have more effect on China’s plans to expand its chip industry than the EUV ban. Apart from Yangtze Memory, all the China fabs are making devices on legacy process nodes to serve markets like automotive and industrial.
2. Infineon buys NoBug
Infineon has bought the Romanian chip verification and design specialist NoBug. By acquiring NoBug, Infineon is adding to its ability build IoT infrastructure enabling cybersecurity, AI and machine learning as well as connectivity. NoBug brings along specialised expertise in the digital verification of complex SoCs.
1. Newport Wafer Fab plans open access compound foundry
Newport Wafer Fab is planning to set up an open access compound semiconductor foundry, said Toni Versluijs, Nexperia’s general manager for BG MOS Discretes at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s hearing into the UK’s semiconductor policy this morning. Versluijs told the committee that the idea for establishing a compound semiconductor foundry had been planned for a year and an unused building had been allocated for the operation.
