The heat is on chipmakers Intel and AMD to see who can make the biggest break into emerging markets across the global.

STMicroelectronics, a European semiconductor manufacturer, has reinforced its intention to strengthen its presence China.

Investigations into better ways to cool today’s high-performance computer microprocessors have been granted further funding at the University of California.

2006 marks two major milestones for virtual instrumentation company National Instruments, its 30th year since inception and the 20th year since the creation of NI LabVIEW, the company’s flagship graphical programming software.

Samsung Electronics, a manufacturer of advanced memory technology, has claimed it is the first manufacturer in the industry to begin mass producing DDR2 DRAM - 512 Megabit (Mb) - on an 80 nanometer (nm) scale.

Manufacturer of radio solutions and precision analog semiconductors, Skyworks Solutions has announced it is leveraging a bipolar field effect transistor (BiFET) process technology for its gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based products, enabling it to develop solutions for handset manufacturers.

Worldwide sales of semiconductors of $19.66 billion in January were 7 percent higher than January of 2005 when global sales were $18.38 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) of America reported recently.

The Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (AEEMA) will be establishing Australia's inaugural exhibition at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to be held in Las Vegas in 2007.

Conexant Systems and Sharp have developed what they claim is the world’s smallest and lowest standby power wireless local area network (WLAN) module.

Philips Electronics and Sunext Technology have completed transfer of Philips Optical Disc Drive (ODD) semiconductor technology and licensing to Sunext.

Xilinx, a programmable logic solutions provider, has launched the ESL Initiative - a multi-faceted program aimed at making electronic system level (ESL) design methodologies and tools more accessible to programmable system designers. The initiative expands collaboration across the ESL supply chain to better integrate and optimise ESL tool flows for both hardware designers and software programmers targeting FPGAs.

Intel announced a milestone in the development of 45 nanometer (nm) logic technology. Intel has produced what are believed to be the first fully functional SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) chips using 45nm process technology, its next– generation, high–volume semiconductor manufacturing process.

New research shows that a novel class of nitrides made from noble metals can be synthesized under extreme conditions and are likely to have unusual or even unique properties that would be useful in semiconductor, superconductor and corrosion-resistant devices.

Researchers have developed a new process to make flexible, conducting ‘nano skins’ for a variety of applications, from electronic paper to sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents. The materials, which are described in the March issue of the journal Nano Letters, combine the strength and conductivity of carbon nanotubes with the flexibility of traditional polymers.

Physicists at JILA have demonstrated a fast laser technique for ‘seeing’ once-hidden electronic behavior in semiconductors, which eventually could be useful in more predictable design of optoelectronic devices, including semiconductor lasers and white light-emitting diodes.