News Briefs

Credence Systems (Fremont, CA) has announced that Silicon Turnkey Solutions (STS, Manteca, CA) has purchased multiple Octet system-on-chip (SOC) test systems. STS, an outsource assembly and test (OSAT) provider, will use the systems for test-program generation, engineering development, silicon debug, and volume manufacturing. The Octet's multiple digital data rates and zero-time DSP per pin analog architecture enable STS to perform multisite testing of a variety of device technologies, including graphic processors and PC chipsets. www.credence.com.

Test & Measurement World has issued a call for nominations for our annual Best in Test Awards. Since 1991, our editors have presented these awards to products and services that demonstrate innovation in the test, measurement, or inspection of electronics components or systems.

To be eligible for the 2004 Best in Test Awards, a product must have been released between November 1, 2002, and October 31, 2003. The deadline for nominations is November 3; we'll announce the winners in our December/January issue. To nominate a product or service, visit www.tmworld.com/bit.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and International SEMATECH (ISMT), a consortium of semiconductor companies, have released their e-Handbook of Statistical Methods on a free CD-ROM. The e-Handbook provides statistical techniques and case studies for anyone who needs to use statistical tools but is not a statistician; it is designed to help you solve statistical problems quickly so you can get back to your primary work.

The e-Handbook was first published on the Web in July 2002; this new CD-ROM version allows you to use the guide without accessing the Web. You can order the CD version by sending an e-mail to handbook@nist.gov (be sure to provide your mailing address).

Keithley Instruments (Cleveland, OH) and Zyvex (Richardson, TX) have announced they will work together to develop systems for the nanotech marketplace. The companies will share marketing, sales, and applications engineering resources as they combine Zyvex's nanomanipulator expertise with Keithley's technologies for ultra-low-level measurements.

In addition to producing electrometers, picoammeters, and nanovoltmeters that can measure low-level signals, Keithley also manufactures systems such as the Model 4200-SCS that characterize semiconductor devices and test structures at the wafer level. Zyvex's nanomanipulation systems are compatible with scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), focused ion beam (FIB) microscopes, optical microscopes, and probe stations, allowing scientists to manipulate objects ranging in size down to the molecular level. www.keithley.com.

Mentor Graphics (Wilsonville, OR) has announced that Procket Networks (Milpitas, CA) will use Mentor's FastScan automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) tool when developing its multi-million-gate system-on-chip (SOC) designs. Mentor says that with the latest improvements in the FastScan tool, Procket has realized a 10X improvement in performance as well as a 20% reduction in pattern count on its latest 17-million-gate design. In a prepared statement, Jeff Purnell, VP of engineering at Procket, said that the improvements Mentor has made to FastScan have allowed his company to reduce run times from weeks to days, and in some cases, from days to hours. www.mentor.com/dft.

Agilent Technologies (Palo Alto, CA) has announced plans to provide equipment to the Probe and Test Development Center in the Hong Kong Science Park. At the center, an Agilent 93000 SOC (system-on-chip) system will help the area's IC design community test mixed-signal, analog, digital, and RF designs.

The Probe and Test Development Center will be part of a new Hong Kong IC Design/Development Support Center. Scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, the center will also include a reliability lab, a product-analysis lab, an EDA center, a data center, and an IC design training center. www.agilent.com.

Process equipment. VLSI Research (Santa Clara, CA) forecasts that worldwide equipment revenues will reach $30.2 billion in 2003, a 1.8% increase from 2002. Preliminary results from the firm's quarterly survey of suppliers indicate that Q2 equipment revenues fell 12% after a small increase of 1.4% in Q1 2003. www.vlsiresearch.com.

Semiconductors. National Semiconductor (Santa Clara, CA) has reported a net profit of $29.7 million on revenues of $424.8 million for the Q1 of fiscal 2004, which ended August 24. The company's gross margin for the quarter was 47.2% compared with 43.3% of a year ago. www.national.com.

Memory. In-Stat/MDR (Phoenix, AZ) reports that the market for embedded Flash (eFlash) memory has not yet reached its forecasted potential. The high-tech market research firm forecasts the worldwide merchant market dollar shipments of customer-specific, cell-based designs containing one or more blocks of eFlash memory will increase from $195.8 million in 2002 to $363.9 million by 2007, a forecast compound annual growth rate of 13.2%. www.instat.com.