SEMICON Singapore once again comes to the Island next month.
Despite its size, Singapore remains a key area for semiconductor manufacturing.

Chartered extends IBM collaboration and buys 8 inch fab Chartered Semiconductor has announced the extension of its joint development collaboration with IBM to include 22nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Financial terms were not disclosed. The extension to 22nm builds on the original multi year agreement that the two companies first signed in November 2002. Now in its sixth year, the collaborative development programme has enabled Chartered to provide foundry access to a leading technology roadmap that leverages invention and innovation for manufacturing solutions, spanning five major generations of advanced process technology, including 90nm, 65nm, 45nm, 32nm, and now 22nm logic processes. “This news demonstrates that a longterm collaborative model for semiconductor research and development yields significant opportunities to improve application performance and cost,” said Gary Patton, vice president, IBM Semiconductor Research & Development Centre. “Our relationship with IBM and our flexible Common Platform access provides Chartered’s customers a process roadmap,” said Liang-Choo “LC” Hsia, senior vice president, technology development at Chartered. As with previous nodes, 22nm development activities will be conducted at IBM’s 300mm semiconductor fabrication facility in East Fishkill. Both companies will have the ability to implement the jointly developed processes. In other Chartered news the company announced the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares in Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore’s 8 inch fab from Hitachi and Hitachi Asia, for a total consideration of approximately US$240 million in cash, subject to a closing working capital price adjustment, under the terms of the agreement executed on February 15th, 2008. Chip launched to detect bird flu Following the success of the evaluation trials conducted at the prestigious National University Hospital of Singapore, Veredus Laboratories and STMicroelectronics announced the commercial availability of VereFlu, a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need. Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity, within two hours providing genetic information of the infection that traditionally would take days to weeks to learn. With its high level of automation, users outside the traditional lab environment can easily perform the tests at the point of need. Combining STMicroelectronics’ lab-onchip platform with Veredus’ bioapplication capability, VereFlu has integrated two powerful molecular biological applications in a lab-on-chip the size of a fingernail. It can identify and differentiate human strains of Influenza A and B viruses, including the Avian Flu strain H5N1, in a single test. “We are pleased to report that our evaluation trials show the suitability of the VereFlu diagnostic application for field testing and deployment,” said Associate Professor Raymond Lin, Head of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital in Singapore. “The diagnostic reliability of this novel device makes it a powerful weapon against future influenza pandemics.” “The launch of VereFlu marks a substantial breakthrough in enabling rapid identification of the infectious agent to limit the spread of the disease and speed patients’ treatment,” said Gian Luca Bertino, Corporate VP and General Manager of ST’s Computer Peripherals Group. A miniature laboratory on a chip, ST’s In-Check platform allows users to accurately and reliably process and analyse minute patient samples, human blood, serum or respiratory swabs, on a single disposable thumbnail sized chip. Carl Zeiss open advanced imaging centre Carl Zeiss has opened the Carl Zeiss Advanced Imaging Centre Singapore, a world first that offers customers the opportunity to view and experience the full range of the company’s micro and nano imaging solutions. “Singapore is proud to host this first and only Advanced Imaging Centre in the world. It will be an important piece of infrastructure to support the R&D efforts of companies here which could then lead to further possibilities in the future,” said Dr. Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports & Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts who was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony. According to Board member of Carl Zeiss AG and President and CEO of Carl Zeiss SMT AG, Dr. Hermann Gerlinger, the opening of the S$30 million facility at the German Centre reflects Carl Zeiss’ commitment to expand its business in Singapore and Asia Pacific. Previously, customers had to travel to multiple Carl Zeiss facilities in Germany in order to trial the equipment before purchase.