NEWS SEMI

Abstract

News Briefs

Water Consulting buys E.N. Design

POCASSET, MA—Water Consulting Specialists, Inc. recently bought E.N. Design, Inc. (Design Engineers) of Hackensack, NJ, for an undisclosed amount. The company said Design Engineers will strengthen its service in New York City and the Tri‐State Area, and launch Water Consulting into the commercial/industrial water market in the Northeast. Water Consulting plans to integrate Design Engineers’ operations into their Fairfield, NJ office.

Design Engineers, founded in 1977 by Gary Kingzett, has been active in commercial, institutional, laboratory, in industrial water treatment markets. Its product offerings include media filters, water softeners, RO systems, and service DI.  

Water Consulting was begun in 1993 by William V. Collentro. The company today has offices in Pocasset, MA, Fairfield, NJ, Doylestown, PA, and Stow, OH. The firm, now led by Andrew W. Collentro, offers high-purity water equipment and services in the Northeastern states.

Water Planet names Helquera Tecnologias as Mexican distributor

LOS ANGELES, CA—Water Planet has named Helguera Tecnologias del Agua, SA de CV, as its exclusive distributor for its ultrafiltration membranes in Mexico. Plans are for Helguera to promote the company’s UF membrane technology for use in industrial wastewater treatment to help plants maximize water recovery and reuse.

Microelectronics Industry Brief

Silicon wafer shipments up in first quarter

MILPITAS, CA—Global silicon wafer area shipments increased during the first quarter 2017 when compared to fourth quarter 2016 area shipments, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group’s quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

SEMI reported that total silicon wafer area shipments were 2,858 million square inches during the first three months of 2017, a 3.4% increase from the 2,764 million square inches shipped during the last quarter of 2016. On a year-to-year basis, the new quarterly total area shipments are 12.6% higher than first quarter 2016 shipments and are at their highest recorded quarterly level. Table A lists shipments of silicon during the past five quarters for semiconductor applications.

TABLE A

Silicon* Area Shipment Trends

*Semiconductor applications only

Source: SEMI (May 2017)

SEMI called this trend important, because silicon wafers are used as the fundamental building material for semiconductors. The thin round silicon disks are produced in various diameters (from 1 inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or "chips" are made. SEMI said the data is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including _virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to endusers.

In other news, SEMI reported that North American-based makers of semiconductor equipment posted $2.17 billion in global billings for April 2017. This sales figure (based on a three-month average) was 4.6% higher than March sales of $2.08 billion, ad nearly 49% more than the $1.46 billion posted in April 2016.

Table B provides billings data between November 2016 and this April.

TABLE B

North American Billings by Semiconductor Equipment Makers

Source: SEMI (May 2017)

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