Kent: the London Financial Times had an interesting issue last month with a lot of articles on the semiconductor and semi equipment industry. The one I think is most interesting is the one that states a fab will cost more than a nuclear power plant in a few years - another reason to like FSII :). Here are some of the articles that I thought were the most interesting - an most of us already know most of this stuff but it is nice to see it repeated as "fact" by others:
Financial Times (London) - Feb.4, 1998 - members.aol.com - "Advances in Chip Production: A string of technological miracles" - Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the transistor, and the milestone went largely unnoticed. The silicon chip is today sadly taken for granted, except for investors.
Financial Times (London) - Feb. 4, 1998 - members.aol.com - "The Semiconductor Revolution: An industry unique in history" - Virtually no part of modern life has been left untouched by the semiconductor revolution. Indeed, it is estimated that on an average day, a typical American interacts with more than 300 micro-controllers.
Financial Times (London) - Feb. 4, 1998 - members.aol.com - "Risk Factors For Producers: A perilous business" - Making semiconductors has always been a risky business but investors reading the latest financial results from the leading vendors, are left in no doubt about just how perilous the chip business has become.
Financial Times (London) - Feb. 4, 1998 - members.aol.com - "Chip Fabrication Plants: Costs are soaring to record levels" - Fabs using the latest production technologies currently cost more than $2 billion to build -and the cost is rising rapidly. It is expected thatÿ a fab will cost more than $10 billion by 2015 if trends continue - more expensive than a nuclear power plant.
Financial Times (London) - Feb. 4, 1998 - "http://members.aol.com/lsginvest/art145 "Chip Manufacturing: Producers are for ever breaking new barriers" - The battle to double the power of chips every 18 months with no price increases will be fought on at least two fronts: (1) reductions in transistor feature size, and (2) increasing the size of the silcon wafer.
The New York Times - Feb. 23, 1998 - members.aol.com - "In the Data Storage Race, Disks Are Outpacing Chips" - While Silicon Valley has for decades been mesmerized by the blinding pace of the semiconductor industry, in the last seven years the disk storage industry has been moving forward at an even more mind-boggling clip. So impressive are the storage gains and so audacious are the aspirations of disk drive engineers that they are now suggesting the previously unthinkable: actually replacing computer memory chips with tiny disk drives for devices like digital cameras and hand-held computers.
Financial Times (London) - Feb.4, 1998 - members.aol.com "Vehicles are becoming increasingly electronic" - The automotive industry has emerged as one of the most promising new markets for semiconductor manufacturers as carmakers use chips in increasing numbers to build complex electronic systems and sophisticated navigation and entertainment systems. Ford estimates that the current Taurus model contains more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft that went to the moon.
The London Financial Times - Feb. 4, 1998 - members.aol.com - "This Could Be The Year of Panic: Questions for Directors on the Millennium Bomb" - It is estimated that 50% of companies have not begun to address the year 2000 issue, and a company's Board of Directors should consider potential liabilities should they fail to address this issue.
The Los Angeles Times - Jan. 6, 1998 - members.aol.com - "LA Moves Toward a Plan to Impant Computer Microchips Into Animals" - Dogs and cats many soon have implanted chips to identify them according to a Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation proposal - are humans next?
Joe |
