To: Gottfried who wrote (8527 ) 1/21/2004 1:30:07 PM From: Proud_Infidel Respond to of 25522 Equipment opportunities highlighted at SEMI NanoForum By Silicon Strategies 01/21/2004 10:00 AM EST SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) industry group said Wednesday (January 21, 2004) that it would stage NanoForum 2004 in November 2004 to provide an opportunity for executives in the nanotechnology and semiconductor industries to meet. The conference, the first of that name, is set to take place November 14 to 17, 2004 at the Austin Hilton Hotel in Austin, Texas. The SEMI NanoForum is to be an opportunity for SEMI members along with representatives of nine nanotechnology markets to explore applications and opportunities for commercialization. The specific markets being to be addressed at the event include: aerospace and defense, chemicals, consumer, information technology, biotech, energy, industrial controls, automotive and telecom. In a statement SEMI said the NanoForum comes after President Bush committed $3.7 billion for nanotechnology research and development over four years, starting in 2005 by signing the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, in December. "For many years, technology provided by SEMI members has enabled the nanometer-scaled operations necessary for semiconductor manufacturing. Now, at NanoForum, SEMI members can discover opportunities in nano-markets, while nano-companies learn about available semiconductor technologies that can benefit their current research, design and manufacturing programs," said Stan Meyers, SEMI's president and chief executive officer, in a statement. SEMI NanoForum 2004 is set to include two days of speaker sessions and meetings intended to facilitate the exchange of both strategic and technical perspectives between attendees. The University of Texas at Austin is slated to present a one-day tutorial on the basics of nanotechnology. A post-conference workshop is also scheduled.