| Editor's Note |
| The high-tech IPO—that proven engine of innovation in which firms cash in on their inventions and marketing strategies by selling shares to the public—has been an endangered species in recent years. Thanks to a sluggish market followed by a global financial crisis, the number of semiconductor IPOs over the past 18 months has been practically nil. Now Europe's NXP Semiconductor is reportedly considering a $1 billion IPO, which if successful could give other embattled chip makers the confidence to tap the equity market for fresh capital. This would be a welcomed development for NXP and rival Freescale Semiconductor, both of which were bought by private equity a few years ago. But more importantly, the return of a healthy market for chip IPOs would
offer a lifeline to some current startups desperate for injections of cash and restore a vital force for motivating the potential entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
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| Top Story |
Analysis: NXP shares sale could open IPO floodgate
If NXP Semiconductor Inc. pulls off a successful initial public offering, other chip vendors could follow with their own shares sales, opening the floodgate for the industry to raise much needed capital from the equity market.
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| Semiconductor News |
Still Rambus, but less rambunctious
Rambus is seeking to cast a kinder and gentler light on the company's feisty reputation. Heretofore, Rambus has been largely known as a litigious memory technology company. Rambus now wants to be viewed as more conciliatory, as it diversifies its IP portfolio far beyond memories.
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Avago files suit against STMicroelectronics
Avago Technologies Inc. has filed a patent infringement suit against STMicroelectronics Inc.
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Microsemi buys White Electronic for $100 million
Microsemi Corp., a manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal ICs, has resumed the buying spree that characterized the company in 2009, and agreed to acquire White Electronic Designs Corp. (Phoenix, Arix.) for a cash offer of $7 per share. The net transaction value is approximately $100 million, net of White Electronic's projected cash balance at closing, Microsemi said.
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| Business News |
Applied invests in Enphase Energy
Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, Calif.), a supplier of solar microinverter systems, has secured $40 million in funding, with Bay Partners leading the equity financing.
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Intel-Micron JV hiring for delayed Singapore fab
In another signal that a delayed 300-mm fab in Singapore is moving closer to ramp up, IM Flash Technologies--the NAND flash joint venture between Intel and Micron Technology--is advertising dozens of jobs openings in the island city-state.
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RF firm completes IPO
MaxLinear Inc. (Carlsbad, Calif.), a provider of radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal IC solutions for broadband communications applications, has closed its previously announced initial public offering of 6,444,100 shares of Class A common stock at a price to the public of $14.00 per share.
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Report: Third Chinese Foxconn employee falls to death
An employee of contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn fell to his death Monday (March 29) in Shenzhen China, according to a Xinhua report that cited the company and police as sources.
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| Commentary |
Opinion: What do you mean the iPad isn't the answer?
I have no personal bias for or against the Apple iPad, which will start shipping soon. What I do object to is the breathless hype visited on this product before hardly anyone has actually used it at all, and more importantly, used it for a while.
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| Technology News |
Large Hadron Collider smashes protons at 7-TeV
The Large Hadron Collider housed at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland) has been re-opened and two beams of protons have been brought into a collision with an energy of 7 tera electron-volts.
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| Design News |
Infineon uses Synopsys' Galaxy for baseband processor
Munich-based chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG said it has deployed Synopsys' Galaxy Implementation Platform, including IC Compiler, for the 40nm processor aimed at the X-GOLD 626 multi-million-gate analog and digital system-in-package (SIP).
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Virage, MIPS match memory, processor IP
Processor IP company MIPS Technologies Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) is teaming up with another IP licensor Virage Logic Corp. (Fremont, Calif.) to offer embedded memory IP for joint customers.
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Mentor optimizes Veloce emulator with Platform LSF
Mentor Graphics Corp. and Platform Computing (Ontario, Canada) said they have deployed Platform LSF high performance computing solution to optimize Veloce emulation systems as shared resources.
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| ESC Silicon Valley |
ESC: The results are in for embedded engineering survey
The 2010 Embedded Market Study is complete and tallied. Big surprises? Yes and no.
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| ESC Silicon Valley 2010 |
| ESC Silicon Valley, the largest most complete technical conference/exhibition in North America where you can see, learn and get hands-on training on emerging embedded products and technologies. Attend and be part of the most valuable and efficient professional development you will experience all year.
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Dylan McGrath is editor of the EE Times Newsletter, which brings you the latest semiconductor and design news.
