Entegris, Inc., a leader in contamination control and materials handling technologies for highly demanding advanced manufacturing environments, and imec, a world-leading research center in nanoelectronics, announced they are collaborating to advance the development and broaden the adoption of 3D integrated circuits.3D IC technology, a process by which multiple semiconductor dies are stacked into a single device, is aimed at increasing the functionality and performance of next-generation integrated circuits while reducing footprint and power consumption. It is a key technology to enable the next generation of portable electronics such as smartphones and tablets that require smaller ICs which consume less power.One of the key steps in 3D IC manufacturing process entails thinning semiconductor wafers while they are bonded to carrier substrates. Handling such thinned 3D IC wafers during the production process can result in wafer breakage, edge damage, and particle generation. A standardized, fully automated solution that supports the handling of multiple types of wafers would result in a significant cost reduction and pave the way toward further development and scaling of 3D IC technologies. Imec and Entegris are working on creating a solution to safely transfer and handle multiple kinds of 3D IC wafers without the risk of breakage and other damage that may occur during the 3D production process."We are excited to work with the imec team, which is a key research center leading technology innovation for the semiconductor industry," said Bertrand Loy, president and CEO of Entegris. "Our current collaboration is aimed at leveraging our wafer handling expertise and technology to reduce contamination and breakage by applying full automation to the handling of thin wafers during 3D wafer production. This project builds on our previously completed work with imec to develop dispense and filtration methods to reduce bubble and defect formation during the dispense of material that is used to temporarily bond 3D wafers to carrier substrates," said Loy."This collaboration with Entegris aims at developing a solution toward fully automated handling of multiple types of 3D IC wafers," stated Eric Beyne, Director of imec's 3D integration research program. "Such a general solution would imply a significant reduction of the development cost, which is key to the realization of a scalable and manufacturable 3D IC technology."To learn more about Entegris' comprehensive suite of filtration and wafer handling solutions, see Entegris at booth 176 at SEMICON Taiwan, September 4-6, 2013. For more information, please contact Entegris at: asia_news@entegris.com. Join our SEMICON Taiwan event (http://on.fb.me/19ibAdQ) on Facebook to stay connected with the latest announcements before and during the show.Learn more about imec's 3D integration research at the Tawain edition of the IMEC TECHNOLOGY FORUM, organized in conjunction with SEMICON Taiwan and in collaboration with SEMI on September 4, 2013 at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. For more information: http://www.itf2013taiwan.be/About EntegrisEntegris is a leading provider of a wide range of products for purifying, protecting and transporting critical materials used in processing and manufacturing in the semiconductor and other high-tech industries. Entegris is ISO 9001 certified and has manufacturing, customer service and/or research facilities in the United States, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Additional information can be found at http://www.entegris.com/.FFS_300mm_Open-300

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced its latest range of 8 series motherboards based on the new Intel H81 Chipset (PCH) supporting the latest 4th generation Intel Core processors. GIGABYTE Intel H81 series motherboards include ATX and Micro-ATX models, bringing together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer the absolute best in terms of quality, durability and overall lifespan.GIGABYTE H81 series motherboards stand out from the competition with signature features that guarantee the utmost in both performance and reliability. High quality components for key areas of the motherboard are joined by an updated and improved UEFI DualBIOS which offers a customizable, full HD BIOS environment, plus the new GIGABYTE App Center, which combines key GIGABYTE applications in a simple, unified interface. GIGABYTE H81 series motherboards also provide additional USB 3.0 ports and support the latest 4K resolution displays on both HDMI and DisplayPort.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 PlusGIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 Plus focuses on "Ultra Performance" and "Ultra Safe", with a range of features and component choices that provide optimal performance, cool and efficient operation and extended motherboard lifespan.Ultra PerformanceGIGABYTE uses All Solid Caps (Capacitors) and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs which are rated to work at higher temperatures to provide a longer lifespan. specially designed to produce lower switching for faster electric current charging and discharging, Low RDS(on) MOSFETs have lower power consumption during the switching process, resulting in a faster switching process and less heat generation.Ultra SafeGIGABYTE motherboards feature GIGABYTE DualBIOS, an exclusive technology from GIGABYTE that protects arguably one of your PC's most crucial components, the BIOS GIGABYTE DualBIOS means that your motherboard has both a 'Main BIOS' and a 'Backup BIOS', making users protected from BIOS failure due to virus attack, hardware malfunction, improper OC settings or power failure during the update process.High ESD protection for USB and LAN (USB 3.0 only)GIGABYTE H81 series motherboards raise the bar in terms of protecting your system, providing advanced electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for both your Ethernet LAN and USB ports, both common sources of ESD-related failures. Each LAN and USB port is paired with a dedicated protection filter that can withstand high electrostatic discharges, protecting your system from common electrical surges and even direct lighting strikes.Additional USB 3.0 portsGIGABYTE H81 series motherboards feature an onboard USB 3.0 host controller that provides an additional four USB 3.0 ports. Together with USB 3.0 ports provided by the Intel H81 chipset, users can enjoy SuperSpeed connectivity on a total of six USB 3.0 ports.4K Ultra HD supportGIGABYTE H81 series motherboards provide native 4K support with integrated IntelR HD Graphics via HDMI or DisplayPort. 4K resolution is the next technological milestone in high-definition content delivery, utilizing approximately 4,000 pixels on the horizontal axis, more than four times today's standard HD pixel density.New GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS with Dashboard ModeTake control of how your BIOS looks and feels with the new GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS, a fully customizable user interface that allows you to adjust overclocking and performance settings in real-time. With smooth mouse control and shortcuts for fast navigation, the new and exclusive Dashboard Mode gives users complete access to all data related to your motherboard, including CPU, graphics and memory clocks, temperatures and voltages.New GIGABYTE App CenterGIGABYTE App Center gives you easy access to a wealth of GIGABYTE apps that help you get the most from your GIGABYTE motherboard. Using a simple, unified user interface, GIGABYTE App Center allows you to launch all GIGABYTE apps installed on your system. The GIGABYTE App Center is also customizable with three attractive color schemes.The GIGABYTE App Center includes:*EasyTune*@BIOS*EZ Setup*Live Updates*USB Blocker*Smart Recovery*Smart Time LockMore information about GIGABYTE H81 series motherboard can be found at the GIGABYTE website here: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=42&jid=2&p=2&v=31GIGABYTE GA-H81-D3

ATO Solution specializing in the design and manufacturing for NAND Flash (CEO: Park, Chan Woong) announced to complete the development of 1Gbit NAND SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) Flash memory, which is the first designed by ATO Solution in Korea, on August of 2013 followed by the existing 256Mb, 512Mbit, 1Gbit SLC NAND flash memory series.In general, SPI Flash Memories in the current market are based on NOR Flash cell structure, on the other hand, ATO Solution's 1Gbit SPI NAND Flash is based on NAND Flash cell structure with NOR SPI interface. It is the first product designed by ATO Solution's own patented SPI technology.The SPI NAND Flash developed by ATO Solution's own specialized design technology is having extremely higher reliability than NAND Flash and achieving high performance as Nor Flash has. This new NAND SPI Flash product is the next generation SLC NAND Flash to eat NOR Flash market. It challenges the density limitation and the disadvantages of high market price with Nor Flash's intrinsic structure in SPI market. Furthermore, it is expected to be an alternative SLC NAND Flash memory, which can replace the NOR Flash chip in current application system without any additional expense for using of ECC controller to utilize the traditional SLC NAND Flash, and it can compete with Nor SPI through an compatible package size 8 pin WSON (8mmx6mm) type. This small form factor Package would be much helpful for customer's cost competitiveness because it can help to save main board space and simplify it from customer's aspects. It would be available to do sourcing of products with price competitiveness around 50% lower in comparison to Nor SPI Flash.Especially, even the 1bit ECC (Error Correction Code) engine is built in the same die, the spare cell area of NAND Flash Memory is kept to allow the customer's convenience and trace to more higher reliability & quality due to customer can use dual ECC operation both imbedded ECC engine in NAND SPI and NAND Controller's ECC in outside it is fully customer choice. Its frequencies, which are one of the most important scale for performance indication, is 133MHz (15pF) which is the fastest speed of NAND SPI in the World thus it is explained that ATO Solution's NAND SPI is the very advanced product not only in price competition point of view but also in technical aspects.As ATO Solution is completed of 1Gbit NAND SPI development following up the 256Mbit/512Mbit/1Gbit SLC NAND Flash products on 2013, set a forth low-density NAND Flash product line up to the primary building and have identified NAND Flash marketing strategy in a fields of low density NAND Flash market, with stable supporting to customers with differentiated service in the Embedded Core Storage market, being a leading company for NAND SPI in the industry. From year 2015, the NAND SPI market demand is expected to be more than 200 million units and be grown year after year for the coming years through migration from Nor SPI NAND and Discrete SLC NAND to SPI NAND Flash.At the present, ATO Solution is progressing to register its 1Gbit SPI NAND with consumer chipset companies' reference design such as mobile baseband chipsets, DSP, and Application Processor. In addition, it is preparing for coming mass production sooner for Korea, China, Asia, Europe and North America market, in detail mobile phones, set-top box, black box, digital TV, such as the consumer market. Even though with focusing on low cost smart phone set, will expand NAND SPI market share and lead to be popularization of NAND SPI in the World.Park, Chan-Woong (CEO) of ATO solutions Co., Ltd. said "With starting of 1Gb SPI NAND, upper-class products as 2Gb and 4Gb are on the roadmap. We plan to make ATO Solution as a leading company of NAND SPI products through continuous innovation and enhance the competitive ownership". He also released the ambitious plan. "ATO will be the leading fabless company in the World with the development of high quality products continuously and the customer satisfaction".

Lenovo has expanded its end-to-end enterprise solutions portfolio with a new thin client, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M32.Lenovo's ThinkCentre M32 thin client offers customers a choice of a flexible Linux-based thin client operating system, LeTOS or Windows Embedded Standard 7. The thin client also features Lenovo Terminal Manager (LTM) software that helps customers manage thin client assets.The Lenovo ThinkCentre M32 thin client is powered by Intel Celeron processor and will be available in October 2013, starting at US$259.

Samsung Electronics has introduced the latest iteration of its professional grade Series 9 monitor, the SB971, featuring quad high-definition resolution and wide viewing angles.The monitor features Samsung's professional-grade Plane Line Switching (PLS) panel technology, ensuring that the accurate color reproduction can been viewed at wide horizontal and vertical angles.The SB971 design has been updated from the original SB970 monitor and no longer includes a glass cover on the bezel, minimizing glare and resulting in 100% SRGB visibility, added Samsung.All of the monitor's internal components are housed in a round aluminum base. The base also includes all I/O ports and a USB hub. It also supports DisplayPort, Dual Link-DVI and HDMI video connections, and features built-in 7W stereo speakers and a Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) for MHL-enabled smartphones and tablets.Samsung SB971 monitorPhoto: Company

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced its new FM2+ motherboard lineup supporting the forthcoming 'Keveri' AMD APUs with support for existing socket FM2 Trinity and Richland APUs.GIGABYTE A88X motherboards feature a number of features and technologies and also include the first AMD G1-Killer gaming motherboard, the G1.Sniper A88X which includes GIGABYTE AMP-Up Audio, a range of advanced audio technologies that are designed to give audio enthusiasts and PC gamers more control over their motherboard audio than ever before. GIGABYTE A88X series motherboards also offer unique GIGABYTE features, including UEFI DualBIOS, Digital Power delivery, as well Triple Display support.Ready for Kaveri on AMD socket FM2+GIGABYTE A88X series motherboards feature the new FM2+ APU socket, and are designed to get the most from forthcoming Kaveri AMD APUs, while preserving compatibility for current AMD FM2 APUs. FM2+ AMD APUs offer native support for 8 GT/s PCI Express gen 3.0 as well as DX11.1 support integrating the high performance 'Steamroller' core. AMD socket FM2+ APUs also offer native support for 4K resolution displays on HDMI and DisplayPort.GIGABYTE A88X series motherboards: G1.Sniper A88X, F2A88X-UP4, F2A88X-D3H, F2A88X-HD3, F2A88XM-D3H, F2A85XM-DS2, F2A88XM-HD3GIGABYTE A88X series motherboard

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced its new FM2+ motherboards including the newest addition to its G1-Killer range of gaming motherboards, the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X. Debuting two exclusive audio features including GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP, an exclusive feature optimized for users employing a Digital-to-Analog Converter, and Gain Boost which provides high gain output for advanced headphones and speakers, the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X provides the highest caliber onboard audio experience for discerning audiophiles."We've had a lot of customer interest in expanding our G1-Killer gaming motherboard range to include an AMD platform model." commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "By also developing unique audio features that make a real difference to the overall experience, we're confident this board will be a real hit with gamers and audiophiles alike."GIGABYTE AMP-UP Audio: redefining motherboard audioGIGABYTE AMP-UP Audio combines a range of unique features and technologies that are designed to give audio enthusiasts and PC gamers more control over their motherboard audio than ever before.USB DAC-UPFeaturing a gold plated USB 2.0 port, GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP provides clean, noise-free power delivery to your Digital-to-Analog Converter. DACs can be sensitive to fluctuations in power from the other USB ports, which is why GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP takes advantage of an isolated power source that minimizes potential fluctuations and ensures the best audio experience possible.GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP also allows the port to be configured in BIOS for enthusiast system configurations which do not require USB power to the DAC. This makes it suitable for high-end audio enthusiasts building extreme fidelity audio systems.Gain BoostTo further optimize the audio experience provided by the onboard OP-Amp, GIGABYTE motherboards also debut Gain Boost. Gain Boost provides onboard switches to select between 2.5x and 6x amplification modes depending on output device. Most OP-Amps are capable of providing a high-gain audio output that is ideal for high-end headphones and speakers that have higher impedance headroom. Gain Boost allows users to switch between 6x and x2.5 amplification modes depending on the speakers or headphones being used.Upgradable onboard OP-AmpGIGABYTE motherboards are the world's first to feature an onboard operational amplifier (OP-Amp). OP-Amps are commonly found in high-end audio equipment and offer not only amplification of the audio signal, but a superior audio experience generally. The motherboard's OP-Amp is mounted on a socket which allows users to physically switch out and try different OP-Amps which offer distinct and nuanced properties that make the audio clearer, punchier and more life-like. Additional OP-Amps can be purchased separately to further expand audio capabilities.Audio noise guardTo help protect and insulate the the Realtek ALC898 audio processor and onboard amplifiers from electrostatic interference (ESD), the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X motherboard features an audio noise guard that essentially separates the board's sensitive analog audio components from potential ESD pollution at the PCB level. LED trace path lighting illuminates to show the separation of the PCB layers.Nichicon Pro Audio CapsThe GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X motherboard uses the highest quality Nichicon MUSE ES series audio capacitors at each channel layout. These professional audio capacitors deliver the highest quality sound resolution and sound expansion to create the most realistic sound effects for professional gamers.Gold Audio Plated HardwareThe GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X motherboard uses top quality gold plated hardware for improved connectivity and long lasting durability for the USB DAC-UP port and audio connectors. Gold has superb signal conductivity and will not tarnish over extended periods of use. The Realtek ALC898 audio processor is also shielded by a gold-plated cover which eliminates electrostatic interference.GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X: ready for Kaveri on AMD Socket FM2+The GIGABYTE G1.Sniper A88X motherboard features the new FM2+ APU socket, and is designed to get the most from forthcoming 'Kaveri' AMD APUs, while preserving compatibility for current AMD FM2 'Trinity' and 'Richland' APUs.FM2+ AMD APUs offer native support for 8 GT/s PCI Express gen 3.0 as well as DX11.1 support, integrating the high performance 'Steamroller' core. AMD socket FM2+ APUs also offer native support for 4K resolution displays on HDMI and DisplayPort.GIGABYTE G1 Sniper A88X

Razer has announced its latest audio product, the Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headset.The Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with a virtual surround sound engine capable of ultra-low latency audio processing that simulates a 360-degree surround sound experience that is usually achievable only by incorporating more than one positional speaker driver in each ear cup, said Razer.Driven through Razer's Synapse 2.0 unified configuration software, the engine is capable of a high degree of customization, allowing gamers to tweak and specifically position for each surround sound channel, boost bass levels and balance incoming voice audio.The omni-directional digital microphone on the Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with an optimized algorithm, promising crystal-clear voice chat that offers better frequency response, sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio than a standard analog microphone. It also has a mic mute button and an LED indicator.The headset is priced at US$99.99.Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headsetPhoto: Company

Micro-Star International (MSI) has introduced a 27-inch, all-in-one gaming PC: AG2712A, featuring the Intel Core i7 3630QM quad-core processor, AMD's Radeon HD 8970M discrete graphics card, and up to 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory.MSI incorporated the latest AMD Radeon HD 8970M discrete graphics card into the AG2712A with support for DirectX 11.1.MSI also adopts its Flicker-Free technology into the new all-in-one PC's anti-glare display. The technology supports both touchscreen and non-touchscreen models. Flicker-Free technology stabilizes electrical currents and stops most flickering, which is generally invisible, regardless of computer settings, to protect eyes and prevent tiring which results from viewing screens for long periods of time, MSI claimed. In addition, the AG2712A supports MSI's Blue Light Control technology to effectively reduce blue light emitted from the screen.MSI has also integrated its Military Class 4 materials and components, including high-quality SFC, Hi-c CAP, and Dark CAP, into the AG2712A. The AG2712A has passed third party MIL-STD-810G laboratory testing to ensure that materials and components remain stable after long-term use.In cooperation with Plextor, MSI developed two SSD drives optimized for the AG2712A with a reading speed approaching 1000MB/s. The AG2712A also supports Plextor True Speed technology which resolves common SSD issues, including bogging down as a result of long-term use or nearly filled storage space.MSI AG2712A gaming all-in-one PCPhoto: Company

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced its new thin client solution, the HP t820 Flexible series thin client, and also announced support for new Nvidia GRID graphics processing units (GPUs) for the HP WS460c Generation 8 (Gen8) graphics server blade.Aimed at reducing price per user and boosting performance for graphics in virtualized environments, the HP WS460c, combined with the HP Multi-GPU Carrier, a graphics adapter card enabling up to eight users per blade, delivers a comprehensive blade server graphics portfolio, said HP.The HP t820 Flexible series thin client offers users performance and graphics combined with enterprise-level security, ensuring an organization's sensitive data is secured on the server even if its devices are compromised, lost or stolen, HP highlighted.HP said the t820 benefits organizations in industries, such as financial trading, architecture, engineering, and military or government agencies, that require high-performance computing to run specialty programs.The HP t820 supports up to three monitors natively and with an AMD Radeon HD 7650A MXM graphics card and with one or more optional multistream DisplayPort hubs, it can expand to seven high-definition (HD) monitors.The thin client also features HP Velocity network performance management software to automatically adapt to changing network conditions and improves network utilization so users experience fewer disruptions when using real-time communication applications.The HP t820 is VMware Horizon View certified and RFX certified for Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard (WES) 7 E operating systems.HP updated the HP WS460c Gen8 Graphics Server Blade with new Nvidia GRID GPUs optimized for virtualized environments. The HP WS460c Gen8 server with Nvidia GRID or Multi-GPU Carrier lowers the cost per user while delivering levels of graphics performance previously unavailable for desktop virtualization users. The Nvidia GRID K1 and K2 GPU adapters also enable multiple media-rich PC or high-end graphics users per blade by providing graphics capability to each virtual machine.The HP t820 is planned to be available worldwide in November. Pricing is available upon request. The HP WS460c Gen8 Graphics Server Blade with Nvidia GRID GPUs is planned to be available worldwide this fall. Pricing starts at just under US$9,000.HP t820 Flexible series thin clientPhoto: Company