In brief: Agilent, Skyworks and Aixtron
Agilent loses chip president
Young K Sohn, the president of Agilent Technolgies' semiconductor product group, is to leave the company.
Dick Chang, currently the division's senior VP of new business development and formerly the man in overall charge, takes over on an interim basis.
Sohn, who joined Agilent in October 2003, is to leave by April 1. Agilent did not detail any reason for Sohn s departure.
Skyworks claims PA lead in Taiwan
Skyworks Solutions claims to have captured 56% of the power amplifier (PA) market in Taiwan.
According to independent market research figures quoted by the Woburn, MA, company, Taiwanese handset makers have been impressed with the ability of Skyworks to pair PA technology with single-chip transceivers.
Skyworks says that companies such as BenQ and Quanta are now migrating to higher-value front-end modules required for EDGE and W-CDMA applications.
As recently as 2003, Skyworks is thought to have had just a 20% share of the Taiwanese PA market.
Aixtron sets up high-k research
Germany-based MOCVD equipment supplier Aixtron has signed a "long-term research alliance" with the Institute for Semiconductor Physics (IHP) in Frankfurt.
The three-year program will see IHP use two of Aixtron's Tricent atomic vapour deposition (AVP) machines to work on high-k dielectric materials.
The development of high-k dielectric materials is seen as a crucial part of the future semiconductor industry.
Initial work will focus on praesodynium oxide, one of the most promising materials under investigation.
IHP has granted Aixtron access to its related patent portfolio as part of the deal.
"I believe there will be positive results to come from this collaboration within the year," said Aixtron's Tim McEntee.
