Silicon Strategies' top ten stories of 2004

It's always debatable what should be the number one story. In fact, there are a number of top stories this year, including the topsy-turvy cycles in the semiconductor and IC-equipment industries.

China is also a hot topic, as some IC vendors moved below the magical 0.25-micron barrier. And the industry raised eyebrows when South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. climbed in stature, while Intel Corp. stumbled.

Some readers are bound to disagree with our choices. Silicon Strategies would like to hear from anyone who has a different opinion, comments, or even a different list of top news stories for 2004. E-mail us at mlapedus@cmp.com and pclarke@cmp.com

Click the headlines for details on each of the top 2004 news stories:

1) Industry discovers the IC: inventory correction

2) IC-equipment vendors live on another planet

3) Despite Wassenaar and Taiwan, China dives down to 90-nm

4) Samsung rises quietly, Intel troubled and stuttering

5) DRAM industry gets caught in price fixing scheme

6) IBM -- or is it International Bumbling Machines?

7) Wet litho makes solid progress ahead of race to market

8) Changing command in the semiconductor industry

9) Big news in bad semiconductor materials industry

10) The ups and downs of three-dimensional circuits