SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Japan's fab-tool industry continues to suffer.
Japan's S.E.S. Co. Ltd. has filed for bankruptcy protection under a rehabilitation law with 14.27 billion yen ($158.4 million) in liabilities.
The company made some headlines in recent times. Last year, S.E.S. reportedly shipped the world's first 450-mm tool--a next-generation wafer cleaning system, according to sources. The first 450-mm tool, which is said to be a R&D prototype, was reportedly going to South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., according to sources.
S.E.S. provides wet station, including immersion multiple-bath and one-bath type tools.
Others are also suffering. This week, Hitachi Ltd. took a majority stake in Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., a supplier of wireless communications and information systems, broadcasting and video systems, and semiconductor manufacturing tools, for about 10.457 billion yen ($117.4 million). Like most fab-tool vendors, Hitachi Kokusai Electric appears to be struggling amid the downturn and needs Hitachi for help.
Tokyo Electron Ltd. and others are reporting poor sales. Based on the early returns, the fab-tool and electronic materials markets are off to a rocky start in 2009.
Times are bad in the sector, which faces another downturn. Applied, Axcelis, Cognex, Entegris, FSI, Intevac, KLA-Tencor, Lam, Mattson, Micronic, SemiTool, Tegal and other fab-tool makers have recently announced layoffs.
Semiconductor equipment spending is projected to decline by 34.1 percent in 2009, according to a revised forecast by Gartner. The equipment industry is expected to fall 31.7 percent in 2009, according to the firm.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Executive pay:
The economy stinks. Rank-and-file engineers are feeling the pain. What about technology CEOs? We crunched the numbers buried in corporate financial statements to find out. Here's what we found.
10 companies in trouble (revisited):
What follows is an updated version of 10 companies in trouble. Some companies have been removed since the last version, others remain. Still others have been added to the mix.
Early predictions for 2010:
The electronics industry is recovering, but there is still some uncertainty in the market. Some see a boom year in 2010. Some see a double dip. So what's in store for the rest of this year and 2010?
Top 10 IC vendors with cash:
The world's biggest IC companies by revenue rank not only among the best in their respective industry segments but are also more likely to have huge piles of cash that can be used to fund acquisitions, R&D and product development.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
