Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, hosted the Semicon West semiconductor and electronics tradeshow from July 10 to 12. As it has in the past few years, the conference was held in conjunction with the Intersolar solar energy show, held at Moscone West over the same days. Preliminary totals from the organizing body, the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (SEMI), indicate that the total attendance was more than 29,000, representing a slight decrease from the previous year’s attendance of 30,700 (see IBO 7/31/11).

Despite the decrease in the number of attendees, the number of exhibitors was up, although the average size of the booths may have been smaller. Part of the exhibit space at Moscone was taken up by five large stage areas, where well-attended technical and business presentations were held. Another indicator of the state of the industry was that one area of the exhibit hall was dedicated to secondary suppliers of used semiconductor equipment. Modernization, outsourcing, and pricing constraints have continued to build both a supply and demand for secondary equipment. Nevertheless, the entire exhibit hall floor was bustling and crowded, and spirits seemed generally positive. In contrast, for perhaps the first time, the Intersolar show appeared less active than Semicon West. The oversupply of photovoltaics in the global market has had a disastrous effect on prices and the overall market for solar energy.

Semicon West also gives SEMI an opportunity to release its mid-year consensus forecast for capital expenditures in the semiconductor industry. The total demand for equipment in 2011 came in a little short of last year’s forecast, but the $43.53 billion still represented 10% growth over 2010. For 2012, the consensus is that the total semiconductor equipment market will decline 2.6% to $42.38 billion. Compared with the catastrophic decline in 2009, this weakening is hardly cause for alarm in this volatile market. Sales of wafer-processing equipment, the semiconductor equipment category in which most analytical instruments would fit, is expected to decline 3.8% this year to $33.04 billion. Looking further into the future, SEMI forecasts a strong return to growth for 2013, with a double-digit increase expected.

Regionally, there are significant differences in the forecast for 2012. While most parts of the world will experience double-digit declines, Korea and Taiwan are forecast to grow. Korea leads all regions, with forecast growth of more than 32% for 2012. Growth in the Taiwanese market is estimated at the high single digits.

Although analytical instrumentation is not a strong focus of the show, many of the major players were in attendance with both laboratory and process analytical technologies. The greatest participation at the show for instruments came from providers of optical microscopy and metrology. All of the major microscope companies, and not a few of the second-tier suppliers, were present. Major broad-based instrument suppliers, such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, PerkinElmer, HORIBA, Shimadzu and AMETEK, also participated in the show, often with a greater emphasis on their process businesses.

Since instrumentation is not a focus of the show, product introductions are seldom scheduled, but a few relatively recent introductions were seen at the show. Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions added a new technology to its portfolio. It introduced the Neptune online total organic carbon analyzer to complement its existing lines of particle counters and other products. The Neptune began shipping around the beginning of 2012 at a price of about $17,000. Lighthouse also debuted the NanoCount 25+, a liquid particle counter with a detection limit of just 25 nm. The system began shipment three months ago at a price of $125,000.

Mettler-Toledo introduced two analyzers for process water applications. The Thornton 2300Na and 2800Si systems analyze water for contamination by sodium and silica, respectively. The instruments are destined for applications in microelectronics as well as in power generation. Announced in February, both units are now shipping at an approximate price of $20,000 each.

Although not shown at its Semicon West booth, Bruker introduced three new products with specific applications for the semiconductor industry. The InSight-450 atomic force microscope (AFM) expands the capabilities of Bruker’s existing InSight automated AFM to handle 450 mm wafers. The D8 FABLINE uses X-ray optics to measure the composition and thickness of thin films deposited in semiconductor processes. Finally, the S8 FABLINE-T is a total reflectance X-ray fluorescence system designed for trace elemental analysis.

Hirox demonstrated its newest generation of 3D inspection microscopes. The KH8700 offers improvements in the light source and the CCD detector. The system is priced at $65,000 and has been available for a few months.

The show organizers made their own selection of the best product on display at the show, and this year’s selection involves the use of an analytical technology in a process setting. SEMI chose Jordan Valley Semiconductor’s QC-TT as the winner of its “Best of West” distinction. The QC-TT is a defect-inspection system for 450 mm wafers. The system uses X-ray diffraction imaging technology to identify crystalline defects in wafers and even to predict wafer breakage before it happens, helping to increase the efficiency of the semiconductor production process.