Taiwan Memory Co., keen on securing technology from foreign chip makers, is looking to forge an alliance with Micron Technology on top of a partnership announced Wednesday with Elpida Memory, but a three-way tie-up may be complicated and won't provide meaningful benefits, say analysts.

The NAND rally continues. Vendors continue to increase their component prices, while SanDisk separately raised its flash card tags, according to an analyst. Amid component shortages--and reported "quality issues" at the Intel-Micron joint venture--NAND prices could jump again in 2Q.

Micron is bidding for between $20 million and $100 million to convert idle buildings in Boise and Nampa to manufacture solar panels and high-efficiency lighting components. The company says its plan could establish Idaho as a world leader in developing and manufacturing solar modules or LED lighting, or both.

Micron Technology's decision to cut as many as 2,000 jobs and scale back memory chip production is a "prudent" move, a Deutsche Bank analyst said.

Micron Technology will cut 2,000 jobs as it phases out 200- millimeter DRAM chip manufacturing operations in Boise, Idaho, by the end of its fiscal year in August. These layoffs are in addition to a 15% reduction, affecting about 2,850 employees, announced last fall as the company stopped production of some NAND flash-memory chips.

The ThinkEquity Partners' report centered on SanDisk, which is not one of the four companies Apple actually buys its memory components from (Samsung, Hynix, Toshiba and Micron). However, the report says Apple's voracious appetite for flash RAM is affecting the entire market.

According to new market share figures from Gartner, both Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology have gained the most share in the DRAM market in the fourth quarter of 2008, as rivals struggle to preserve cash by cutting production. Samsung held a 29.5% market share in 3Q08 but saw this increase to 31.1% in the 4Q08. Micron saw its share increase from 8.8% in 3Q08 to 11.0% in 4Q08, thanks to strong bit growth. Micron also moved into fourth place in Gartner's DRAM company rankings.

Rambus's case against Micron may be headed for dismissal if comments by federal judge Ronald Whyte are any indication. According to Whyte, a Delaware court's decision earlier this January to throw out Rambus' claims based on spoliation leave him no room for discretion.

Micron Technology and Mosaid Technologies said Monday that they have settled all pending litigation between them.

CEOs from US-based leading technology companies, in a meeting with President Obama, came out strongly in support of the economic recovery package moving through Congress and called for policies that make the US the most attractive destination for businesses, workers and capital.

More than 90 jobs are being shed in Boise because of production slowdowns at Micron Technology.

German memory chip maker Qimonda AG's long-term chances of survival are limited, despite its recent bailout, as Taiwan's chip makers strengthen their alliances with peers from Japan and the US. Those alliances could leave Qimonda without a technology partner and cast it as a minor player in the industry.

Micron Technology has announced that the US District Court of Delaware has found that patents Rambus had asserted against Micron are unenforceable. The Delaware Court found that “the spoliation conduct was extensive, including within its scope the destruction of innumerable documents relating to all aspects of Rambus’ business.”

Wachovia Capital Markets analyst David Wong said Micron should take action to raise cash over the next two to three quarters. The Boise, Idaho, maker of semiconductor devices had US$1.03 billion in cash and short-term investments and US$2.9 billion in debt at the end of its fiscal 2009 first quarter, ended Dec. 4, according to Wong.

Shares of Micron Technology are on the move today, rising 25%, on word rival Hynix Semiconductor will cut memory chip production by 20%-30% at the end of this month due to weak prices and demand.

German chip maker Qimonda, which is majority-owned by Infineon, needs a helping hand. Its memory chips are struggling in an oversupplied market, and the firm is burning cash at a rate of $250.0 million per quarter. Investors have deserted the company, while Infineon is desperately trying to offload as much of its stake as possible. If current talks with potential investors fail, the company faces a cash crisis in the next few months.

Rambus shares surged for the second straight day Wednesday after the chip maker received a positive pre-trial ruling in California in its patent case against some of the largest semiconductor companies in the world. According to a court document on Rambus's Web site, on Monday a U.S. District judge issued a summary decision in favor of Rambus, saying the chip makers infringed on certain aspects of Rambus's patents. The chipmakers named in the case are Hynix Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics, Nanya Technology and Micron Technology.

Amid a downturn in DRAMs, Samsung Electronics remains the top supplier in the arena, according to the new rankings from Gartner. In terms of sales, Samsung was the world's largest DRAM maker in the third quarter of 2008, followed by in order Hynix, Elpida, Qimonda, Micron, Nanya, Powerchip and ProMOS, according to the rankings. Germany's Qimonda AG gained share and took fourth place, surpassing Micron. But Qimonda's fortunes could be short lived.

In October, Qimonda sold its 35.6% interest in Korean chipmaker Inotera for US$400 million to Micron and is using those proceeds to restructure its core business. German newspaper WirtschaftsWoche said that after Micron has completed the restructuring process it could acquire Qimonda with the purchasing price of the Korean chipmaker being credited against the purchase of Qimonda.

Micron Technology fiscal fourth-quarter net loss widened on a US$205 million write-down on memory chips as their prices continued to decline. As the company posted its seventh straight quarterly loss, it announced a 20% cut in salaries of senior executives. "The global memory market continues to experience severe oversupply and price degradation," said CEO Steve Appleton.

Chip designer Rambus Inc. has asked a federal judge in San Jose to rule that Hynix Semiconductor Inc. can't sell chips in the US. Rambus has filed similar suits against Samsung Electronics Co. and Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology alleging they conspired to fix prices for memory chips.