"...TSMC spokesman said the company remains fully committed to our agreement with Spansion but declined to comment on possible order cuts...One hope for foundry chip makers such as TSMC is that any reductions in chip orders by one company may be made up in increased orders by other chip companies..."

"...By enhancing the physical properties of silicon through a breakthrough in materials engineering, MEARS has demonstrated that MEARS Technologies' MST for CMOS will improve overall chip performance and reduce static power without introducing any new materials into existing manufacturing process flows..."

"...Hynix executive vice president Choi Jin-seog said it will be difficult for ProMOS to change partners...and they are also reviewing other possibilities, but talks with ProMOS are going well..."

"...Gartner's inventory index, which measures inventory throughout the chip industry's supply chain, rose to 1.16 in the fourth quarter...the index is nowhere near the early 2001 peak of 1.7, it still comes as bad news to an industry dealing with a slump that's crimping demand for electronics of many stripes as well for the chips and other components that run them..."