German microchip maker Infineon raised its full-year sales outlook after demand for its energy efficiency, mobility and security chips, particularly from the car industry, helped second-quarter results beat expectations.

Toshiba has announced that it will rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing operations in Thailand by relocating Toshiba Semiconductor Thailand to a new manufacturing facility.

China's Hony Capital plans to sell or outsource the operations at Elpida Memory's Hiroshima DRAM plant to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) if its bid for the bankrupt Japanese chipmaker is successful, the Nikkei business daily said on Tuesday.

At its Fab 8 campus in New York, Globalfoundries has begun installation of a special set of production tools to create TSVs in semiconductor wafers processed on the company's leading-edge 20nm technology platform.

More companies are being linked to the Indian government's plan to get one or more semiconductor wafer fabs constructed on the sub-continent. At least five chip companies have expressed an interest in supporting the project, according to a Hindu Business Line report.

LDK Solar Co. (LDK), the world's second- largest maker of wafers for cells, cut 5,554 jobs this year after plunging prices cut margins to a record low amid a renewable-energy shakeout that's pushed at least eight solar companies into bankruptcy and prompted thousands of industry firings.

The selection process for a sponsor to support the rehabilitation of Elpida Memory has reached its final stage. Micron Technology, SK Hynix and a consortium of US and Chinese investment funds are expected to participate in the second round of bidding, which will likely wrap up Friday.

Toshiba will not participate in the second round of bidding for failed chipmaker Elpida Memory, the Sankei Shimbun reported in its Tuesday morning edition.

RF chip maker TriQuint Semiconductor cut about 70 jobs in Florida last week after issuing a disappointing quarterly report and sales forecast, according to a report by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The San Mateo, Calif., company said it filed confidential draft registration documents last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was unclear when the company planned to file public registration documents and when it plans to go public.

Solar panel installations have fallen by almost 90% in the weeks since the government halved cut the subsidy available, according to Department of Energy and Climate Change figures.

LG Electronics will steal a march on its rivals by bringing forward the launch of a 55-inch flat TV using next-generation technology, raising the stakes in a cut-throat battle for the living room between Asia's top tech powerhouses.

Chimei Innolux Corp. (3481.TW) cut its capital expenditure for this year by 40% as it stayed in the red for a seventh consecutive quarter because of sluggish demand for display panels.

Epistar Chairman B.J. Lee yesterday said that sales from lighting LEDs will likely account for 20%, or NT$4 billion (US$137 million at US$1:NT$29), of the company's revenue for this year, up from last year's 15%.

Samsung Electronics has announced revenues of 45.27 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, a 22-percent increase year-on-year.

Merger will take effect on July 1, 2012.

The National Solar Mission, which aims to install 20,000 MW capacity of solar energy by 2020, has commissioned 89% of its allotted capacity in its first stage, government officials said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's effort to create jobs in renewable energy is faltering as subsidy cuts and competition from Chinese manufacturers forces the industry to stop hiring for the first time in eight years.

The travel industry complained yesterday that the government's recent decision to raise fuel prices and electricity rates will have a negative impact on the industry due to increased operational costs.

President Ma Ying-jeou repeated his call for energy saving Wednesday and revealed that the Presidential Office might replace all lamps in th