Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade has given formal approval to provide 27B roubles (US$1.09B) to co-finance 65nm chip production, according to local reports. Mikron, a unit of Sitronics, will manufacture the ICs. The plan calls for 65nm production down to 45nm on 300mm wafers. Mikron expects to be producing 10,000 wafers per month by 2010, according to officials. The investment project is estimated at 58B roubles (US$2.3B), with Sitronics financing the remaining amount.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Marvell makes GPS chips that go into cell phones and other gadgets. It said the deal will allow it to tailor products for high performance and low power consumption. Under the terms of the agreement, Marvell gains direct access to Trimble's GSP software and tools for development support and testing, Marvell said.

a single-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) TFT is now possible for flexible displays and electronics, thanks to the collaboration between the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and Applied Nanotech.. ...the team announced June 26 it had obtained improved yield from its proprietary printing method, which avoids expensive photolithography. Furthermore, high mobility (100 cm2/Vs) and high on/off ratio (105) were achieved, which is far better than printed TFTs using organic semiconductors.

Shipments of Japanese solar cells amounted to 258,900kw of generation capacity for the three months ended June 30, an increase of 36% from a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday by the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association. Exports soared 45%, while domestic shipments rose 6% – the first uptick in two years. Shipments to Europe remained strong, registering a 43% spike. Several European countries have adopted programs in which solar-generated electricity is sold at high prices so that producers can offset their investments.

Hillcrest Laboratories seeks to block imports of the Wii and Wii remotes, according to a complaint filed today with the US International Trade Commission in Washington. Hillcrest also filed a civil suit in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

This is the third quarter in a row that has shown a year-over-year decline in cell phone sales, and this quarter claimed the lowest total sales since NPD Group began tracking this data in 2005. The 28 million cell phones sold in the second quarter represent a 13% decline from last year. However, total revenue only declined by 2%, meaning the average cost per cell phone is up 14%. Motorola’s most iconic and successful phone, the Razr, was popular largely because of its simplicity and usability.

China's ZTE Corp said it has sealed an exclusive deal with Emcali to build Colombia's first WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) 16e network. Shenzhen-based ZTE will provide Emcali with core network and wireless access equipment as well as terminals and base stations for the 3.5G WiMAX project. The Colombian government awarded WiMAX licences to Emcali two years ago, and the company is required to make the network commercially available by the end of 2008, ZTE said in a statement.

South Korea's DC Chemical said on Thursday it had won a 290.9 billion won (US$280.2 million) order to supply polysilicon to Taiwan's Wafer Works Corporation. The contract covers the period between January 2010 and December 2016, the company said in a filing with the Korea Exchange ($1=1038.0 Won).