Word: semiconductor
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...trade battles between Japan and the U.S., few have provoked more friction than the fight over the semiconductor industry. Ten years ago, U.S. companies manufactured 80% of the world's computer microchips, but since then the Japanese have taken over roughly that share. Last week a group of seven American computer companies, including archrivals IBM and Digital Equipment, announced a move that might help the U.S. recoup some of its lost ground. The companies will create a joint venture that will manufacture and sell dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips using IBM technology...
...advanced DRAM chip, the one megabit, which has enough memory to contain the equivalent of 100 pages of double-spaced text. The new venture, called U.S. Memories, plans to manufacture the next generation: the four- megabit chip. Last week IBM disclosed that it is already producing the more powerful semiconductor for use in its own computers and other products. That may give IBM a lead of several months over its Japanese rivals, who have yet to gear up mass production of the four-megabit semiconductor...
Through price cutting, the Japanese and Koreans have virtually pushed U.S. semiconductor manufacturers out of the market for the dynamic random-access memory chip, or D-RAM, which serves as the electronic memory in thousands of devices, ranging from personal computers to toasters. Surging production of such products in the U.S. has caused a chip shortage that the Asian manufacturers have been able to exploit. During the first half of this year, Japanese companies shipped $978 million worth of semiconductors to the U.S., a 44% increase over the same period last year...
Persuaded that the critical U.S. semiconductor and computer industries need special help, the Reagan Administration has permitted the formation of two experimental consortiums, Sematech and the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. (MCC), both based in Austin. Since 1983, 19 major computer manufacturers, including Control Data, Digital Equipment and Honeywell, have pooled advanced research efforts through MCC. More than 70 new advances developed by MCC are now being refined by member firms...
...Sematech a group of 14 semiconductor manufacturers has been working since last year on joint research, bolstered by a $100 million federal grant. Says Sanford Kane, an IBM official who serves as chairman of Sematech's executive committee: "We've discovered a formula where normally fierce industry competitors can work together with the Government. Fear ((of foreign rivals)) can be a very persuasive motivator." Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Dukakis apparently thinks the idea could serve older industries as well. On a tour of a specialty-steel plant in Pittsburgh last week, he promised that as President he would create...