June 2014 - Page 4 of 11 - Semiconductor Engineering

Designing And Testing FinFET-based IC Designs
By Mentor Graphics Staff Writers - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

By Carey Robertson and Steve Pateras The emergence of FinFET transistors has had a significant impact on the IC physical design and design-for-test flows. The introduction of FinFETs means that CMOS transistors must be modeled as three-dimensional (3D) devices during the IC design process, with all the complexity and uncertainty this entails. The BSIM Group of the UC Berkeley Device Group has ... » read more

Five Disruptive Test Technologies
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

For years, test has been a critical part of the IC manufacturing flow. Chipmakers, OSATs and the test houses buy the latest testers and design-for-test (DFT) software tools in the market and for good reason. A plethora of unwanted field returns is not acceptable in today’s market. The next wave of complex chips may require more test coverage and test times. That could translate into higher... » read more

Mobile Packaging Market Heats Up
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

Apple, Samsung and others are developing the next wave of smartphones and tablets. OEMs want to cram more chip functions in smaller IC packages, but there are some challenges in the arena. In fact, there are signs that the mainstream packaging technology for mobiles is running out of steam. For some time, mobile products have incorporated a technology called package-on-package (PoP), which u... » read more

DFM And Multipatterning
By Ed Sperling - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 1

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss DFM at advanced nodes with Kuang-Kuo Lin, director of foundry design enablement at Samsung Electronics; Jongwook Kye, lithography modeling and architecture fellow at GlobalFoundries; David Abercrombie, advanced physical verification methodology program manager at Mentor Graphics; Ya-Chieh Lai, engineering director for DFM/CLS silicon signoff and ver... » read more

From The Whiteboard: David Lam
By eBeam Initiative - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 1

Multibeam's David Lam looks at changes in semiconductor lithography, how CVD and etch improve pitch resolution that is not attainable using optical lithography, and how e-beam direct-write can finish the job. [youtube vid=2ZCF-o7DXlU] » read more

SEMICON West Preview: Test
By Paula Doe - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

Talking with the speakers scheduled to speak in the programs on IC testing at SEMICON West this year, I was struck by how much this equipment sector is changing as the value moves to software and the cloud. It has to be the first time I’ve ever mentioned PayPal in the same paragraph with semiconductor equipment, to say nothing of the business model of free hardware with software subscription.... » read more

Root Cause Deconvolution
By Mentor, a Siemens Business - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

Scan logic diagnosis turns failing test cycles into valuable data and is an established method for digital semiconductor defect localization. The advent of layout-aware scan diagnosis represented a dramatic advance in diagnosis technology because it reduces suspect area by up to 85% and identifies physical net segments rather than entire logic nets [1-3]. The defect classifications provided by ... » read more

Will 7nm And 5nm Really Happen?
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 11

As leading-edge chipmakers continue to ramp up their 28nm and 20nm devices, vendors are also updating their future technology roadmaps. In fact, IC makers are talking about their new shipment schedules for 10nm. And GlobalFoundries, Intel, Samsung and TSMC are narrowing down the options for 7nm, 5nm and beyond. There is a high probability that IC makers can scale to 10nm, but vendors face a ... » read more

Ethernet: The Highway For Automotive Electronics?
By Joanne Itow - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 0

What happens when technology from the fast paced communication industry makes a move into the traditional automotive industry? Semiconductor marketers and even the automotive industry are talking about revolutionary changes inside and outside the vehicle. What kinds of changes? Ethernet and sensors. There’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm over the prospect of cars with Ethernet networki... » read more

Multi-beam Sees The Light
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Jun, 2014 - Comments: 2

The multiple-beam electron-beam market is going in two separate directions at once. Multi-beam for photomask writing is set to take off. The other market--multi-beam for direct-write lithography applications—is still in the early stages and remains in flux. In the multi-beam direct-write segment, for example, multiple sources indicate that KLA-Tencor is exiting this market to focus on its ... » read more

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