Laura Peters

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Laura Peters is senior executive editor for manufacturing and test at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Creating A Moore’s Law For AI Scaling

By Laura Peters - 24 Jun, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: AI scalability will require full-stack co-optimization, not just bigger data centers. AI workloads require a 10X compute efficiency gain over 10 years, making collaboration across algorithms, architectures, devices, packaging, and communication fabrics essential to deliver a 10X improvement in compute efficiency over the next decade. Edge AI chips are moving to leadi... » read more

AI Models Transform Defect Inspection And Review, But Can Fail To Scale

By Laura Peters - 09 Jun, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: AI plays a role in improving defect capture rate and distinguishing between yield-killing and nuisance defects. New developments in wafer edge inspection are proving essential to bonded wafer yields. 70% of AI initiatives stall after pilot implementation, but some pitfalls can be avoided. One of the brightest spots in AI use today is the industry’s ability t... » read more

Low-Temp Solders Are Suddenly Critical For Chiplets And Photonics

By Laura Peters - 21 May, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: Tin-bismuth-based solders enable reduced warpage and compatibility with silicon photonics and other temperature-sensitive components. A novel soldering process using white light could help prevent cracks in flip-chip BGA package solder balls, while reducing the carbon footprint. Hypoeutectic Sn-Bi based solders prove especially promising as an SAC305 replacement. ... » read more

AI Accelerator Testing Depends On DFT Innovations

By Laura Peters - 12 May, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: I/O and lane repair capabilities are becoming critical to improving yield. System-level testing catches marginal defects and rare defects such as silent data corruption errors. Synopsys and TSMC developed a multi-die demo vehicle capable of full test, monitor, debug, and repair capability across the system’s lifecycle. The proliferation of accelerators in AI... » read more

TSV Complexity Leads To Manufacturing Bottleneck

By Laura Peters - 22 Apr, 2026 - Comments: 1

Key Takeaways: Through-silicon vias are the biggest enabler of 3D chip stacking and chip-to-PCB connections through silicon interposers. The AI boom is causing HBM and advanced assembly shortages, straining the supply chain. Optimization around etch, fill and reveal help reduce TSV cost. Through-silicon vias (TSVs) provide essential interconnects between DRAM dies inside hig... » read more

AI Accelerators Usher In New Era For IC Test

By Laura Peters - 07 Apr, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways The parallelism in AI accelerators enables low latency but complicates failure isolation. HBM can account for 50% of package cost, so known-good stack assurance is critical. DFT and test cooperate to solve final test, singulated die test, SLT, and in-system test for data centers. AI accelerators are used for everything from training large language models to mak... » read more

Beating The Heat In 3D Packages

By Laura Peters - 25 Mar, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: Thermal management is a central design constraint, requiring early, thorough planning. Accurate thermal simulation requires AI-driven adaptive meshing and real-world validation. Innovative STCO strategies can drastically reduce GPU peak temperature. As HPC and AI accelerators push power densities to 1kW and beyond, the heat generated by rapidly switching tran... » read more

Tool Matching Getting Tougher Across Test & Metrology

By Laura Peters - 10 Mar, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways Engineers leverage both device-specific and tool-level data to identify a process "sweet spot." Tight, frequent tool-to-tool matching enables greater yield and fab flexibility. Machine learning helps capture the nuances of a tool's signature. Many people outside of the semiconductor industry wonder how humans can fabricate transistors with tens of nanometer sca... » read more

Making Hybrid Bonding Better

By Laura Peters - 02 Mar, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways Fab processes are optimizing for cleanliness, planarity, and high bond quality. Nanotwinned copper and SiCN PVD enable lower anneal and deposition temperatures for HBM. A thin, protective layer helps preserve the Cu/dielectric during aggressive processes. The future of semiconductor manufacturing is no longer dependent just on shrinking features. Instead, chipm... » read more

Backside Power Delivery Creates Fab Tool, Thermal Dissipation Barriers

By Laura Peters - 23 Feb, 2026 - Comments: 1

Key Takeaways Backside power delivery reduces routing congestion at the most advanced nodes and offers significant performance improvement options. But it also adds a bunch of new challenges involving via alignment and interconnects. Still, leading-edge foundries are making progress, and all of them plan to offer BPDNs at 2nm and below. Backside power delivery networks deliv... » read more

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