Mark LaPedus

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Mark LaPedus is Executive Editor for manufacturing at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
By Mark LaPedus - 06 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers Taiwan’s Foxconn continues to expand its efforts in the semiconductor business. Foxconn has acquired a 6-inch wafer fab and the equipment from Taiwan’s Macronix for NT$2.52 billion (US$90.76 million). With the fab, Foxconn plans to enter the wideband gap semiconductor market, namely silicon carbide (SiC). SiC devices are used in electric vehicles, a market that Foxconn is making... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 3
By Mark LaPedus - 03 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 0

World’s thinnest magnet Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of California at Berkeley and others have developed what researchers say is the world’s thinnest magnet. The one-atom-thin, two-dimensional (2D) magnet could one day pave the way towards new spin electronics or spintronics memory devices and other technologies in the market. Spintronics uses the orientation of... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
By Mark LaPedus - 30 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers Intel has outlined its new process technology roadmap with plans to regain the leadership position in the market. As part of the move, Intel has changed the way it designates the nodes, revealed its new gate-all-around (GAA) transistor, and disclosed a customer for the GAA technology--Qualcomm. And not to be outdone, Intel has broadened its packaging portfolio. Intel is changing ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 27
By Mark LaPedus - 27 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Merchant quantum processors Startup QuantWare has launched the world’s first merchant and off-the-shelf superconducting processor for quantum computers. QuantWare’s quantum processor unit (QPU), called Soprano, is a 5-qubit device. The QPU can be customized for various applications. The device is ideal for research institutions and university labs. Quantum computing is a hot topic. A... » read more

The Great Quantum Computing Race
By Mark LaPedus - 26 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Quantum computing is heating up, as a growing number of entities race to benchmark, stabilize, and ultimately commercialize this technology. As of July 2021, a group from China appears to have taken the lead in terms of raw performance, but Google, IBM, Intel and other quantum computer developers aren’t far behind. All of that could change overnight, though. At this point, it's too early t... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
By Mark LaPedus - 23 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers and OEMs The industry is still wondering if Intel will buy GlobalFoundries (GF). In the meantime, GF has announced a fab expansion plan in upstate New York. These plans include immediate investments at its existing Fab 8 facility as well as construction of a new fab on the same campus. That will double the capacity at the site. Intel has reported its second-quarter 2021 financial... » read more

Intel/GF deal: Pros, Cons, Unknowns
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 1

The industry is still buzzing over a Wall Street Journal report that Intel is in talks to acquire GlobalFoundries (GF) for $30 billion. It’s been a week since the report appeared. Intel is still mum. GF says there are no talks taking place. Regardless, it’s worth looking at all of the possible scenarios just in case, and the pros and cons involved. There are layers upon layers of iron... » read more

Chip Shortages Grow For Mature Nodes
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

The current wave of chip shortages is expected to last for the foreseeable future, particularly for a growing list of critical devices produced in mature process nodes. Chips manufactured at mature nodes typically fall under the radar, but they are used in nearly every electronic device, including appliances, cars, computers, displays, industrial equipment, smartphones, and TVs. Many of thes... » read more

Piecing Together Chiplets
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 3

Several companies are implementing the chiplet model as a means to develop next-generation 3D-like chip designs, but this methodology still has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream for the rest of the industry. It takes several pieces to bring up a 3D chip design using the chiplet model. A few large players have the pieces, though most are proprietary. Others are missing some key co... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 20
By Mark LaPedus - 20 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Interference EUV lithography ESOL has developed a standalone interference extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool for use in R&D applications. The system, called EMiLE (EUV Micro-interference Lithography Equipment), is primary used to speed up the development of EUV photoresists and related wafer processes. The system is different than ASML’s EUV lithography scanners, which are ... » read more

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