Mark LaPedus

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Mark LaPedus is Executive Editor for manufacturing at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

What Happened To ReRAM?

By Mark LaPedus - 21 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 8

Resistive RAM (ReRAM), one of a handful of next-generation memories under development, is finally gaining traction after years of setbacks. Fujitsu and Panasonic are jointly ramping up a second-generation ReRAM device. In addition, Crossbar is sampling a 40nm ReRAM technology, which is being made on a foundry basis by China’s SMIC. And not to be outdone, TSMC and UMC recently put ReRAM on ... » read more

Challenges Mount For Photomasks

By Mark LaPedus - 21 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 3

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss photomask technologies with Naoya Hayashi, research fellow at Dai Nippon Printing (DNP); Banqiu Wu, principal member of the technical staff and chief technology officer of the Mask and TSV Etch Division at [getentity id="22817" e_name="Applied Materials"]; Weston Sousa, general manager of the Reticle Products Division at [getentity id="22876" commen... » read more

Node Warfare?

By Mark LaPedus - 20 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 6

By Mark LaPedus & Ed Sperling GlobalFoundries uncorked a 12nm finFET process, which the company said will provide a 15% increase in density and more than 10% improvement in performance over the foundry's existing 14nm process. This is GlobalFoundries' second 12nm process. It announced a 12nm FD-SOI process called 12FDX last September, although it first mentioned a 12nm process back in J... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 19

By Mark LaPedus - 19 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 1

Ion implant lithography At a recent conference, the University of California at Berkeley presented more details about its efforts to develop a multiple patterning method using tilted ion implantation (TII) technology. TII is somewhat similar today’s self-aligned double patterning (SADP) processes in logic and memory. SADP and the follow-on technology, self-aligned quadruple (SAQP), enable... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing

By Mark LaPedus - 15 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers Toshiba has changed its mind yet again about which group will buy its prized memory unit. On June 20, Toshiba chose a Japanese government-led consortium of INCJ/DBJ, Bain Capital and South Korea’s SK Hynix. Then, Toshiba changed its mind and selected a similar group with Western Digital (WDC), leaving SK Hynix on the outside looking in. This week, Toshiba signed a deal with a B... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 12

By Mark LaPedus - 12 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 0

Failure analysis for 2.5D/3D chips Imec has developed a new failure analysis method to localize interconnection failures in 2.5D/3D stack die with through-silicon vias (TSVs). This technique is called LICA, which stands for light-induced capacitance alteration. It addresses the reliability issues for 2.5D/3D devices in a non-destructive and cost-effective manner at the wafer level. For s... » read more

Survey: Optimism Grows for EUV

By Mark LaPedus - 11 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 1

The optimism is growing for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography in the market, according to a pair of new surveys released by the eBeam Initiative, which also revealed some new and surprising data about mask writing tools and other photomask technology. In one of the surveys from the [getentity id="22818" e_name="eBeam Initiative"], respondents revealed that they are more optimistic than e... » read more

Inside Panel-Level Fan-Out Technology

By Mark LaPedus - 11 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss panel-level fan-out packaging technology with Tanja Braun, deputy group manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, and Michael Töpper, business development manager at Fraunhofer IZM. Braun is responsible for the Panel Level Packaging Consortium at Fraunhofer IZM, as well as the group manager for assembly and encap... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing

By Mark LaPedus - 08 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 1

Chipmakers Toshiba is still looking for a buyer for its prized NAND flash memory business. The leading contenders for the business are a consortium with Western Digital. Meanwhile, Toshiba’s memory unit is expanding its Fab 6 facility at its Yokkaichi Operations, based in Japan. And now, it has selected a site for its next fab in Japan, this time in Kitakami City, Iwate. Construction is expe... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 5

By Mark LaPedus - 05 Sep, 2017 - Comments: 0

Laser-magnet metrology The FELIX Laboratory and the High Field Magnet Laboratory (HFML) have recently conducted the first measurements that combine a free electron laser (FEL) with a powerful magnet. The combination enables researchers to explore the electronic properties of materials. It provides a way to perform terahertz (THz) magneto spectroscopy on samples. The FELIX Laboratory at R... » read more

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