Author's Latest Posts


Next-Gen Metrology: Searching For A Bright X-Ray Source


By Debra Vogler Metrology for semiconductor applications is a broad topic regardless of whether one is talking about front-end-of-line (FEOL) or back-end-of-line (BEOL) technologies. Benjamin Bunday, project manager, CD Metrology and senior member of the technical staff at SEMATECH, broke down the topic of next-generation metrology at 10nm and below into four main categories for SEMI: • I... » read more

The Roadmap To 5nm


By Debra Vogler Among the challenges the semiconductor industry will be facing as it moves down the path to node 5 are resistance-capacitance (RC) management and integration. SEMI is pleased to announce a SEMICON West 2015 STS technical program exploring these and other high-volume manufacturing challenges. According to An Steegen, SVP of Process Technology at imec, the list of RC managemen... » read more

“Make in India”


By Bettina Weiss In recent weeks, I have been talking to SEMI members and other stakeholders about India. Some consider any semiconductor industry development in the country a dream. Others are looking more closely at current indicators of something real and tangible, trying to determine whether to get involved. The electronics sector in India will have to satisfy a huge demand growth... » read more

Materials Matter


By Pushkar Apte Despite formidable technical and economic challenges, the semiconductor technology engine continues steaming ahead, changing the way we work and play in amazing ways. This engine primarily ran on the “Moore’s Law track” for nearly half a century – but now, the tracks are diverging for digital logic and memory, and “More-than-Moore” devices. Continuing progress requi... » read more

This Is What 450mm Wafers Look Like


The first fully patterned 450mm wafers were on display at SEMICON West 2014 in South Hall and also showcased in the 450mm Technology Development Session. Fully patterned 450mm wafers produced using Molecular Imprints’ Imprio nanoimprint lithography (NIL) tool have been shown before (including at SEMI ISS meeting in January 2013). However, the 450mm wafers on display at SEMICON West were produ... » read more

What Comes Next?


The latest manufacturing, materials and production developments for emerging and adjacent markets will be featured at SEMICON West 2014 (www.semiconwest.org), to be held on July 8-10 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. The co-location of emerging and adjacent market focused exhibitors and technical presentations within the framework of SEMICON West maximizes the synergies between sem... » read more

Semicon West Preview: Packaging


By Paula Doe The evolving mobile device market means the packaging, assembly and test supply chain faces a growing range of alternative technologies vying for its investment dollar, everything from Google’s modular electronics with 3D printing, to more solutions for integrating varied chips in smaller packaged systems. One potentially disruptive change is the wider use of more open-source... » read more

SEMICON West Preview


By Paula Doe The fast growing demand for bandwidth is driving telecomm and data center user interest in moving high speed optical connections closer and closer to the chips, as recent advances in packaging technology, from microbumping to bonding to wafer-level redistribution now help make it possible. Chip-to-chip and chip-to-board optical connections increasingly look like a viable soluti... » read more

What’s Next For MEMS


By Paula Doe While MEMS sensors and actuators are key to enabling most of the high profile markets of tomorrow, from wearables to smart objects in the Internet of Things, MEMS companies face challenges today in transitioning to those new opportunities as basic MEMS devices increasingly becoming commodities. Large corporations are hiring their own in-house MEMS engineers, as standard platforms ... » read more

EU Due Diligence For Conflict Minerals Focuses Upstream, For Now


By Rania Georgoutsakou EU proposed legislation on responsible sourcing of ‘conflict minerals’, published on 5 March 2014, will create a voluntary scheme focusing on upstream suppliers that should help downstream users get the information they need to comply with the U.S. Dodd Frank Act. The EU proposals largely address concerns raised by SEMI and other industry associations, but things cou... » read more

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