Specialty Technologies Bring New Functionality


As a materials engineer, I am very proud of the fact that key advances in human civilization have been driven by materials innovation. The stone age, bronze age, and iron age were all essential steps in setting the human race on the path that we are on today. Innovations are not without their downsides, but they have enabled progress in agriculture, medicine, transportation, communication, a... » read more

Empowering RF Front End Cellular Innovations With DSMBGA


With the introduction of 5G, cellular frequency bands have increased considerably, requiring innovative solutions for the packaging of RF front-end modules for smartphones and other 5G-enabled devices. Double-sided, molded ball grid array (DSMBGA) is a prime example of such solutions. “With our DSMBGA platform, we’ve established a preferred advanced packaging solution for this domain,”... » read more

Micron B47R 3D CTF CuA NAND Die, World’s First 176L (195T)


Micron’s 176L 3D NAND is the world’s first 176L 3D NAND Flash memory. TechInsights just found the 512Gb 176L die (B47R die markings) and quickly viewed its process, structure, and die design. Micron 176L 3D NAND is one of the most groundbreaking technologies to date, and it is especially for the storage application such as data center, 5G, AI, cloud, intelligent edge, and mobile devices. Mi... » read more

Using A Virtual DOE To Predict Process Windows And Device Performance Of Advanced FinFET Technology


By Qingpeng Wang, Yu De Chen, Cheng Li, Rui Bao, Jacky Huang, and Joseph Ervin Introduction With continuing finFET device process scaling, micro loading control becomes increasingly important due to its significant impact on yield and device performance [1-2]. Micro-loading occurs when the local etch rate on a wafer is dependent upon existing feature sizes and local pattern density. Uninten... » read more

Intel/GF deal: Pros, Cons, Unknowns


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

The Importance Of Product Burn-In Test


Product burn-in (BI) is an indispensable step in the production test flow to ensure good quality and a properly functioning product for the customer. Amkor takes pride in rating ‘quality delivered to the customer’ as one of the highest corporate virtues. See figure 1. Fig. 1: Defects per Million (DPM) and DPM goal reported over five years. Burned-in integrated circuits (ICs) have a ... » read more

The Need For Open Molded Plastic Packages


When you need to meet a project or customer deadline, can you count on your outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) provider to get you the parts when you need them? If the answer is “no” or “it depends,” you’ll understand the value of having open molded plastic packages – plastic packages with open cavities – readily available for quick-turn assembly. OSATs are v... » read more

Packaging Technology Needs Of Automotive Radar Sensors Chips


Automotive radar systems are typically composed of an antenna, front-end radar sensor and back-end signal processor. Current state-of-the-art automotive radar systems make use of the latest integrated circuit and a wide range of packaging technologies. Let’s look a bit further into the development of automotive radar sensor chips and the packaging technologies being used as solutions for this... » read more

What About Mask Rule Checking For Curvilinear Photomasks?


The entire photomask design chain needs to be considered in the adoption of curvilinear photomasks. A broad look at the ecosystem impact was addressed in a previous video but a more in-depth look at the design chain of photomasks raises the next question – will MRC be harder and take more time? Aki Fujimura of D2S opens the nine-minute panel video with industry luminaries by providing a conce... » read more

Micron D1α, The Most Advanced Node Yet On DRAM


Finally, we got to see D1α DRAM generation! It’s 14nm! After a quick viewing of the Micron D1α die (die markings: Z41C) and its cell design, we have determined its actual technology node (design rule), in contrast to the claims of market literature. It is the most advanced technology node ever on DRAM, and it is the first sub-15nm cell integrated DRAM product. The Micron Z41C die removed... » read more

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