Design Process And Methodology For Achieving High-Volume Production Quality For HDFO Packaging


Unlike the traditional system on chip (SoC) design process, which has fully qualified verification methods embodied in the form of process design kits (PDKs), chip design companies and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) suppliers have typically had no integrated circuit (IC) package co-design sign-off verification process to help ensure that an IC package will meet manufacturabil... » read more

Understanding Electrical Line Resistance At Advanced Semiconductor Nodes


When evaluating shrinking metal linewidths in advanced semiconductor devices, bulk resistivity is not the sole materials property for deriving electrical resistance. At smaller line dimensions, local resistivity is dominated by grain boundary effects and surface scattering. Consequently, resistivity varies throughout a line, and resistance extraction needs to account for these secondary phenome... » read more

Six Examples Of Predictive Maintenance


One of the many tools that condition monitoring enables us to provide is predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance allows you to improve business efficiency by minimizing downtime and increasing productivity. This is achieved by strategically monitoring assets and conditions specific to your business, which vary significantly based on your industry. While several companies directly be... » read more

Chillers: A Cooling Product But Temperatures Still Rising


In what has been an incredible ride over the past five years for everyone in the semiconductor supply chain, suppliers of chillers have shined as standout performers. These cooling systems that are stuck in the sub-fab space under the clean rooms get little attention, yet revenues have more than doubled in the past five years, clocking a compound annual growth rate of 22% to reach $635 million ... » read more

Achieving Success In Automotive Leadframe Packages


The growth of semiconductor content in automotive applications has been accelerating. This growth drives all families of semiconductor packaging in all regions. The growth is happening in the latest advanced, laminate-based packages using flip chip interconnect as well as the venerable leadframe packages using wirebond interconnect. The automotive market consumes micro-electromechanical systems... » read more

Outlook: DRAM, NAND, Next-Gen Memory


Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about the 3D NAND, DRAM and next-generation memory markets. What follows are excerpts of that discussion. SE: How would you characterize the NAND market thus far in 2021? Handy: All chips are seeing unusual strength in 2021, but NAND flash and DRAM are doing what they usually do by exhibiting more e... » read more

The New Technology Solutions For Advanced SiP Devices


For many years, System-in-Package (SiP) technology has been a focus for semiconductor packaging to address the ongoing market trend of system integration and size reduction. Today’s increased complexity and higher package density for SiP devices has driven the development of new packaging technologies. In response, compartmental shield technology makes it possible to put several functions int... » read more

Using Process Modeling To Enhance Device Uniformity During Self-Aligned Quadruple Patterning


Despite the growing interest in EUV lithography, self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) still holds many technical advantages in pattern consistency, simplicity, and cost. This is particularly true for very simple and periodic patterns, such as line & space patterns or hole arrays. The biggest challenge of SAQP is the inherently asymmetric mask shape. This asymmetry can create structural ... » read more

Failure Prediction Is Vital for Packaging Technology


A while back, I wrote a post on what I call the “10 Commandments of Packaging” – my list of the key things to bear in mind with respect to developing new packaging solutions. Today, packaging engineers must contend with more variables than ever, from new substrate materials to more types of packages with a greater range of complexity. With that complexity comes new challenges, and I felt ... » read more

Semiconductor Photomask Revenues Predicted To Increase In 2021


A majority (72%) of industry luminaries surveyed in July predict an increase in photomask revenues for 2021, as shown in figure 1. SEMI also predicts revenues to increase around 9% from $4.4B in 2020 to $4.8B in 2021. In a 12-minute video, a panel of experts share their perspectives on what’s behind the growth trend, how the pandemic has impacted the photomask industry, and how it compares to... » read more

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