Growth Ahead For Vacuum Subsystems


Vacuum pumps, pressure gauges and vacuum valves combined make up the biggest expense on the bill of materials for semiconductor OEMs. In 2017, almost $2.5 billion worth of vacuum subsystems were consumed by the semiconductor industry with over half supplied by vendors based in Europe. Vacuum subsystems sales account for one third of expenditure on all critical subsystems used in semiconducto... » read more

The Materials Side Of AI


As we enter the foundry 7nm and below technology nodes, tungsten fill for contacts has reached the physical limits of scaling and copper used in the lowest level interconnects is facing challenges on multiple fronts. Solving these issues will require a new conducting material, namely cobalt. This transition can enable continued device scaling and less power consumption per computation. Follo... » read more

The Next Generation Of Fingerprinting Technology


We used to think of fingerprinting as simply placing your finger on an ink pad and then rolling it on paper to obtain an identifiable mark that would distinguish you from everyone else on the planet. In today’s world, fingerprinting has evolved to take on another, broader definition. According to dictionary.com, fingerprinting can also mean “any unique or distinctive pattern that presents u... » read more

Benefits And New Applications For FD-SOI


Over the past decades, transistor feature size has continuously decreased, leading to an increase in performance and a reduction in power consumption. Consumers have reaped the benefits, with superior electronic devices that have become increasingly useful, valuable, faster and more efficient. In recent years, as transistor feature size has shrunk below 10nm, it has become progressively more di... » read more

Leti’s Next Focus


Emmanuel Sabonnadière, chief executive of Leti, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to discuss R&D trends, a new deal with Soitec, and the latest developments at the France-based research organization. Leti is a research institute of CEA Tech. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Leti recently formed an alliance with Soitec. Under the terms, Leti and Soitec are formin... » read more

The Role Of Cobalt In Enabling AI


We are on the cusp of the biggest computing wave yet — the AI era driven by Big Data. Enabling this era will require significant enhancements in processor performance and in the capacity and latency of memory. These requirements are coming at a time when the industry is being increasingly challenged by a slowdown in classic Moore’s Law scaling. What’s needed to continue driving the indust... » read more

Moving To ASICs For ADAS


By some estimates, there are now more than 260 startups and established companies around the world scrambling to develop, qualify and bring to market chips and technologies for new ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) and autonomous driving applications. Accordingly, venture capitalists, technology companies, carmakers, Tier 1 automotive suppliers and others are sharply ratcheting up ... » read more

The Era Of Data, By The Numbers


Standing-room only keynote speeches. A future awash in data amassed by transformative technologies and applications, with semiconductors at their core. Smart everything: Cars, medicine, manufacturing, workforce, you name it. The sheer numbers impressed as a record lineup of SEMICON West keynote speakers offered a glowing portrait of the future: The semiconductor industry stands on the cusp o... » read more

Prepare For Success With A Failure Mode And Effects Analysis And Control Plan


In order to proactively handle potential process or product errors before they occur in manufacturing or on a customer’s production line, many organizations implement a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Control Plan (CP). Used as a process tool by the US military as early as 1949, FMEAs and CPs have evolved and gained popularity in many industries ranging from automotive, to pharma... » read more

Practical Methods To Overcome The Challenges Of 3D Logic Design


What should you do If you don’t have enough room on your floor to store all your old boxes? Luckily, we live in a 3D world, and you can start stacking them on top of each other. The Challenge: How can we shrink logic devices? Logic designers are currently facing even bigger challenges than you might be having in tidying up your storage area. Not only are logic cells highly packed together... » read more

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