category: Blogs – MD

category: IoT, Security & Automotive

Fab Tool R&D And Ramen Noodles
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Jan, 2015 - Comments: 0

The semiconductor equipment and materials industry has always been a tough business. Over the years, vendors have been under pressure to develop new technologies for a shrinking but demanding customer base. And as a result, many vendors could not keep up, or elected to exit the business, causing a massive shakeout in the industry. It isn’t getting any easier, though. Today, tool and... » read more

Wonder Material?
By Joanne Itow - 22 Jan, 2015 - Comments: 0

The fact that new materials continue to be discovered and introduced into innovative electronic devices is a major feat. Semico is analyzing the challenges of new product discovery, development and commercialization. Graphene is just one of the products under investigation. This write-up is taken from a full essay in this month’s Semico IPI report. Since 2004, when two scientists at Manch... » read more

The Semiconductor Future Looks Bright!
By Yoichiro Ando - 22 Jan, 2015 - Comments: 0

At the beginning of the SEMI Market Forum held on Dec. 4, during the 38th SEMCON Japan, session moderator and SEMI Global Vice President Jonathan Davis said, “There are significant changes in the semiconductor industry and it is not the industry it was 38 years ago, 10 years ago, even 5 years ago. There have been dramatic changes in technology complexity in addition to incredible industry adv... » read more

Solid Years: Cautious Optimism Drives Equipment Spending Into 2015
By Christian Dieseldorff - 11 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

Worldwide semiconductor capital expenditure growth for this year is expected to be 11% and will increase another 8% in 2015. Throughout 2014, SEMI has tracked 177 facilities worldwide investing about US$34 billion on semiconductor equipment. In 2015, 190 facilities are being tracked with fab equipment spending worth over $40 billion. The double-digit growth in fab equipment spending for this ye... » read more

What’s Next For DNA Chips?
By Mark LaPedus - 11 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

The field of genomic personalized medicine is an emerging and promising area. Using lab systems called DNA sequencers, these units could provide vital information about an individual’s genetic makeup. In this area, several companies are developing next-generation DNA sequencers, built around CMOS-based semiconductor technology. But CMOS-based DNA sequencing chips, and the competing techno... » read more

IoT’s Potential In Japan
By Joanne Itow - 11 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

Going to Semicon Japan was a real treat this year. The event was held at a new location, the weather was sunny, and the exhibits/presentations were engaging. During my walks around the exhibit floor I was drawn to the metrology and material characterization tools. Those booths seemed to have the most interesting information to share. Talking with companies like Rigaku provided insight into the ... » read more

Multiple Patterns, Multiple Trade-Offs
By David Abercrombie - 11 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

As the saying goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” That is a reality that chip designers have had to live by from the beginning. From the advent of the first design rule, it was clear that you couldn’t just do anything you wanted. In the end, everything comes down to trade-offs. Whether it’s area, speed, leakage, noise sensitivity, or drive current, doing something to impr... » read more

What Consumers Want In Their Displays
By Max McDaniel - 11 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

As a leading flat panel display equipment manufacturer driving the industry roadmap, Applied Materials recently commissioned an international survey of consumers in the U.S., China and India to solicit general attitudes and preferences for mobile displays and flat screen TVs. Since most new displays pass through Applied’s equipment during production to enable higher resolution and more powerf... » read more

We Have Reached The Tipping Point For Simulation-Based Mask Data Preparation
By Aki Fujimura - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

Since the beginning of the semiconductor industry, mask-data preparation (MDP) and mask verification (MV) have been shape-based: each shape has been treated as an entity unto itself, and if each isolated shape was correct, the mask was correct. This context independence is a critical assumption for conventional fracturing. However, as line/space measurements (L:S) fall below 50nm, shape-ba... » read more

Future Directions Unknown
By Ed Sperling - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

The semiconductor industry has been on cruise control when it comes to shrinking features, but as process technology progresses to 10nm and 7nm there will be some significant changes. For one thing, the cost per new design will continue to rise, which means only the largest companies with the biggest market opportunity will be able to invest at the leading-edge nodes. Chips for mobile phones... » read more

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