Applying Machine Learning To Accelerate TCAD Calibration


TCAD models are the fundamental building blocks for the semiconductor industry. Whether it is a new process node or a new multi-billion dollar fab, accurate TCAD models must be developed and calibrated before they can be deployed in technology development. While TCAD models have been around for (many) decades, their complexity is growing exponentially, as is the demands placed on the R&D en... » read more

Precise Control Needed For Copper Plating And CMP


Chipmakers are relying on machine learning for electroplating and wafer cleaning at leading-edge process nodes, augmenting traditional fault detection/classification and statistical process control in order to extend the usefulness of copper interconnects. Copper is well understood and easy to work with, but it is running out of steam. At 5nm and below, copper plating tools are struggling to... » read more

AI: Great, But Somehow Still Not Very Good


In an invited presentation at CS Mantech 2024, Charlie Parker, senior machine learning engineer at Tignis, provides context for the AI hype cycle with a high-level overview of machine learning concepts, then explores how the technology fits into the fab, from inventory management to institutional knowledge capture, but warns that it is worth being aware of the ways in which machine learning mod... » read more

Photoresist Materials Development


Toru Fujimori of FUJIFILM Corporation provides an overview of the development of photoresist materials for masks and wafers to support continued pattern shrinkage and address stochastic issues in lithography. » read more

Custom Substrates Save Assembly Time, Resources


Time-to-market (TTM) and performance are two of the most pressing issues in chip design and manufacturing. Designing devices for high-speed, high-performance applications requires immediate access to substrates so that product development can proceed quickly. Quick substrate access is also vital to validating intellectual property (IP) cores used in application-specific ICs (ASICs) – all of w... » read more

Driving Generative AI Innovation: 5 Competitive Advantages For Taiwan In Enabling The Next Industrial Revolution


The developments in AI technology have been significant in recent years. In 2016, DeepMind AlphaGo’s victory over a human Go world champion was a significant milestone in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). Later in 2022, the emergence of ChatGPT 3.5 further strengthened the AI landscape. Generative AI has been a disruptive innovation, automating the creation of text, images... » read more

GPU Acceleration for Pixel-based Computing in Various Mask Processing and Verification Steps


A technical paper titled "Leaping into the curvy world with GPU accelerated O(p) computing" was published by researchers at D2S, Inc. The papers discusses the advantages of using GPU acceleration for pixel-based computing during various mask processing and verification steps.  It found that the O(p) approach for GPU acceleration is effective in handling data processing for curvy masks. F... » read more

Ruthenium Interconnects On Tap


Chipmakers' focus on new interconnect technology is ramping up as copper's effectiveness continues to diminish, setting the stage for a significant shift that could improve performance and reduce heat at future nodes and in advanced packages. The introduction of copper interconnects in 1997 upended the then-standard tungsten via/aluminum line metallization scheme. Dual damascene integration ... » read more

Opportunities Grow For GPU Acceleration


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the impact of GPU acceleration on mask design and production and other process technologies, with Aki Fujimura, CEO of D2S; Youping Zhang, head of ASML Brion; Yalin Xiong, senior vice president and general manager of the BBP and reticle products division at KLA; and Kostas Adam, vice president of engineering at Synopsys. W... » read more

The Race To Glass Substrates


The chip industry is racing to develop glass for advanced packaging, setting the stage for one of the biggest shifts in chip materials in decades — and one that will introduce a broad new set of challenges that will take years to fully resolve. Glass has been discussed as a replacement material for silicon and organic substrates for more than a decade, primarily in multi-die packages. But ... » read more

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