category: Manufacturing, Packaging and Materials

category: IoT, Security & Automotive

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers Amid ongoing delays with its 10nm process, Intel has reorganized its manufacturing unit, according to a report from The Oregonian/OregonLive. Sohail Ahmed, who has jointly led the unit since 2016, will retire next month, according to the report. The industry is racing to put extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography into production. TSMC recently taped-out its first 7nm chip using E... » read more

EUV’s Uncertain Future
By Ed Sperling - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 8

The ground appears to be solidifying under EUV. Intel announced this week it is reducing its stake in ASML to less than 3%, the second such move in a year. Apparently ASML no longer needs outside help. According to the company's earnings report, ASML turned in net sales of €2.776 billion, a slight increase over the €2.447 billion (GAAP) the company reported in Q3 and way up over the €... » read more

Silicon Wafers: Tight Supply, High Prices
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

For years, the silicon wafer industry suffered from oversupply and depressed prices, causing considerable consolidation in the industry. Then, two or so years ago, the IC industry entered into a boom cycle. Silicon wafer vendors began to experience tight supply amid strong demand from IC makers. Some silicon wafer makers even raised their prices. Today, the silicon wafer market remains st... » read more

Digging Deep Into High Aspect Ratio Process Control For Memory Technology
By Mark Shirey - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

By Mark Shirey and Janay Camp Data is an integral part of our lives. Contrary to the past, where files had to be removed periodically to free up storage space, we now assume that our data will never be deleted. Why risk deleting the wrong file? Just keep them! This new approach consumes a lot of memory, and intensifies the demand for storage. Two of the main workhorses of the memory segment ... » read more

Wanted: Mask Equipment for Mature Nodes
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

Rising demand for chips at mature nodes is impacting the photomask supply chain, causing huge demand for trailing-edge masks and a shortfall of older mask equipment. The big issue is the equipment shortfall, which could impact customers on several fronts. Tool shortages could lead to longer mask turnaround times and delivery schedules for chips being developed at 90nm and above, which are bu... » read more

Can Graphene Be Mass Manufactured?
By Katherine Derbyshire - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 3

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004, the high mobility and unique transport properties of 2-dimensional semiconductors have tantalized physicists and materials scientists. Their in-plane carrier transport and lack of dangling bonds potentially can minimize line/edge scattering and other effects of extreme scaling. While 2-D materials cannot compete with silicon at current device dime... » read more

Looking For The Next Big Innovation
By Buvna Ayyagari-Sangamalli - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

Never has there been more demand for “The Big Innovation” — one that moves the needle for performance, power and area-cost (PPAC) in a big way — as there is in the current era of AI and machine learning (ML). As summarized in Why AI Workloads Require New Computing Architectures, AI workloads require new architectures to process data. These workloads also call for heterogeneous comp... » read more

The State Of MEMS Process Standardization
By Serena Brischetto - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

SEMI spoke with Udo Gómez, senior vice president at Robert Bosch GmbH, about MEMS technology requirements relative to standard IC design and manufacturing. Gómez highlighted solutions to challenges of MEMS technology development and manufacturing ahead of his presentation at the 22nd Fab Management Forum at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the... » read more

Machine Learning Invades IC Production
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and chip and photomask manufacturing technologies with Aki Fujimura, chief executive of D2S; Jerry Chen, business and ecosystem development manager at Nvidia; Noriaki Nakayamada, senior technologist at NuFlare; and Mikael Wahlsten, director and product area manager at Mycronic. What follows are excerpt... » read more

Variation At 10/7nm
By Ed Sperling - 18 Oct, 2018 - Comments: 1

Klaus Schuegraf, vice president of new products and solutions at PDF Solutions, explains why variability is a growing challenge at advanced nodes, why middle of line is now one of the big problem areas, and what happens when a via is misaligned due to a small process variation. https://youtu.be/jQfggOnxZJQ » read more

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