Embedded Flash Scaling Limits


Embedded nonvolatile flash memory has played a key role in chips for years, but the technology is beginning to face some scaling and cost roadblocks and it’s not clear what comes next. Embedded flash is used in several markets, such as automotive, consumer and industrial. But the automotive sector appears to be the most concerned about the future of the technology. Typically, a car incorpo... » read more

Estimating MOSFET Leakage From Low-Cost, Low-Resolution Fast Parametric Test


A method of estimating the subthershold component of MOSFET off-state current (Ioffs) using low-cost, low-resolution fast parallel parametric test is introduced. This method measures the subthreshold slope and uses it to estimate Ioffs. Measurements of individual transistors show a very good agreement between measured Ioffs and Ioffs estimated using our approach. For a simple pad-efficient tran... » 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

22nm Process Technology


Jamie Shaeffer, senior director of product line management at GlobalFoundries, talks about how FD-SOI compares with bulk technologies, where it will be used and why, and future stacking options. https://youtu.be/2i7GJRxcNRs » 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

New Roadmap For Electronics


Tech Talk: Melissa Grupen-Shemansky, CTO for SEMI’s FlexTech Group and Advanced Packaging program, looks at what’s changing now that Moore’s Law is slowing, and how packaging is changing as the traditional physical boundaries of electronics begin breaking down. https://youtu.be/UpH1m8Oru90 » read more

Fabs Meet Machine Learning


Aki Fujimura, chief executive of D2S, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to discuss Moore’s Law and photomask technology. Fujimura also explained how artificial intelligence and machine learning are impacting the IC industry. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: For some time, you’ve said we need more compute power. So we need faster chips at advanced nodes, but cost... » read more

FD-SOI Going Mainstream


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss changes in the FD-SOI world and what's behind them, with James Lamb, deputy CTO for advanced semiconductor manufacturing and corporate technical fellow at Brewer Science; Giorgio Cesana, director of technical marketing at STMicroelectronics; Olivier Vatel, senior vice president and CTO at Screen Semiconductor Solutions; and Carlos Mazure, CTO at Soi... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 16


Levitating metrology The Instituto de Ciencias Físicas UNAM has developed a new contaminant detection technique. It uses sound waves to levitate droplets of water for sampling purposes. Researchers use a technique called laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The technique analyzes heavy metals in levitating drops of water, according to The Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letter... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →