Less Waste, Faster Results: Why Virtual Twins Are Critical To Future Semiconductor R&D


By Wojciech (Wojtek) Osowiecki, Martyn Coogans, Saravanapriyan Sriraman, Rakesh Ranjan, Yu (Joe) Lu, and David M. Fried The semiconductor industry has long depended on physical experimentation to achieve the precision needed for advanced chip manufacturing. However, this traditional method comes with significant environmental costs—high energy consumption, material waste, and greenhouse ga... » read more

Integrated Design Ecosystem For Chiplets And Heterogeneous Integration In Advanced Packaging Technology


As the demand for high-performance computing (HPC) continues to grow, chiplets and heterogeneous integration have emerged as key solutions due to their significant advantages in improving yield, reusing IP, enhancing performance, and optimizing costs. The integration of chiplets, particularly for AI applications, necessitates a greater number of connections than traditional monolithic system-on... » read more

Electrifying Everything: Power Moves Toward ICs


As electronic systems grow increasingly complex and energy-intensive, traditional power management methods — centered on centralized systems and external components — are proving inadequate. The next wave of innovation is to bring power control closer to the action — directly on the chip or into a heterogeneous package. This change is driven by a relentless pursuit of efficiency, scala... » read more

Upcoming Challenges And Changes In Semiconductor Materials


Semiconductor Engineering sat down with Dan Brewer and Srikanth Kommu, co-CEOs at Brewer Science, to talk about current and future changes in materials used in semiconductor manufacturing and adjacent markets. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: What was behind the decision to have co-CEOs instead of just one? Brewer: We see a lot of value to having multiple perspectives b... » read more

Advancing Medical Devices Through Heterogeneous Integration


As medical treatments continue to evolve, innovation in medical devices plays a vital role, enabling increasingly complex, precise, and safer interventions. For example: Endoscopic devices provide high-resolution in vivo imaging, Wearable sensors offer real-time monitoring of vital signs, Implantable devices engage with the human body at the cellular level. These devices’ ongo... » read more

MEMS And Imaging Drive The Sensor Revolution


By Ana Bernardo and Sitong He As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, MEMS and imaging sensor technologies are driving transformative changes across industries, shaping the future of connectivity, intelligence, and sustainability. Powered by advances in miniaturization, AI integration, and sustainable design, MEMS and imaging technologies are enabling groundbreaking applications—... » read more

Improving GaN Device Architectures


As the universe of applications for power devices grows, designers are finding that no single semiconductor can cover the full range of voltage and current requirements. Instead, combination circuits use different materials for different parts of the overall operating range. GaN is especially well-established in low-power applications like chargers for personal electronics, while silicon and... » read more

Global IC Fabs And Facilities Report: 2024


The chip industry made significant capital investments this year to build new fabs and facilities or expand existing premises. A number of sites were dedicated to SiC, GaN, DRAM, HBM, along with packaging and assembly by OSATs, and essential gases, chemicals, and other components. More than a dozen R&D centers were also established for 8-inch wafers, EUV, and advanced packaging. Investments... » read more

What’s Next For Through-Silicon Vias


From large TSVs for MEMS to nanoTSVs for backside power delivery, cost-effective process flows for these interconnects are essential for making 2.5D and 3D packages more feasible. Through-silicon vias (TSVs) enable shorter interconnect lengths, which reduces chip power consumption and latency to carry signals faster from one device to another or within a device. Advanced packaging technology... » read more

Optimizing New Interconnect Technologies To Support Next-Generation Semiconductor Devices


Interconnects are the wiring system that connect together the components of a semiconductor device and permit these components to work together. One of the key metrics of any semiconductor interconnect scheme is the metal pitch size. Metal pitch is the minimum distance between the centers of two horizontal interconnects in a semiconductor. It's a key metric used to measure the progress of chip ... » read more

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