category: Top Stories

category: Auto, Security & Edge AI

Can We Measure Next-Gen FinFETs?
By Mark LaPedus - 21 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 6

After ramping up their respective 16nm/14nm finFET processes, chipmakers are moving towards 10nm and/or 7nm, with 5nm in R&D. But as they move down the process roadmap, they will face a new set of fab challenges. In addition to lithography and interconnects, there is metrology. Metrology, the science of measurements, is used to characterize tiny films and structures. It helps to boost yi... » read more

Measuring Atoms And Beyond
By Mark LaPedus - 21 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 0

David Seiler, chief of the Engineering Physics Division within the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to discuss the current and future directions of metrology. NIST, a physical science laboratory, is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: W... » read more

Inside EUV Resists
By Mark LaPedus - 17 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 3

Andrew Grenville, chief executive of resist maker Inpria, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about photoresists for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Photoresists are a critical part of lithography. Resists are light-sensitive materials. They form patterns on a surface when exposed to light. For EUV, they are critical. Wha... » read more

More EUV Mask Gaps
By Mark LaPedus - 17 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 12

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is at a critical juncture. After several delays and glitches, [gettech id="31045" comment="EUV"] is now targeted for 7nm and/or 5nm. But there are still a number of technologies that must come together before EUV is inserted into mass production. And if the pieces don’t fall into place, EUV could slip again. First, the EUV source must generate more ... » read more

Making 2.5D, Fan-Outs Cheaper
By Ed Sperling - 17 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 2

Now that it has been shown to work, the race is on to make advanced [getkc id="27" kc_name="packaging"] more affordable. While device scaling could continue for another decade or more, the number of companies that can afford to develop SoCs at the leading edge will continue to decline. The question now being addressed is what can supplant it, supplement it, or redefine it. At the center o... » read more

Why EUV Is So Difficult
By Mark LaPedus - 17 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 23

For years, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography has been a promising technology that was supposed to help enable advanced chip scaling. But after years of R&D, EUV is still not in production despite major backing from the industry, vast resources and billions of dollars in funding. More recently, though, [gettech id="31045" comment="EUV"] lithography appears to be inching closer to pos... » read more

Oscilloscopes: The EE’s Stethoscope
By Gale Morrison - 17 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 0

Oscilloscopes are like the electricity to your house. You don't give it much thought until a storm knocks it out. The entire electronics industry can't function without oscilloscopes. But this equipment is such a constant and so consistent, we sometimes forget it's there. Semiconductor Engineering spent time with three Test & Measurement (T&M) industry stalwarts to talk about Oscillo... » read more

Teaching Computers To See
By Ann Mutschler - 16 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 0

Vision processing is emerging as a foundation technology for a number of high-growth applications, spurring a wave of intensive research to reduce power, improve performance, and push embedded vision into the mainstream to leverage economies of scale. What began as a relatively modest development effort has turned into an all-out race for a piece of this market, and for good reason. Mark... » read more

Partitioning For Power
By Ed Sperling - 14 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 0

Examine any smartphone design today and most of the electronic circuitry is "off" most of the time. And regardless of how many processor cores are available, it's rare to use more than a couple of those cores at any point in time. The emphasis is shifting, though, as the mobility market flattens and other markets such as driver-assisted vehicles and IoT begin gaining traction. In a car, turn... » read more

The Time Dimension Of Power
By Brian Bailey - 10 Nov, 2016 - Comments: 0

Power is the flow of energy over time. While both aspects of that equation are important, they are important to different people in different ways. Energy that moves too quickly can cause significant damage. Too much energy moving over time can mean a non-competitive product, from battery-powered devices to a wide array of locations such as the datacenter. When the industry talks about power... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →

  • Sponsors

  • Standards/Organizations

About

Navigation

Connect With Us

Copyright ©2013-2026 SMG   |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy