tag: DSA

Transistor Options Narrow For 7nm
By Mark LaPedus - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers are currently ramping up silicon-based finFETs at the 16nm/14nm node, with plans to scale the same technology to 10nm. Now, the industry is focusing on the transistor options for 7nm and beyond. At one time, the leading contenders involved several next-generation transistor types. At present, the industry is narrowing down the options and one technology is taking a surprising lea... » read more

Counting And Controlling DSA Defects
By Katherine Derbyshire - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 1

If directed self-assembly is to succeed in semiconductor manufacturing, [gettech id="31046" t_name="DSA"] processes must achieve defect rates in line with the stringent requirements of sub-20nm device nodes. So far, they haven’t. However, it’s not yet clear whether the high defect rates represent a real obstacle, or are simply part of the development of any new, immature process technology... » read more

Litho Options Sparse After 10nm
By Mark LaPedus - 16 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

Leading-edge foundries are ramping up their 16nm/14nm logic processes, with 10nm and 7nm in R&D. Barring a major breakthrough in [getkc id="80" comment="lithography"], chipmakers will use 193nm immersion and multiple patterning for both 16nm/14nm and 10nm. So now, chipmakers are focusing on the lithography options for 7nm. As before, the options include the usual suspects—[gettech id="... » read more

The Key To DSA
By Katherine Derbyshire - 16 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

The block co-polymer most commonly used in directed self-assembly research ([gettech id="31046" t_name="DSA"]), PS-b-PMMA (poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) is an excellent choice because the two component monomers have similar surface energies. The exposed top surface of the film helps to stabilize the segregated domains, making it relatively easy to achieve the lamellar line-and-space p... » read more

What Will That DSA Template Do, Anyway?
By Katherine Derbyshire - 22 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 0

As directed self assembly techniques make the transition from line and space test patterns to the more complex structures seen in real devices, modeling is emerging as a significant issue. How will the co-polymers behave in the presence of a particular template pattern? While several laboratory-scale modeling methods exist, most are too computationally expensive to be used for large area str... » read more

What Happened To Next-Gen Lithography?
By Mark LaPedus - 03 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 2

Chipmakers continue to march down the process technology curve. Using today’s optical lithography and multiple patterning, the semiconductor industry is scaling its leading-edge devices far beyond what was once considered possible. The question is how far can the industry extend 193nm immersion [getkc id="80" comment="lithography"] and multiple patterning before these technologies become t... » read more

More Problems Ahead
By Ed Sperling - 25 Aug, 2014 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss future scaling problems with Lars Liebmann, a fellow at IBM; Adam Brand, managing director of transistor technology at Applied Materials; Karim Arabi, vice president of engineering at Qualcomm; and Srinivas Banna, a fellow for advanced technology architecture at GlobalFoundries. SE: There seems to be some debate in this group about whether we’r... » read more

DSA: Hype Or Revolution?
By Michael Watts - 14 Aug, 2014 - Comments: 0

Directed self-assembly (DSA) has become the subject of a great deal of research attention in the lithography world, to the point where there were dedicated sessions at this year’s Advanced Lithography conference in February. So is this just another passing research fad, or is it a technology that will revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing? DSA utilizes a block copolymer that effectivel... » read more

Plotting IBM Micro’s Future
By Mark LaPedus - 14 Aug, 2014 - Comments: 1

It’s been a wild ride for IBM’s Microelectronics Group. Neither IBM, nor the other parties involved, have made any public comments about the recent events concerning IBM Micro. Much of the drama has played out in the media. Based on those reports, here’s a rough outline of the events. Not long ago, IBM put its loss-ridden chip unit on the block to shore up the company’s bottom lin... » read more

More People Use Phones Than Toothbrushes…
By Karen Savala - 11 Aug, 2014 - Comments: 0

“Business Has Only Two Functions – Marketing and Innovation” — Milan Kundera There may be more to running a successful business than marketing and innovation, but these two functions were front-and-center at SEMICON West 2014. This year’s industry gathering was an important, and positive, step forward together. Because of the gravity of the challenges facing our industry – funda... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →

  • Sponsors

About

Navigation

Connect With Us

Copyright ©2013-2025 SMG   |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy