Wafer Probe Struggles To Adapt To Multi-Die Assemblies


Wafer probe, one of the key processes for ensuring reliability in semiconductor manufacturing, is becoming increasingly unreliable in multi-die assemblies and at leading-edge nodes. For much of the semiconductor industry’s history, wafer probe occupied a stable, largely uncontested role in manufacturing. It was understood as a screening step, an electrical checkpoint to identify failing de... » read more

Secure Data Sharing Becoming Critical For Chip Manufacturing


Semiconductor companies increasingly need to share data to solve problems faster, boost yield, and trace the root cause of failed devices. But to make that work, companies need assurances that their data will be secure, free from data leaks that could result in the loss of valuable IP. Data sharing is becoming critical at leading device nodes, where process variability is starting to consume... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Government funding/defunding NIST is terminating funding for the SMART USA Institute, a CHIPS Act research center focused on digital twins, prompting congressional concern that the decision disrupts active awards and weakens U.S. semiconductor R&D commitments. Korea Zinc was awarded $210M in CHIPS Act funding towards a new $6.6B Tennessee advanced smelter and minerals processing facility,... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Deals of the week: Arteris announced plans to acquire cybersecurity provider Cycuity. “Expanding our technology portfolio to include Cycuity’s hardware security assurance products will enable our customers to achieve secure on-chip data movement,” said Charlie Janac, chairman and CEO of Arteris. Qualcomm acquired Ventana Micro Systems, a maker of RISC-V data center-class CPU IP. ... » read more

Adaptive Test Gaining Ground For HPC And AI Chips


Adaptive test is starting to gain traction for high-performance computing and AI chips as test programs that rely on static limits and fixed test sequences reach their practical limits. The growing complexity of multi-die assemblies and power delivery, along with increased stresses, are forcing a shift toward real-time, data-driven optimization at the test cell. “It’s the same old pro... » read more

Zero-Trust Data Sharing Architectures Redefining Chip Manufacturing


Real-time security clearances are becoming increasingly common in the manufacturing of advanced-node semiconductors, where data sharing is both essential and a potential security threat. Data security is a well-known issue in semiconductor manufacturing, but much of it is based on an outdated approach. In its place, zero-trust architectures [1] are now a requirement for new equipment and ins... » read more

Tackling Chip Complexity With Integrated System-Level Test Solutions


As the sophistication of semiconductors continues to grow, so does the need for system-level test (SLT) in production to ensure that high-performance processors, chiplets, and other advanced devices function as expected in real-world environments. Once seen primarily as a fallback to catch what traditional automated test equipment (ATE) missed, SLT has now become a mission-critical step for val... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Samsung reportedly is hiking memory chip prices by 30% to 60% due to high demand from AI data centers and constrained supplies. Those shortages are causing ripples elsewhere. SMIC, China's largest foundry, said its customers are holding back orders for other types of semiconductor due to concerns about memory supplies. Meanwhile, interest in photonics and power semiconductors is picking up, ... » read more

AI In Test Analytics: Promise Vs. Reality


The semiconductor industry is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence as the solution for increasing complexity in test analytics, hoping algorithms can tame the growing flood of production data. The need to extract actionable insight from that torrent is pressing. AI/ML (AI) models promise to find correlations buried in multidimensional datasets, predict failures before they occur, and... » read more

AI Memory: Enabling The Next Era Of High-Performance Computing


The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving unprecedented demand for high-performance memory solutions. AI-driven applications are fueling significant year-over-year growth in high-bandwidth memory (HBM). However, as AI models grow in complexity—from large language models (LLMs) to real-time inference applications—the need for faster, higher-bandwidth, and energy-effici... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →