Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Chipmakers TSMC has announced its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the U.S. The fab, to be built in Arizona, will utilize TSMC’s 5nm technology and will produce 20,000 wafers per month. TSMC’s total spending on this project will be approximately $12 billion from 2021 to 2029. Construction is planned to start in 2021 with production targeted to begin in 202... » read more

Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


AI/Edge The United States now has the highest number of COVID-19 cases, and the state governments in the U.S. are asking technologists for help, according to a story in The Washington Post. Data scientists, software developers, and others are needed to help. New York State started a Technology SWAT team calling for help from the tech community. Intel AI Builder program participant DarwinAI ... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


The coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to have an impact on most, if not all, industries. This includes the electronics, semiconductor and related segments. International Data Corp. (IDC) has released a report on the company’s view on the impact the COVID-19 virus will have on the semiconductor market. The report provides a framework to evaluate the market impact through four scenarios. "... » read more

Blog Review: Feb. 5


Cadence's Paul McLellan checks out the different ways persistent memories can be used, as well as a basic persistent programming model and key things hardware needs to support. In a video, Mentor's Colin Walls explains what's different about operating systems for embedded applications and how to go about selecting one. Synopsys' Taylor Armerding finds troubling vulnerabilities in U.S. cri... » read more

SiC Foundry Business Emerges


Several third-party foundry vendors are entering or expanding their efforts in the silicon carbide (SiC) business amid booming demand for the technology. However, making a significant dent in the market will not be so easy for SiC foundry vendors and their customers. They are facing stiff competition from traditional SiC device vendors such as Cree, Infineon, Rohm and STMicroelectronics. ... » read more

AI And Big Data Set To Reinvent Semiconductor Industry


The recent IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) reaffirmed that the semiconductor industry is in a period of reinvention as we grapple with the challenges and opportunities promised by the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and AI. That such change is underway was made evident by a panel I was honored to moderate titled, “The Future of Logic: EUV is Here, Now What?” Joining... » read more

Finding Defects In EUV Masks


Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is finally in production at advanced nodes, but there are still several challenges with the technology, such as EUV mask defects. Defects are unwanted deviations in chips, which can impact yield and performance. They can crop up during the chip manufacturing process, including the production of a mask or photomask, sometimes called a reticle. Fortunately... » read more

5/3nm Wars Begin


Several foundries are ramping up their new 5nm processes in the market, but now customers must decide whether to design their next chips around the current transistor type or move to a different one at 3nm and beyond. The decision involves the move to extend today’s finFETs to 3nm, or to implement a new technology called gate-all-around FETs (GAA FETs) at 3nm or 2nm. An evolutionary step f... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Fab tools, chips and technologies What happened at the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) this week? The annual three-day conference of executives gave the year’s first comprehensive outlook of the global electronics manufacturing industry. Click here to see the details. CyberOptics has unveiled its new WaferSense Auto Resistance Sensor (ARS) and its CyberSpectrum software. The produc... » read more

Blog Review: Jan. 15


Cadence's Paul McLellan looks back at the history of lithography, from its fundamental equation to multiple patterning and the challenges facing EUV today. Synopsys' Taylor Armerding warns that medical device security isn't keeping up with new threats, despite positive steps, due in part to lack of funding, delayed initiatives, and a focus on critical service delivery. In a video, Mentor'... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →