Why Indium Oxide Chips Are Getting So Much Attention


Key Takeaways Their low leakage is of interest for memory applications, particularly capacitor-less gain cell designs; They can be deposited over large areas using low-temperature processes, a very desirable characteristic for BEOL integration, and The variety of compositions available gives designers many options to achieve the specific properties they need. Indium tin oxide (ITO), ... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Geopolitics U.S. lawmakers are urging tighter export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) to China, warning existing loopholes threaten national security. "China is working to build domestic SME by exploiting access to U.S. and allied subcomponents required to produce tools," states the letter, which also says better coordination with allies is essential. The U.S.... » read more

Chip Industry Technical Paper Roundup: Feb. 3


New technical papers recently added to Semiconductor Engineering’s library: [table id=519 /] Find more semiconductor research papers here. » read more

Impact Of The Film Transfer And Grain Size On The Cu-barrier Properties Of 2D WS2 Films (NUS et al.)


A new technical paper titled "Enhancing Cu-barrier properties of 2D-WS2 barriers: The role of grain size and surface passivation" was published by researchers at National University of Singapore, AIXTRON, IMiF and Applied Materials. Abstract "Two-dimensional (2D) films, such as tungsten disulfide (WS2), are being considered by the microelectronics industry as promising barrier and liner s... » read more

Annual Global IC Fabs And Facilities Report


Semiconductor companies announced a significant number of facilities in 2025 as global onshoring efforts continued across manufacturing, materials, packaging, design, and R&D. Investments came from both industry and government sources. Organizations worked together to solve current technology challenges, including soaring demand for AI chips and advanced memory, as well as complex applic... » read more

Cryogenic Etch: A Key Enabler Of 3D NAND


Increased storage needs at the edge and in the cloud are fueling rising demand for higher-capacity flash memory across multiple applications. Released every 12 to 18 months, 3D NAND scaling outpaces most other semiconductor devices in replacement rate and performance gains. With each new generation, NAND suppliers deliver 50% faster read/write speeds, 40% greater bit density, lower latency, ... » read more

Metrology Digs Deep To Produce Next-Generation 3D NAND


Each generation of 3D NAND packs about 30% more bits than the previous version, with current devices storing up to 2 terabits of data in a die the size of a fingernail. With new product introductions shrinking from 18 months to every 12 months, chipmakers are constantly innovating to enable this prodigious scaling pace. 3D NAND technology is a core ingredient in mobile phones, solid-state dr... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Breaking news: Nvidia and Synopsys announced a multi-faceted, multi-year deal that includes everything from digital twins to CUDA programming, engineering, and marketing collaboration, and Nvidia's $2B purchase of Synopsys stock. [Updated 12/1] Memory news: Micron is building a $9.6B HBM facility in the city of Higashi-Hiroshima Japan, reports Nikkei. China's ChangXin Memory Technol... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Retaliations and countermoves leading up to planned trade talks between the U.S. and China led experts to wonder, 'Who's winning?' New activity on this front: China issued questionnaires to some U.S. semiconductor firms as part of an anti-dumping probe, demanding detailed data on sales, profit margins, logistics costs and Chinese customer names for analog chips. The probe appears aimed at ... » read more

Powering Efficiency: AI Transforms IC Manufacturing As ICs Fuel AI


The push to grow today’s $500 billion-plus semiconductor industry to $1 trillion in annual revenue is challenging every aspect of the broader supply chain to embrace AI. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way fabs are architected and run, how devices are manufactured, and how server farms are constructed going forward. At the same time, all of this is being enabled by advancements... » read more

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