tag: Applied Materials

Challenges In Making And Testing STT-MRAM
By Mark LaPedus - 07 May, 2019 - Comments: 1

Several chipmakers are ramping up a next-generation memory type called STT-MRAM, but there are still an assortment of manufacturing and test challenges for current and future devices. STT-MRAM, or spin-transfer torque MRAM, is attractive and gaining steam because it combines the attributes of several conventional memory types in a single device. In the works for years, STT-MRAM features the ... » read more

Blog Review: April 24
By Jesse Allen - 24 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

Rambus' Steven Woo checks out changes in the hardware used for neural network training and the importance of co-design of hardware and software. Cadence's Meera Collier makes an argument for why vehicle sensors watching the driver could prevent some distraction and fatigue-related crashes. Synopsys' Dan Lyon and Garrett Sipple point to some best practices for how to deal with a changing t... » read more

Controlling IC Manufacturing Processes For Yield
By Ed Sperling - 24 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

Equipment and tools vendors are starting to focus on data as a means of improving yield, adding more sensors and analysis capabilities into the manufacturing flow to circumvent problems in real time. How much this will impact the cost of developing complex chips at leading-edge nodes, and in 2.5D and 3D-IC packages, remains to be seen. But the race to both generate data during manufacturing ... » read more

Electric Cars Gain Traction, But Challenges Remain
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 4

Battery-powered electric vehicles are expected to reach a milestone in terms of shipments in 2019, but the technology faces several significant hurdles to gain wider adoption in the market. Limited driving range, high costs, battery issues, and a spotty charging infrastructure are the main challenges for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). In addition, there are issues with various power semic... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers Here comes the battle between 5nm and 6nm processes at two foundry vendors—Samsung and TSMC. Meanwhile, Intel is behind and scrambling to get 10nm out the door. (Intel's 10nm is equivalent to 7nm from the foundries.) Last week, TSMC announced delivery of a complete version of its 5nm design infrastructure. TSMC’s 5nm technology is based on a finFET. This week, Samsung anno... » read more

Comparing New Memory Types
By Gill Lee - 18 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

After decades of research and development, three new types of memory—magnetic RAM (MRAM), phase change memory (PCRAM) and resistive RAM (ReRAM)—are moving toward commercial adoption, making this an exciting time for the semiconductor and computing industries. All three of these emerging memories are enabled by new materials and will require breakthroughs in process technology and manufactur... » read more

Lithography Options For Next-Gen Devices
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 2

Chipmakers are ramping up extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for advanced logic at 7nm and/or 5nm, but EUV isn’t the only lithographic option on the table. For some time, the industry has been working on an assortment of other next-generation lithography technologies, including a new version of EUV. Each technology is different and aimed at different applications. Some are here today, w... » read more

Leveraging The Digital Twin In Smart Microelectronics Manufacturing
By Applied Materials - 18 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

Among the many tenets of smart manufacturing, “digital twin” solutions represent a significant opportunity for microelectronics manufacturers to leverage existing and emerging technologies to improve quality and throughput, and reduce variability and cost. The microelectronics industry is working vigorously to leverage the big data revolution and tap into smart manufacturing (SM) and Indu... » read more

Blog Review: April 10
By Jesse Allen - 10 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 0

Arm's Paul Whatmough discusses the growing use of real-time computer vision on mobile devices and proposes transfer learning as a way to enable neural network workloads on resource-constrained hardware. Cadence's Anton Klotz highlights a collaboration with Imec and TU Eindhoven on cell-aware test that reduces defect simulation time by filtering out defects with equivalent fault effects. M... » read more

3D NAND Metrology Challenges Growing
By Mark LaPedus - 09 Apr, 2019 - Comments: 8

3D NAND vendors face several challenges to scale their devices to the next level, but one manufacturing technology stands out as much more difficult at each turn—metrology. Metrology, the art of measuring and characterizing structures, is used to pinpoint problems and ensure yields for all chip types. In the case of 3D NAND, the metrology tools are becoming more expensive at each iteration... » read more

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