Key Technologies To Extend EUV To 14 Angstroms


The top three foundries plan to implement high-NA EUV lithography as early as 2025 for the 18 angstrom generation, but the replacement of single exposure high-NA (0.55) over double patterning with standard EUV (NA = 0.33) depends on whether it provides better results at a reasonable cost per wafer. So far, 2024 has been a banner year for high-numerical aperture EUV lithography. Intel Foundry... » read more

Multi-tier Die Stacking Through Collective Die-to-Wafer Hybrid bonding


A technical paper titled "Multi-tier Die Stacking Through Collective Die-to-Wafer Hybrid bonding" was published by researchers at imec, Brewer Science and SUSS MicroTec Lithography GmbH. Abstract "A collective die-to-wafer bonding flow is extended beyond the N=2 tier to the N=3 and N=4 tier by collectively bonding multiple layers of dies on top of a target wafer. The N=2 die-level is show... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Early version due to U.S. holiday. The U.S. government announced a new $504 million funding round for 12 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) for semiconductors, clean energy, biotechnology, AI, quantum computing, and more. Among the recipients: NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub (New York): $40 million for semiconductor manufacturing; Headwaters Hub (Montana): $41 million f... » read more

Exploring The Fundamentals Of Photolithography


In the semiconductor materials industry, photolithography is a crucial technology for creating intricate electronic circuits. Essentially, it’s the art of printing at the nanoscale level, enabling the precise patterning of semiconductor materials. The ability to do this well is important for companies in the industry because it determines how detailed and efficient microchips can be. This aff... » read more

Reducing Risk In The Semiconductor Supply Chain


Companies that were hit with chip shortages during the pandemic are changing their strategies to prevent future problems, deploying a combination of supply chain mapping, second sourcing, and digital transformation. Those shortages caused a $200 billion loss for automotive manufacturers, and the disruptions were far more widespread, in many cases lasting for years. Companies of all sorts wer... » read more

What Works Best For Chiplets


The semiconductor industry is preparing for the migration from proprietary chiplet-based systems to a more open chiplet ecosystem, in which chiplets fabricated by different companies of various technologies and device nodes can be integrated in a single package with acceptable yield. To make this work as expected, the chip industry will have to solve a variety of well-documented technical an... » read more

Backside Power Delivery Gears Up For 2nm Devices


The top three foundries plan to implement backside power delivery as soon as the 2nm node, setting the stage for faster and more efficient switching in chips, reduced routing congestion, and lower noise across multiple metal layers. The benefits of using this approach are significant. By delivering power using slightly fatter, less resistive lines on the backside, rather than inefficient fro... » read more

Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging Hurdles


Fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) promises to significantly lower assembly costs over fan-out wafer-level packaging, providing the relevant processes for die placement, molding and redistribution layers (RDLs) formation can be scaled up with equivalent yield. There is still much work to be done before that happens. Until now, FOPLP has been adopted for devices that are manufactured in ve... » read more

Navigating Heat In Advanced Packaging


The integration of multiple heterogeneous dies in a package is pivotal for extending Moore’s Law and enhancing performance, power efficiency, and functionality, but it also is raising significant issues over how to manage the thermal load. Advanced packaging provides a way to pack more features and functions into a device, increasingly by stacking various components vertically rather than ... » read more

Photonic Debonding Provides A Cost-Efficient, High-Throughput Debond Process


As emerging technologies require ultrathinned device wafers, traditional debonding processes can pose some challenges. Photonic debonding is an innovative debonding process utilizing a carrier coated with an inorganic metal release layer that aids in the release of the thinned wafer from the carrier substrate with no force and no damage to the delicate wafer upon activation of the release layer... » read more

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