Server Memory: What Drives Its Growth?


I was recently reading several analyst reports that came out after the end of last quarter, and one caught my eye: "Gartner says Worldwide Server Shipments Grew 1.4%..." It caused me to wonder, how is it possible that server shipments only grow at modest rates, while the DRAM used in those servers is growing at significantly higher rates? Putting my search engine to use, I found a series of ... » read more

28nm FinFETs?


One star of the upcoming 14/16nm process node is the introduction of the finFET, a fundamentally new transistor that overcomes many of the limitations associated with planar transistors. While these devices are more complex to construct—and the physical extraction processes associated with them is more complex due to an increased number of resistances and capacitances—they are seen as a tra... » read more

Why An IBM Sale Matters


The rumored sale of IBM’s semiconductor unit to GlobalFoundries could add some interesting capabilities for the foundry, including deep process technology and expertise. It also could have some far-reaching effects for the entire semiconductor industry. The reason revolves around ongoing U.S. government initiatives to improve visibility for components throughout its supply chain. IBM has b... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Looking to address a new wave of chip architectures in the marketplace, Applied Materials has rolled out its next-generation, medium-current ion implanter. The system, dubbed the VIISta 900 3D, is geared for the production of finFETs and 3D NAND designs at the sub-2xnm nodes. Typically, medium-current implanters have a maximum energy range of about 900keV (triple-charge), with dose ranges fr... » read more

What Comes Next?


The latest manufacturing, materials and production developments for emerging and adjacent markets will be featured at SEMICON West 2014 (www.semiconwest.org), to be held on July 8-10 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. The co-location of emerging and adjacent market focused exhibitors and technical presentations within the framework of SEMICON West maximizes the synergies between sem... » read more

Game Of Eco Systems


My first ever blog post on May 28, 2008, was called “May you live in interesting times …”, starting with “the view from the top” at Synopsys. At the time, my focus was abstraction levels and how the industry has been moving upwards for decades. While it is not a Chinese proverb after all (read my blog above), we still do live in interesting times, perhaps more so that ever. One of the... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


According to one analyst, the capital spending picture looks gloomy. “We expect finFET and 3D NAND to ramp over the next two years. However, foundry and memory customers are showing great restraint with respect to spending plans, limiting the rate of new node transitions and overall capex upside. In the near term, we see no evidence of meaningful equipment orders to support high-volume finFET... » read more

The Power Of eDRAM


In last month’s article we looked at different aspects of technology nodes and the multiple techniques that are used to keep scaling on its path of increasing density. From an energy standpoint, it’s expensive to move data around and with the high bandwidth that’s needed to keep processors “fed,” engineers are looking at ways to keep data closer to the processing logic and minimize th... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


In a much-anticipated deal, IBM is close to selling its chip unit to GlobalFoundries, according to Bloomberg. GlobalFoundries wants IBM’s engineers and the IP, and not the fabs. Intel lost its challenge against a record 1.06 billion euro ($1.44 billion) European Union fine handed down five years ago, according to Reuters. The EU said Intel tried to thwart AMD by giving rebates to PC makers... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


To help fab tool vendors, Imec has formally launched what it calls a “suppliers hub.” This program aims to offer an open R&D platform, which enables chip suppliers and tool makers to collaborate more deeply and in an earlier stage in the process. D2S has acquired the assets of Gauda, a developer of GPGPU-based computational lithography acceleration technology headquartered in Sunnyvale,... » read more

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