Plasma Etching : Challenges And Options Going Forward (UMD, IBM, Lam Research, Intel, Samsung et al.)


A new technical paper titled "Future of plasma etching for microelectronics: Challenges and opportunities" was published by researchers from numerous academic institutions and companies, including University of Maryland, IBM, Arkema, UCLA, Lam Research, Intel Corporation, Samsung, Air Liquide, Sony, and many others. Abstract: "Plasma etching is an essential semiconductor manufacturing techn... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Samsung unveiled its latest 2nm and 4nm process nodes, plus its AI solutions during the Samsung Foundry Forum. The company also introduced an aggressive roadmap for the next few years that includes 3D-ICs with logic-on-logic, starting in 2025; custom HBM with built-in logic; backside power delivery on 2nm technology in 2027; and co-packaged optics. In presentations at the event, the company als... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Absolics, an affiliate of Korea materials company SKC, will receive up to $75 million in direct funding under the U.S. CHIPS Act for the construction of a 120,000 square-foot facility in Covington, Georgia, for glass substrates in advanced packaging. imec will host a €2.5 billion (~$2.72B) pilot line for researching chips beyond 2nm, partially funded through the EU Chips Act. imec CEO Luc ... » read more

Understanding CFETs, A Next Generation Transistor Architecture


Computing power has experienced exponential growth over the last 70 years. This has largely been achieved through transistor scaling. Due to a continuous reduction in the size of transistors, engineers have been able to pack more and more of them onto a single chip [1]. This has led to faster, more powerful, and more energy-efficient devices. Improvements in fabrication processes and materials,... » 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

Sparking Climate Action With Earth Month Lightning Talks


In the age of rapidly advancing technology and global connectivity, it’s essential to recognize the impact of our actions on the planet. As industries evolve, so must our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. In this spirit, the Climate Equity and Social Impact (CESI) working group, part of the SEMI Sustainability Initiative, last month hosted the semiconductor industry... » read more

Blog Review: May 15


Cadence's Anika Sunda suggests that RISC-V has opened numerous doors for innovation and believes EDA tools can help bridge the knowledge gap and foster a growing community of RISC-V developers. Synopsys' Alessandra Costa chats with industry experts about challenges facing analog design, what's needed for multi-die designs, and the potential of AI. Siemens' Bill Ji explains why understandi... » read more

Using Predictive Maintenance To Boost IC Manufacturing Efficiency


Predicting exactly how and when a process tool is going to fail is a complex task, but it's getting a tad easier with the rollout of smart sensors, standard interfaces, and advanced data analytics. The potential benefits of predictive maintenance are enormous. Higher tool uptime correlates with greater fab efficiency and lower operating costs, so engineers are pursuing multiple routes to boo... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Synopsys refocused its security priorities around chips, striking a deal to sell off its Software Integrity Group subsidiary to private equity firms Clearlake Capital Group and Francisco Partners for about $2.1 billion. That deal comes on the heels of Synopsys' recent acquisition of Intrinsic ID, which develops physical unclonable function IP. Sassine Ghazi, Synopsys' president and CEO, said in... » read more

Predicting And Preventing Process Drift


Increasingly tight tolerances and rigorous demands for quality are forcing chipmakers and equipment manufacturers to ferret out minor process variances, which can create significant anomalies in device behavior and render a device non-functional. In the past, many of these variances were ignored. But for a growing number of applications, that's no longer possible. Even minor fluctuations in ... » read more

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