tag: lithography

I Just Want Closure!
By Jean-Marie Brunet - 15 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Jean-Marie Brunet We all know it by now, but let’s say it one more time for the cameras—the level of complexity of closure at 20 nm and below is considerably higher than for any previous nodes. While the migration of manufacturing requirements into design started with a few suggested activities at 65 nm, such as recommended rules compliance, lithography checks, and critical area analysi... » read more

Can Mask Data Prep Tools Manage Data Glut?
By Ann Mutschler - 15 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Ann Steffora Mutschler The trend to reduce critical dimension sizes has in turn increased design file sizes, especially with the addition of optical proximity correction (OPC) steps. This extra data translates to a bigger burden to be processed downstream in the flow on the way to the mask writer. At 28nm, design post-OPC data files sizes reach hundreds of gigabytes. With 20nm and below ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 13
By Mark LaPedus - 13 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

Crawling And Climbing Robots The field of autonomous robotics is generating interest, as these systems can explore areas and perform functions that are risky and inaccessible to humans. The University of California at San Diego and EPFL separately have developed new autonomous robots for a range of applications. For example, UC San Diego has developed a robot designed to scoot along utility... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 6
By Ed Sperling - 06 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

Printing Ears Engineered cartilage is an option for auricular reconstruction. Enabling the development of engineered cartilage, Massachusetts General Hospital has fabricated a bioartificial ear using a 3D printer technology. The ear looks and mechanically behaves like a human one. Researchers used a titanium wire framework within a composite collagen ear-shaped scaffold to maintain the dime... » read more

High NA EUV Litho May Require Larger Photomask Size
By Jeff Chappell - 18 Jul, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Jeff Chappell With extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) potentially being used in pilot production in a few years, it raises the question of larger photomasks sizes—will the industry need them, and if so, when? While there has been discussion of late about the possible need to transition to a larger mask size, veterans of the mask business may feel it's déjà vu all over again. Back... » read more

450mm: Out Of Sync
By Mark LaPedus - 18 Jul, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Mark LaPedus The IC industry has been talking about it for ages, but vendors are finally coming to terms with a monumental shift in the business. The vast changes involve a pending and critical juncture, where the 450mm wafer size transition, new device architectures and other technologies will likely converge at or near the same time. In one possible scenario, 450mm fabs are projected ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 9
By Mark LaPedus - 09 Jul, 2013 - Comments: 0

Fishy Robots National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a robotic fish that mimics the movements of a carp—a technology that could pave the way for more efficient autonomous underwater vehicles. This robot is classified as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Applications include military, pipeline leakage detection, and the laying of communication cable. The robot could be u... » read more

Foundry Talk
By Ed Sperling - 07 Jul, 2013 - Comments: 0

GlobalFoundries CEO Ajit Manocha sounds off on Foundry 2.0, 450mm wafers, lithography challenges, stacked die, the Internet of Things and the rush to the next process node. [youtube vid=WfjtlZkCi0w] » read more

New Reliability Issues Emerge
By Ed Sperling - 27 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Ed Sperling Most consumers define reliability by whether a device turns on and works as planned, but the term is becoming harder to define as complexity increases and systems are interconnected. Adding more functionality in less space has made it more difficult to build complex chips, and it has made it more difficult to prevent problems in those chips. Verification coverage is a persist... » read more

Merchant Photomask Makers Remain Relevant
By Jeff Chappell - 20 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Jeff Chappell For many years the trend in the semiconductor industry with regard to photomasks and chipmakers was to shed captive mask operations in favor of merchant photomask suppliers. This reflected a larger trend all along the supply chain with many companies moving away from vertical integration as, consequently, the foundry model grew. "This was mainly driven by cost consideratio... » read more

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