Getting Smarter About Tool Maintenance

By Anne Meixner - 16 Mar, 2023 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers have begun to shift to predictive maintenance for process tools, but the hefty investment in analytics and engineering efforts means it will take some time for smart maintenance to become a widespread practice. Semiconductor manufacturers need to maintain a diverse set of equipment to process the flow of wafers, dies, packaged parts, and boards running through factories. OSAT and ... » read more

Adopting Predictive Maintenance On Fab Tools

By Anne Meixner - 06 Dec, 2022 - Comments: 0

Predictive maintenance, based on more and better sensor data from semiconductor manufacturing equipment, can reduce downtime in the fab and ultimately cut costs compared with regularly scheduled maintenance. But implementing this approach is non-trivial, and it can be disruptive to well-honed processes and flows. Not performing maintenance quickly enough can result in damage to wafers or the... » read more

Test Connections Clean Up With Real-Time Maintenance

By Anne Meixner - 08 Nov, 2022 - Comments: 0

Test facilities are beginning to implement real-time maintenance, rather than scheduled maintenance, to reduce manufacturing costs and boost product yield. Adaptive cleaning of probe needles and test sockets can extend equipment lifetimes and reduce yield excursions. The same is true for load board repair, which is moving toward predictive maintenance. But this change is much more complicate... » read more

Setting The Memory Controller Free From Managing DRAM Maintenance Ops (ETH Zurich)

By Technical Paper Link - 14 Sep, 2022 - Comments: 0

A new technical paper titled "A Case for Self-Managing DRAM Chips: Improving Performance, Efficiency, Reliability, and Security via Autonomous in-DRAM Maintenance Operations" was published by researchers at ETH Zurich. Abstract: "The rigid interface of current DRAM chips places the memory controller completely in charge of DRAM control. Even DRAM maintenance operations, which are used to en... » read more

The Drive Toward More Predictive Maintenance

By Anne Meixner - 08 Sep, 2022 - Comments: 0

Maintenance is a critical behind-the-scenes activity that keeps manufacturing facilities running and data centers humming. But when not performed in a timely manner, it can result in damaged products or equipment, or significant system/equipment downtime. By shifting from scheduled maintenance to predictive maintenance, factories and electronic system owners can reap substantial benefits, in... » read more

Infrastructure Impacts Data Analytics

By Anne Meixner - 08 Dec, 2020 - Comments: 2

Semiconductor data analytics relies upon timely, error-free data from the manufacturing processes, but the IT infrastructure investment and engineering effort needed to deliver that data is, expensive, enormous, and still growing. The volume of data has ballooned at all points of data generation as equipment makers add more sensors into their tools, and as monitors are embedded into the chip... » read more

Fleet Management Of Data Center Electronics

By Yuval Bonen - 11 Aug, 2020 - Comments: 0

Data has become the most valuable resource of our time, with processing, storage and networking being the key assets of the modern digital world. This has fueled a two-decade spread of massive data centers around the globe and a surge in the cloud services they offer people, corporations, and countries alike. New services like video, game streaming, AI and social media push the need for data... » read more

Service Agreements For Probe Systems

By Erik Hanson - 07 Apr, 2020 - Comments: 0

Having a Probe Systems Service Agreements can bring simplicity and peace of mind when it comes to keeping equipment operating at optimum performance. We take the guesswork out of maintenance budgeting by providing parts and labor coverage at a single, low cost. Priority service and part delivery eliminates time wasted waiting for maintenance or repair parts. Comprehensive, scheduled preve... » read more

Knowledge Centers
Entities, people and technologies explored

Shift Left Is The Tip Of The Iceberg

A transformative change is underway for semiconductor design and EDA. New languages, models, and abstractions will need to be created.

by Brian Bailey

Partitioning In The Chiplet Era

Understanding how chiplets interact under different workloads is critical to ensuring signal integrity and optimal performance in heterogeneous designs.

by Ann Mutschler

3.5D: The Great Compromise

Pros and cons of a middle-ground chiplet assembly that combines 2.5D and 3D-IC.

by Ed Sperling

AI’s Role In Chip Design Widens, Drawing In New Startups

Focus is on letting engineers do much more with the same or fewer resources — and less drudgery.

by Karen Heyman

Key Technologies To Extend EUV To 14 Angstroms

Alongside high-NA EUV will be better-performing photoresists, reduced roughness using passivation and etch, and lateral etching to reduce tip-to-tip dimensions.

by Laura Peters

Memory Fundamentals For Engineers

eBook: Nearly everything you need to know about memory, including detailed explanations of the different types of memory; how and where these are used today; what's changing, which memories are successful and which ones might be in the future; and the limitations of each memory type.

by The SE Staff

What Comes After HBM For Chiplets

The standard for high-bandwidth memory limits design freedom at many levels, but that is required for interoperability. What freedoms can be taken from other functions to make chiplets possible?

by Brian Bailey

Why Small Fab And Assembly Houses Are Thriving

Megafabs churning out the most advanced processors are not the only game in town.

by Bryon Moyer

tag: maintenance