Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test

By Mark LaPedus - 02 Oct, 2020 - Comments: 0

Chipmakers and OEMs NXP has announced the grand opening of its 150mm (6-inch) RF gallium nitride (GaN) fab in Chandler, Ariz. This is said to be the most advanced fab dedicated to 5G RF power amplifiers in the United States. NXP’s new Chandler-based GaN fab is qualified now, with initial products ramping in the market and expected to reach full capacity by the end of 2020. GaN, a III-V techn... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 31

By Mark LaPedus - 31 Jul, 2018 - Comments: 0

Florida R&D fab A new microelectronics R&D initiative in Florida is expanding its operations and readying its new 200mm fab facility. The initiative, called BRIDG, describes itself as a non-profit, public-private partnership. BRIDG is basically an R&D microelectronics facility, which is focusing on the development of select technologies, such as photonics, sensors, imagers and 2.5D/3D pac... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: July 28

By Mark LaPedus - 28 Jul, 2015 - Comments: 0

Molecular chips Researchers from various organizations have devised a transistor consisting of a single molecule and a few atoms. The work could one day lead to the integration of molecular-based devices with existing semiconductor technologies. This work was conducted by Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik (PDI), Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), NTT and the U.S. Naval Research L... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing

By Mark LaPedus - 22 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

At an event, Samsung rolled out its 10nm finFET technology. The company also showed a 300mm wafer with 10nm finFET transistors. "We have silicon-based PDKs out," said Kelvin Low, senior director of foundry marketing for Samsung. Samsung plans to move into production with its 10nm finFET technology by the end of 2016, he said. IC Insights released its chip rankings in terms of sales in the fi... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: May 5

By Mark LaPedus - 05 May, 2015 - Comments: 0

Transparent armor The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed transparent armor. The technology is actually a hard transparent ceramic, based on a material called spinel. Spinel is a magnesium aluminate compound. Spinel is also a gemstone, which could come in various colors. NRL has devised a fabrication process to create the technology, which is harder and superior to glass, sap... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: April 28

By Mark LaPedus - 28 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

CIA and 3D printers Voxel8, a supplier of 3D printers, has closed a strategic investment and technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel (IQT), the venture capital arm of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Voxel8, founded by technologists from Harvard University, is commercializing a new platform for 3D printing. The company enables engineers to create products with embedded 3D ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Dec. 16

By Mark LaPedus - 16 Dec, 2014 - Comments: 0

Space DSA NASA's Physical Science Research Program is taking directed self-assembly (DSA) technology to new heights. On the International Space Station, astronauts are exploring the development of nanoparticles suspended in magnetorheolocial (MR) fluids. MR fluids, which are a new class of smart materials, self-assemble into shapes in the presence of a magnetic field. With the technology, r... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 16

By Mark LaPedus - 16 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 0

Making sounds with atoms What is the sound of one hand clapping? Perhaps a better question is what is the sound of an atom? Chalmers University of Technology has demonstrated the ability to make a sound with an atom. More specifically, researchers have made acoustic waves with an artificial atom. In doing so, researchers have demonstrated quantum physics with sound taking on the role of lig... » 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

NAND Flash Targets 1,000 Layers

New techniques go beyond improved deposition and etching, but challenges stack up, too.

by Bryon Moyer

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

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

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

Why Small Fab And Assembly Houses Are Thriving

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