tag: OSATs

What China Is Planning
By Mark LaPedus - 21 Oct, 2015 - Comments: 1

Over the years, China has unveiled several initiatives to advance its domestic semiconductor industry. China has made some progress at each turn, although every plan has fallen short of expectations. But now, the nation is embarking on several new and bold initiatives that could alter the IC landscape. China’s new initiatives address at least three key challenges for its IC industry: 1. C... » read more

Security In 2.5D
By Ed Sperling - 12 Oct, 2015 - Comments: 2

The long-anticipated move to 2.5D and fan-outs is raising some familiar questions about security. Will multiple chips combined in an advanced package be as secure as SoCs where everything is integrated on the same die? The answer isn't a simple yes or no. Put in perspective, all chips are vulnerable to [getkc id="253" kc_name="side channel attacks"], hacking of memory—a risk that increases... » read more

Is The 2.5D Supply Chain Ready?
By Ed Sperling - 28 Sep, 2015 - Comments: 0

A handful of big semiconductor companies began taking the wraps off 2.5D and fan-out packaging plans in the past couple of weeks, setting the stage for the first major shift away from Moore's Law in 50 years. Those moves coincide with reports of commercial [getkc id="82" kc_name="2.5D"] chips from chip assemblers and foundries that are now under development. There have been indications for... » read more

2.5D Timetable Coming Into Focus
By Ed Sperling - 23 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

After years of empty promises, the timetable for [getkc id="82" kc_name="2.5D"] is coming into better focus. Large and midsize chipmakers are behind it, real silicon is being developed, and contracts are being signed. That doesn't mean all of the pieces are in place or that market uptake is at the neck of the hockey stick. And it certainly doesn't mean the semiconductor industry is going to ... » read more

Foundries Versus OSATs
By Ed Sperling - 24 Jul, 2014 - Comments: 2

Since the 1990s, commercial foundries have ruled semiconductor manufacturing while the [getkc id='83' comment='OSAT'] providers (OSATs) have dominated IC packaging and testing. But as the industry moves toward stacked die over the next couple of years, and big foundries see a chance to expand their reach, the stage is set for an all-out war. There is much at stake on both sides. Foundries g... » read more

Stacked Die Are Coming Soon. Really
By Ed Sperling - 10 Jul, 2014 - Comments: 3

Since the beginning of the decade there have been many predictions that stacked die were just over the hill, but the time it has taken to climb that hill has been longer than most people would have anticipated. In fact, TSMC has been fully capable of building stacked die since last year, with risk production expected to be completed by year, according to Gartner. But something very fundament... » read more

Executive Insight: CH Wu
By Ed Sperling - 21 Apr, 2014 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down with CH Wu, president and CEO of Advantest Taiwan, to talk about business, politics, and his philosophy on what really motivates people. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Tell us a little about who you are and your background. Wu: I graduated from college with a degree in electrical engineering and started at Philips Electric, then moved ... » read more

Where Is 2.5D?
By Ed Sperling - 19 Dec, 2013 - Comments: 3

After nearly five years of concentrated research, development, test chips and characterization, 2.5D remains a possibility for many companies but a reality for very few. So what’s taking so long and why hasn’t all of this hype turned into production runs instead of test chips? Semiconductor Engineering spent the past two months interviewing dozens of people on this subject, from chipmakers ... » read more

Stacking The Deck
By Javier DeLaCruz - 22 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Javier DeLaCruz The pinnacle of system-on-chip has passed. There are several dynamics that are moving the industry away from the SoC philosophy that was so popular just a few short years ago. One of the significant factors is that the cost per gate for CMOS nodes below 28nm is rising for the first time in the history of our industry. Another critical factor is the emergence of through-silic... » read more

Preparing For Change
By Ed Sperling - 16 Aug, 2012 - Comments: 0

Throw out the most optimistic and the most pessimistic predictions about the future of the foundry model and you probably arrive at a reasonable approximation of how things will actually play out. It's clear that the number of customers at the front end of process technology will shrink after 20nm. It simply costs too much to design and manufacture a chip, and there aren’t enough markets c... » read more

Newer posts →

  • Sponsors

About

Navigation

Connect With Us

Copyright ©2013-2025 SMG   |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy