Research Bits: July 1


Copper-to-copper bonding for GaN integration Researchers from MIT, Georgia Tech, and Air Force Research Laboratory propose a bonding process to integrate gallium nitride (GaN) transistors onto standard silicon CMOS chips. They used the process to create a power amplifier. “We wanted to combine the functionality of GaN with the power of digital chips made of silicon, but without having to ... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Texas Instruments will invest more than $60 billion to build and expand seven semiconductor fabs in Texas and Utah, supporting more than 60,000 U.S. jobs. Chinese automakers — including SAIC Motor, Changan, Great Wall Motor, BYD, Li Auto and Geely — are aiming to launch new models with 100% homemade chips, some as early as 2026, reports Nikkei Asia. Marvell introduced 2nm custom SRAM ... » read more

Advanced Packaging Depends On Materials And Co-Design


Multi-die assemblies offer significant opportunities to boost performance and reduce power, but these complex packages also introduce a number of new challenges, including die-to-RDL misalignment, evolving warpage profiles, and CTE mismatch. Heterogeneous integration — an umbrella term that covers many different applications and packaging requirements — holds the potential to combine com... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Semiconductor industry energy consumption grew 125% between 2015 and 2023, while direct greenhouse gas emissions rose 23% in the same period, according to the Europe think tank Interface, which analyzed corporate social responsibility reports from 28 global chip manufacturers. CSIS' new report "Understanding U.S. Allies’ Current Legal Authority to Implement AI and Semiconductor Export Cont... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


ASML and imec signed a five-year strategic partnership to advance semiconductor innovation and sustainable technology. The collaboration will leverage ASML’s full product portfolio, including high-NA EUV, DUV immersion, and advanced metrology tools, within imec’s pilot line for sub-2nm R&D. Supported by EU and national funding, it will also drive research in silicon photonics, memory, a... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Intel said its new fab in Licking County, Ohio will be delayed due to financial struggles and a need to align chip production with market demand, reported the Columbus Dispatch. Construction is now estimated to be completed in 2030, with operations to start in 2030 or 2031. The company said it already has invested $3.7 billion locally. Apple plans to invest more than $500 billion in the U.S... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


The EU Commission approved €920 million in German State aid to support Infineon in setting up its Smart Power Fab in Dresden. Total funding for the Dresden site amounts to about €1 billion. PDF Solutions will acquire secureWISE for $130 million to expand the reach of its semiconductor manufacturing data platform, providing secure, remote access monitoring and control. Tariffs, trade, and ... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


The new Trump administration was quick to put a different stamp on the tech world: President Trump rescinded a long list of Biden’s executive orders, including those aimed at AI safety and the mandate for 50% EVs by 2030. Roughly 1.3 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2024, up 7.3% from 2023. The new administration announced $500 billion ($100 billion initially) in private sector in... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Imec announced a new automotive chiplet consortium to evaluate which different architectures and packaging technologies are best for automotive applications. Initial members includes Arm, ASE, Cadence, Siemens, Synopsys, Bosch, BMW, Tenstorrent, Valeo, and SiliconAuto. Imec also launched star, a global network bringing together automotive and semiconductor innovators to address technological c... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


Rapidus and IBM are jointly developing mass production capabilities for chiplet-based advanced packages. The collaboration builds on an existing agreement to develop 2nm process technology. Vanguard and NXP will jointly establish VisionPower Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (VSMC) in Singapore to build a $7.8 billion, 12-inch wafer plant. This is part of a global supply chain shift “Out... » read more

← Older posts