Lithography Options For Next-Gen Devices


Chipmakers are ramping up extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for advanced logic at 7nm and/or 5nm, but EUV isn’t the only lithographic option on the table. For some time, the industry has been working on an assortment of other next-generation lithography technologies, including a new version of EUV. Each technology is different and aimed at different applications. Some are here today, w... » read more

Lithography Challenges For Leading Edge 3D Packaging Applications


Leading edge consumer electronic products drive demand for enhanced performance and small form factors. This in turn drives manufacturing requirements for all aspects of semiconductor device fabrication. As the cost of front end device manufacturing continues to escalate rapidly with each new technology node, semiconductor manufacturing companies are now also focusing on packaging technology to... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Public policy The rise of the digital economy is creating millions of new jobs, but it’s difficult to fill these positions. So, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a U.S.-based trade group, is encouraging hi-tech companies to offer more apprenticeships. This is especially true for software engineering, networking, data analytics, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The Semic... » read more

Single Vs. Multi-Patterning EUV


Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography finally is moving into production, but foundry customers now must decide whether to implement their designs using EUV-based single patterning at 7nm, or whether to wait and instead deploy EUV multiple patterning at 5nm. Each patterning scheme has unique challenges, making that decision more difficult than it might appear. Targeted for 7nm, single pattern... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Chipmakers TrendForce released its foundry rankings for the first quarter of 2019. TSMC is still the clear leader, followed in order by Samsung, GlobalFoundries and UMC, according to the firm. It was a tough quarter for all foundries. Samsung has rolled out its new High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2E) product. The new solution, called Flashbolt, is the industry’s first HBM2E to deliver a 3.2Gbps... » read more

Making Chip Packaging Simpler


Packaging is emerging as one of the most critical elements in semiconductor design, but it's also proving difficult to master both technically and economically. The original role of packaging was simply to protect the chips inside, and there are still packages that do just that. But at advanced nodes, and with the integration of heterogeneous components built using different manufacturing pr... » read more

Low Ripple Notch Filter Designs Using Apodized Thickness Modulation


An apodized discrete layer thickness design method for notch filters is presented. The method produces error tolerant designs with low ripple in the pass band regions without any additional numerical optimization. Sample designs are presented. Multiple approaches have been used in the past for producing notch filters (also called minus filters). The two main approaches can be grouped into ru... » read more

Gaps In 5G Test


Add one more industry to the long list that analysts expect 5G technology to disrupt—test. While the initial versions of this wireless technology will be little more than a faster version of 4G, concern is growing about exactly how to test the second phase of this technology, which will be based upon millimeter wave. A number of fundamental problems need to be addressed. Among them: T... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Chipmakers and OEMs Cypress Semiconductor has received regulatory antitrust approval for the closing of its previously-announced joint venture with SK Hynix. The new joint venture, SkyHigh Memory, will provide single-level cell (SLC) NAND memory solutions. Cree has announced the execution of a definitive agreement to sell its Lighting Products business unit (Cree Lighting), which includes t... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: March 5


WAAM process Thales Alenia Space, Cranfield University and Glenalmond Technologies have produced a prototype of a titanium pressure vessel for use in future space missions. The vessel is 1 meter in height and weighs 8.5kg. The titanium alloy is made using Cranfield’s additive technology, dubbed the Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process. Related to 3D printing technology, WA... » read more

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