Solid State Technology articles from August 2004

Solid State Technology archives from August 2004

Moving (slowly) toward full automation.(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... The global semiconductor industry is exhibiting many different signs of a maturing industry, and the current status of automated manufacturing is one of those signs. In the area of automation, manufacturing industries seem to stumble...

Semi: wafer shipments set records in 1Q04.(Business Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Worldwide silicon wafer-area shipments rose 9% in 1Q from the previous quarter, and 29% from 1Q03, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG), in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry. Total silicon wafer-area...

Intel Corp.(Worldwide Highlights)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Intel Corp.'s Fab 24 facility in Leixlip, Ireland, has begun production of 300mm wafers using 90nm process technology, one month after the company announced it would invest 1.6 billion [euro] (nearly $2 billion) to enable 65nm process...

TSMC.(Worldwide Highlights)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... TSMC's Fab 14 plant has successfully produced high-yield 300mm wafers at levels equaling those from its Fab 12 operations, just 90 days after initial installation of process equipment. The company also said it has boosted production at its Fab...

Cadence Design Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, and ASML MaskTools, Santa Clara, CA, have signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement to develop an integrated design-for-manufacturability (DFM) flow.(USA)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Cadence Design Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, and ASML MaskTools, Santa Clara, CA, have signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement to develop an integrated design-for-manufacturability (DFM) flow. Under the agreement, Cadence will license...

AMD.(USA)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... AMD has completed the design of its AMD 64 dual-core processors and plans to launch the technology by mid-2005, right about the time Intel is expected to bring its dual-core chips to market. The chips will be ready for x86 servers by mid-2005,...

IEEE.(USA)(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, collaboration)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... SEMI and IEEE have signed an agreement to support each other's efforts in creating nanotechnology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) standards, the first such collaboration between the two organizations. Under the partnership, SEMI and...

Design-to-Manufacturing Coalition.(USA)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A new group has been formed to create open standards for unifying IC design and manufacturing information and to counter increasing costs and complexities associated with design for manufacturability (DFM). The Design-to-Manufacturing...

Royal Philips Electronics NV.(China)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Royal Philips Electronics NV plans to transfer production from its chipmaking operations in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands, to China in an effort to strengthen ties with the company's domestic partners. The move would affect 250 jobs and possibly...

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials.(China)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, a Philadelphia, PA-based materials company, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Dongguan, China. The largest of the company's five Asia-Pacific operations, the facility will produce technologies to...

Alliance Semiconductor Corp.(India)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Alliance Semiconductor Corp., a Santa Clara, CA-based provider of chip technologies, said it will invest up to $50 million in its India Design Center over the next five years to expand its engineering and deployment services. The investment is...

Toshiba Corp. plans to transfer part of its power transistor business, including product development, design, manufacturing, and marketing of high-capacity power module products, to Mitsubishi Electric.(Japan)
August 1, 2004... Toshiba Corp. plans to transfer part of its power transistor business, including product development, design, manufacturing, and marketing of high-capacity power module products, to Mitsubishi Electric. The operations consist of only a few...

Toshiba Ceramics Co.(Japan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... In other related news, Toshiba Ceramics Co. plans to increase production of 200mm wafers from 350,000 wafers/month to 400,000 wafers/month by September, according to the Asia Pulse Businesswire. The addition of equipment and capacity for...

Renesas Technology Corp., the chipmaking JV formed in April 2003 by Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., has purchased two Tokyo-area chipmaking plants from Hitachi Ltd. for [yen]1.2 billion ($10.9 million) to boost its wafer-processing and chip-packaging operations, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.(Japan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Renesas Technology Corp., the chipmaking JV formed in April 2003 by Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., has purchased two Tokyo-area chipmaking plants from Hitachi Ltd. for [yen]1.2 billion ($10.9 million) to boost its wafer-processing and...

Fujitsu Ltd.(Japan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Fujitsu Ltd. is planning a 20% increase in production of image sensors (mostly CMOS) in fiscal 2004 to 1.2 million units/month, but will use existing production lines to avoid additional capital investments, according to the Asia Pulse...

Hynix Semiconductor.(Korea)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Hynix Semiconductor has agreed to sell its system IC division to a newly founded group, pending shareholders' approval. The South Korean business will be renamed System Semiconductor Ltd., a group formed by CVC Asia Pacific Ltd. and Citigroup...

SunPower Corp.(Philippines)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... SunPower Corp., a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor, said it has produced an initial lot of solar cells from its manufacturing facility near Manila, less than two months after it opened. Volume production is scheduled for 2H04 at the...

Powerchip Semiconductor Corp.(Taiwan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. plans to spend about $2 billion to build a third 300mm facility in Taiwan, according to a Dow Jones report. Powerchip already has a 300mm facility on-line, with another under construction; combined monthly capacity...

Unaxis.(Taiwan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Swiss firm Unaxis has begun construction of a $29.8 million LCD R&D and assembly facility in the Chunan Science-based Industrial Park in Miaoli County, with a completion date of 2005. The facility represents the company's largest investment in...

Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA, has signed a deal to provide global sales and marketing for 300mm test wafers from Phoenix Silicon International (PSI), Hsinchu, Taiwan.(Taiwan)(Phoenix Silicon International)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA, has signed a deal to provide global sales and marketing for 300mm test wafers from Phoenix Silicon International (PSI), Hsinchu, Taiwan. Applied also will provide PSI with new technology and equipment for...

International Sematech has selected German lithography firm Carl Zeiss SMT to develop a defect review tool for 193nm immersion lithography photomasks.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... International SEMATECH has selected German lithography firm Carl Zeiss SMT to develop a defect review tool for 193nm immersion lithography photomasks. An alpha tool of the aerial image measurement system (AIMS) is expected to be available to...

The European Union once again is looking into Intel Corp.'s business practices in Europe, after a renewed complaint by rival AMD.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The European Union once again is looking into Intel Corp.'s business practices in Europe, after a renewed complaint by rival AMD. European Commission antitrust regulators, who ruled in 2001 that Intel did not engage in abusive marketing...

Renesas Technology Corp.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Renesas Technology Corp. has said it plans to restructure its frontend manufacturing business, resulting in the closure of Renesas Semiconductor Europe by the end of this year. Frontend work for MCU, SPAM, and NOR flash memory will be...

Infineon Technologies AG.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Infineon Technologies AG is set to open its newly expanded memory chip assembly and test facility in Porto, Portugal, in which it has invested 230 million [euro] (about $277 million) to build a second module at the site. Work began in late...

Designer plasmas solve range of manufacturing problems.(Technology News)
August 1, 2004... Tohoku U. researchers are applying their pulse-time modulation technology to tailor plasma composition for specific processes, showing results in efficiently etching difficult new materials, making ultrathin gate-dielectric layers, and reducing...

Automated macrodefect system enables 100% real-time inspection.(Technology News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Rudolph Technologies has introduced an automated macrodefect inspection system that allows for 100% inline inspection at lithography and CMP process steps, thereby eliminating the need for random sampling strategies. The overall system...

Small world: carving 10nm 3D MEMS structures with e-beam.(Technology News)(Microelectromechanical systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... NTT's basic materials science laboratory says it has developed high-speed e-beam technology for making MEMS structures with higher resolution than can be done by etching. Researchers axe showing off a 3D map of the world (see figure), with...

Optical interconnects promised by III-V on-silicon integration.(Compound Semiconductors)
August 1, 2004... The 2003 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) notes that monolithically integrated, low-cost light emitters, detectors, and modulators are interesting possible solutions for impending silicon CMOS interconnect challenges....

Exploiting design regularity for optical RET lithography.(Front End Of Line)(resolution-enhancement techniques)
August 1, 2004... Semiconductor lithography is facing a critical crossroads. In the mid-1990s, minimum feature sizes began to drop below available exposure wavelengths and over the last several years this trend has continued. State-of-the-art microprocessors...

Topography control using sacrificial capping layers.(MP/Copper)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Capping layers can protect porous low-k materials from subsequent processes. Although the introduction of porous low-k dielectrics has been pushed out, there are good reasons to use capping layers now. This article focuses on the...

Optimized illumination settings extend ArF lithography to 65nm.(Lithography series: part III)(Argon Flouride)
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW The extension of 193nm ArF lithography to 65nm processes will be necessary because of delays and problems with 157nm tool deployment. Resolution-enhancement techniques such as darkfield alternating phase-shift masks, double dipole...

A nonpenetrating 4PP measures USJ sheet resistance.(Metrology series: part II)(four-point probe )
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW A new method using elastic-material (EM) probes to form nonpenetrating contacts to the silicon surface to measure the four-point probe (4PP) sheet resistance of USJ source/drain structures is described. Sheet resistance...

How buffer layers can provide stress management for wafer-level chip-scale packages.(Assembly/Packaging)
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Wafer-level packaging (WLP) holds significant promise in enabling higher performance, smaller form factors, and cost savings in IC products, but the introduction of new materials in semiconductor manufacturing raises reliability...

An analytical look at vertical transistor structures.(Device Engineering)
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW The combination of device enhancements, such as strained silicon configurations, SOI, and nonplanar transistor device structures, in conjunction with the current state-of-the art global efforts in high-k gate dielectrics, metal gate...

Removing copper over low-k films using stress-free polishing.(CMP)(chemical mechanical planarization )
August 1, 2004... OVERVIEW With the convergence of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and low-k dielectrics for copper dual-damascene interconnects at the 130nm technology node and below, the low mechanical strength of low-k films can cause...

Backend test system uses 40% less space.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The cluster probing system (CPS) combines multiple test configurations within one backend test system, with up to six high-throughput probe systems configured around a high-speed robotic material handling unit, taking up 40% less floor space...

Immersion objective achieves 60nm resolution.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Leica DUV AT WI water immersion objective for deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography applications has a numerical aperture of 1.2 and 19 lenses, and reportedly offers 25% higher resolution than the previous model. As part of the LWM500 WI...

Ellipsometer provides high-throughput measurements.(Products News)
August 1, 2004... The ultra-II transparent thin-film metrology system provides measurements for process control at the 90nm technology node and below, as well as for 193nm lithography processes. The MAControl option helps to eliminate effects of molecular...

Mask generator exposes probe masks in 30 min.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The PS- 1000 wafer-probe alignment-mask generator is designed for the semiconductor-test probe card industry. The system reportedly reduces mask costs by 27%. An alignment pattern duplicates the positions of all the contact pads on the circuit...

Arsine purifier.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Nanochem ASX-II purification medium removes killer impurities such as [H.sub.2]O in arsine, eliminates pressure build-up, and nearly doubles the moisture capacity, extending the lifetime of the purifier. The medium can also remove oxy-acid...

RTP system.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Helios 300mm RTP system features model-based temperature control for uniformity, fast ramp and cool-down rates, closed-loop control down to 250[degrees]C, and dual-side heating for minimized pattern effects. Built on a modular, dual-chamber...

3D modeling software.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... MEMulator 2004 emulates and visualizes fabrication processes for 3D MEMS modeling. Cross-sectioning, animation, and zoom capabilities help users to create complex virtual models and reduce the cost of prototyping, which generally requires...

Mechanically driven work center.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Series 6600 adjustable-height workstation provides an ergonomically designed work area, with supporting frames that can be rear- or center-justified, increasing the work area for two operators and stabilizing the station for heavy loads. It...

Microtesting system.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The model 5848 MicroTester is designed to test microelectronic devices and MEMS, photonic, and other small components. It can be used to conduct die shear and pull, tensile, flex, and peel tests. The system's rigid horizontal- and...

High-res machine-vision camera.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Dica 121 is a high-resolution, digital camera for motion/vision, pick-and-place machines, and robotics. The camera's sensor can obtain up to 1280x1024 pixels, and has a 10bit/pixel gray level for accurate test-product images. Images can be...

Plasma processing platform.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The AP-1000 HTP (high-throughput) plasma-processing system is equipped with four MFCs for optimal control of argon, hydrogen, and helium gases; each of up to 12 slotted magazines can hold 20 lead frames. All vertical electrodes are grounded,...

Compact defect inspection system.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The compact Reflex MetriCube 300mm defect inspection system can be integrated into any 300mm process or handling tool. The main component, the compact Reflex laser darkfield surface-inspection module, has sensitivity to below 90nm. The system...

Ion source.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Diamonex CD Source is a gridless ion source for direct and ion-assisted deposition of thin films, ion-beam etching, and surface cleaning, especially for the data storage industry. In harsh environments, it has demonstrated 170+ hours of...

Combo analysis system.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Trident microanalysis system combines x ray microanalysis, electron diffraction, and wavelength-dispersal spectrometry in one tool to improve analysis accuracy that may be compromised between individual tools that perform these functions,...

Integrated inspection system.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Dual-VU integrated inspection system displays side-by-side x-ray and optical images in real time at up to 40x magnification; a high quality dichroic mirror separates the x-ray beam from the light path to provide images on the same axis. The...

Micro-objective for lithography.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The AquaCAT immersion micro-objective is based on the MicroCAT catadioptric micro-objective design, using immersion technology to increase NA and depth-of-focus for higher resolution. In tests, the objective yielded image resolution

Ball valve.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The Quarter-Bloc PVC True-Union ball valve is NSF-61 approved, features all-thermoplastic construction with no metallic parts, and is suitable for water and light chemical applications. Safety and convenience features include a safe blocking...

Polymer removers.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... The KDSP PEPR line of wet cleans consists of noncorrosive, environmentally benign post etch polymer removers that are formulated for sub-180nm high-density plasma etch. They dissolve to remove inorganic polymers from post-metal and post-via...

CMP pressure-mapping sensor.(Product News)
August 1, 2004... Tactilus is an electronic force- and pressure-indicating sensor that monitors proper pressures in wafer polishing and bonding processes. The system can be used for either single-spindle or multispindle heads, with custom designs available. The...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... * SEPTEMBER 2004 13-15-SEMICON Taiwan--Taipei, Taiwan. SEMI combines an integrated exposition with industry-specific programs that focus on the Taiwan equipment market. Info: Irene Yu, SEMI Southeast Asia, ph 886/3-573-3399, fax...

Testing new business models.(Perspectives)
August 1, 2004... Market upturn will test new approaches to manufacturing Kevin Brewer, VP, worldwide operations, Axcelis Technologies Inc., Beverly, Massachusetts Those of us in the semiconductor industry sometimes forget our unique situation. Very few...

Taiwan's top 10 semiconductor ranking shows diversity.(News)
August 1, 2004... A newly released Taiwan top 10 semiconductor ranking shows a healthy mix of companies sitting atop the island's $30 billion chip industry. The group accounted for more than half of Taiwan's semiconductor industry revenues at $16.23 billion in...

SEAJ: May delivered a mixed bag to chip equipment firms.(News)(Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Japanese manufacturers of semiconductor equipment saw mixed results in May 2004, as slowing domestic demand was countered by a pickup overseas, according to the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ). For the third straight...

How Taiwan's foundries have closed the gap with IDMs.(Taiwan)(integrated device manufacturers)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... In less than a decade, the dynamics between Taiwan's large silicon foundry base and leading integrated device manufacturers (IDM) have shifted dramatically. No longer lagging the IDMs by at least one process generation--as had been the case in...

Taiwan becomes driving force in single-wafer technology.(Taiwan)
August 1, 2004... Adoption of single-wafer processing technology for semiconductor manufacturing continues to increase worldwide, but the Asia-Pacific region--particularly Taiwan--is on outpacing the overall global growth rate. Taiwan is home to the world's...

What's next for Taiwan's IC industry?(Taiwan)
August 1, 2004... Faced with the threat of mainland China's growing silicon foundry and chip manufacturing segments as well as its low-cost labor, Taiwan's IC industry is under pressure to transform itself into a high value-added, design-driven industry in order...

What's still holding back China's huge fabless potential.(China)
August 1, 2004... The industry's current "up" cycle has been notable because of its strength despite the lack of a new killer application; the cycle has been buoyed instead by many minor new applications and in large part by the existence of a "killer...

Supporting Asia's rapid expansion raises stakes for fab suppliers.(Asia)
August 1, 2004... When it comes to Asia, semiconductor industry suppliers face a daunting challenge in the current strong recovery cycle. Simply put, suppliers of wafer lab technologies and tools are under tremendous pressure to be in more places, supporting...

Inotera Memories Inc., the 50-50 DRAM JV between Infineon Technologies and Nanya Technology Corp., has inaugurated its $2.2 billion 300mm DRAM production facility in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 18 months after its formation.(News)
August 1, 2004... Inotera Memories Inc., the 50-50 DRAM JV between Infineon Technologies and Nanya Technology Corp., has inaugurated its $2.2 billion 300mm DRAM production facility in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 18 months after its formation. The first of two stages of...

Japan's NEC Electronics Corp. has consolidated the operations of its ULSI manufacturing engineering and advanced SoC line operating divisions under one roof.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Japan's NEC Electronics Corp. has consolidated the operations of its ULSI manufacturing engineering and advanced SoC line operating divisions under one roof. The new subsidiary, NEC Fabserve Ltd., located in Sagamihara, Japan, will offer...

A proposed plan by several Japanese chipmakers to consolidate manufacturing facilities has been abandoned, according to a Kyodo News report.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A proposed plan by several Japanese chipmakers to consolidate manufacturing facilities has been abandoned, according to a Kyodo News report. The deal, first announced in September 2003, would have pooled investments topping $1.7 billion into...

Silterra Malaysia Sdn Bhd and European research center IMEC have agreed to jointly develop 0.13[micro]m CMOS process technology at IMEC's Leuven, Belgium facility.(News)(Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Silterra Malaysia Sdn Bhd and European research center IMEC have agreed to jointly develop 0.13[micro]m CMOS process technology at IMEC's Leuven, Belgium facility. Silterra's foundry, which currently offers 0.8-0.22[micro]m process...

Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. have developed technology that can double production yields for 65nm semiconductors, according to Japanese newswire reports.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. have developed technology that can double production yields for 65nm semiconductors, according to Japanese newswire reports. The companies claim their process, which produces more durable wires, can boost yields to...

Komatsu Electronic Metals Co.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Komatsu Electronic Metals Co. said it plans to increase output of 300mm wafers at its Nagasaki facility by 30,000 wafers/month by 2H05, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The [yen]1.1 billion (roughly $I0 million) expansion will boost...

TSMC.(News)(Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Taiwanese TSMC has boosted production at its Fab 6 facility to a record 70,000 200mm wafers/month, exceeding its planned 2Q04 capacity by nearly 10%. TSMC also said its Fab 14 plant has successfully produced high-yield 300mm wafers at levels...

Hynix Semiconductor.(News)(System Semiconductor Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor has agreed to sell its system IC division to a newly founded group, pending shareholders' approval. The South Korean business will be renamed System Semiconductor Ltd., a group formed by CVC Asia Pacific Ltd....

Elpida Memory Inc., the Hitachi/NEC memory JV, and Micron Technology Inc. have petitioned the Japanese government to impose countervailing duties on imports of DRAM chips from Hynix, according to news reports.(News)
August 1, 2004... Elpida Memory Inc., the Hitachi/NEC memory JV, and Micron Technology Inc. have petitioned the Japanese government to impose countervailing duties on imports of DRAM chips from Hynix, according to news reports. The US and European Union imposed...

Toshiba Corp. plans to transfer part of its power transistor business, including product development, design, and manufacturing and marketing of high-capacity power module products, to Mitsubishi Electric, according to wire reports.(News)
August 1, 2004... Toshiba Corp. plans to transfer part of its power transistor business, including product development, design, and manufacturing and marketing of high-capacity power module products, to Mitsubishi Electric, according to wire reports. The...

Samsung.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Korean tech giant Samsung said it will invest more than $17 billion to create the world's largest "crystal valley" in sooth Chungchong Province. The company, which already has six production lines in Chonan for LCDs and PDPs, aims to create "a...