Solid State Technology articles from January 2009

Solid State Technology archives from January 2009

All about IEDM.(SST ONLINE)
January 1, 2009... SST has IEDM covered! Check out our daily blog from Chipworks' Dick James; interviews with SEMATECH, IMEC, and Intel; and reports on numerous technologies being discussed at this year's event, including papers from the industry's heavy hitters...

Gases answer PV challenge.(Solid State Technology Online)(photovoltaics)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... SST's Debra Vogler reports from the Thin-film Solar Summit, where Linde exec Anish Tolia explained how gas technology can significantly impact cost/Watt for PV firms scaling production.

When photoresist is not enough.(Solid State Technology Online)(Novellus Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Pattern transfer is becoming trickier at 4x/32nm nodes and beyond, with thinner resist layers and higher aspect ratios/etch requirements for both logic and memory. Enter ashable hardmasks as a possible solution. Novellus VP Tim Archer tells...

Making scanners march in step.(Solid State Technology Online)(Brion Technologies)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... M. David Levenson takes a look at Brion Technologies' new suite of products that optimize the performance of diverse scanners so that challenging chip patterns can be manufactured in parallel, on old and new tools, at high volume.

2009 World Fab Forecast for spending and capacity.(Web Exclusives: ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... SEMI's World Fab Forecast tracks fab equipment needed to upgrade, expand, or change a fab's wafer size regardless if it is new, used, or transferred equipment. According to most recent data available, money spent on equipping fabs in 2009 could...

Overlay control goes to high-order.(Web Exclusives: ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... More challenging overlay requirements are driving a trend to use high-order control knobs for production set-up of scanners. This article explores the overlay requirements that are driving this trend, the challenges involved with implementing...

Executive essays: 2009 outlook.(Web Exclusives: ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Close to 20 industry executives discuss the economic and technology trends going forward into 2009, specifically addressing the difficult challenges facing the industry the in face of a tough global economy. Among them are: Foundries/IDMs...

Recessions: a potent time for R&D.(EDITORIAL)
January 1, 2009... Writing anything about the economy these days is like trying to hit a moving target (a quickly dropping target I might add) so let me first say "thank you" to the many forecasters, analysts, and company executives who had the gumption to...

Latest 32nm CMOS, memory beyond flash, plus novel devices detailed at 2008 IEDM.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(complementary metal oxide semiconductor)(International Electron Devices Meeting)(Being AMC)
January 1, 2009... New memory concepts and the latest 32nm CMOS with metal gates and high-k dielectrics were highlights of the 2008 International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco, Dec. 15-17. A wide range of innovative device technology, including...

ASML "double-dips" with updated litho tool.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Double patterning immersion lithography will be the dominant manufacturing paradigm at 32nm, and ASML announced at SEMICON Japan (Dec. 3) a new exposure tool designed for the most litho-intensive version of it: LELE, or "double-dip." The...

Applied accelerating TSV implementation, launches Silvia etch tool.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Applied Materials Inc.)(through silicon via)
January 1, 2009... Sizing up a TSV market beyond the early adopters--e.g., image sensors, server DRAM, and communication/mobile Internet devices--Applied Materials is collaborating with material and equipment suppliers (and others) to ensure the full readiness of...

The year ahead: a time for innovation.(TECHNOLOGY FORECAST)(Cover story)
January 1, 2009... Perhaps it is from decades of riding the notoriously cyclical roller coaster that is the semiconductor industry, but most of the executives from the supplier community that contributed their perspectives for this forecast issue believe that...

2009: replay of the mid-1990s.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... During the first half of 2008, the chip market held up well, better in fact than many predicted, but come the second half, the repercussions of the US sub-prime disaster had spread to the bigger global financial system, tipping the US and...

US and worldwide economy deal the industry forecast a wildcard.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... In 2008, 2.5% global GDP growth will be 31% below the 30-year long-term average of 3.6%, while 2009 global GDP growth is expected to be only 1.0%-1.6 percentage points under the global recession threshold of 2.6%. In 2008, worldwide electronic...

Economic crisis spurs 2% drop in 2008 chip market.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... Based on the actual third-quarter results of 121 leading semiconductor suppliers and on fourth quarter revenue estimates based primarily on financial guidance provided by the major chipmakers, as of November 2008 when this was written, iSuppli...

Chips and equipment go negative in 2009.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... Writing this forecast in early October 2008 using available data, it is apparent the global financial crisis is putting greater downward pressure on an already sluggish economy. Consumer and business confidence has further eroded and the global...

Semiconductor industry is living on the edge in 2009.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... Call it a fluke, call it luck, or call it immunity, but for most of 2008, the semiconductor industry appeared unaffected by the economic turmoil that was brewing around the globe. In September, however, the shoe dropped, and a demand-driven...

A brighter year in 2009.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... What will 2009 bring to the semiconductor market? Will the difficulties of 2008 extend to next year? Will today's financial meltdown drive further woes? Is there any chance of the market improving? Although all eyes today are focused upon the...

Swimming underwater? Hold your breath!(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... Probably the best way to describe the start of '09 is with a quote made during a Q3 earnings conference call. It doesn't even matter if the quote came from someone in the semiconductor industry. The message is germane to everyone who runs a...

2009 outlook: hooked on silicon.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)
January 1, 2009... This is probably the most difficult time ever to predict the industry's behavior for the year ahead. I am not a quantitative forecaster or economist, however I do regularly provide independent qualitative research and industry analysis for...

HDDs will weather the economic storm.(SPECIAL REPORT: 2009 Economic Forecast: Look for rebound by 2010)(hard disk drives)
January 1, 2009... Global economic turbulence will leave no business sector untouched in 2009. For one, PC sales will slow as buyers conserve cash. HDDs will also be affected, but less so as storage requirements continue to expand; and don't believe what you hear...

Status and trends in 300mm manufacturing.(300MM FABS)
January 1, 2009... Many observers were surprised by the initial "slow ramp" of 300mm manufacturing. The first 300mm fab was built by Siemens (before spinning out Infineon) and Motorola (before spinning out Freescale), and then two years passed before the second...

Flash and DRAM test on one tool.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The V6000 product line enables testing of both flash and DRAM memory on the same automated test equipment platform by changing to a new test program and probe card. Three versions target engineering, wafer sort, and final test (multichip...

Single-chamber dielectric etch.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Centura Enabler E5 dielectric etch system performs all the steps in a complex integration scheme (e.g., mask open, via, trench, resist strip and residue removal, barrier open) in a single chamber. Independent inner and outer wafer...

Aligners, measurement systems for 3D IC, MEMS.(PRODUCT NEWS)(integrated circuit, microelectromechanical systems)
January 1, 2009... The NT series of aligners and measurement systems offer dramatically increased alignment accuracy (1[micro]m down to 0.1[micro]m) for advanced MEMS, compound semiconductor, silicon-based power, 3D IC, and nanotechnology devices. Two mask...

Fast, compact resist/residue removal.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Enviro Xceed400 resist/removal tool achieves 400 wafers/hour throughput with small installation footprint (2000 x 2800) compared to other 300mm wafer processing tools. It incorporates a novel, proprietary vacuum transfer platform and a...

Greener wafer manufacturing.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Dyneon's Adona emulsifier eliminates the use of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO)--a salt derived from perf luorooctanoic acid (PFOA)--from production of fluoropolymers, which the EPA has mandated to be eliminated in 2015. Fluoroelastomers and...

High-volume GaN ICP etch.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The RIE-330iP high-volume GaN inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch system targets anisotropic etch of all types of semiconducting, insulating, and metallic films. It is equipped with 330mm trays and can process 27 20", 17 2.5", or seven 4"...

High-res microscope.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The iVista LC high-resolution digital microscope delivers images with resolution comparable to a 16mp color CCD, with unlimited digital zooming to provide detail and not just pixilated images. An automated objective changer allows switching...

Modulated pulse ionizing bar.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Ion Systems AeroBar MP Model 5625 offers efficient elimination of static charge in flat-panel display and related applications. A modulated pulse technology lowers swing voltage, reduces discharge times, and prolongs cleaning cycle times...

Doped diamond deposition.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Model 655D CVD diamond deposition for doped diamond applications features a hot filament technology that incorporates electrically conductive diamond (resistivity from .05 to 10[ohm]-cm and "excellent" thickness uniformity), enabling...

Doubling DRAM test capacity.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The DC-Boost test technology enables more efficient use of tester channels on test equipment to double the number of devices that can be tested simultaneously. It also minimizes drops in voltage that could lead to over- or under-testing of...

Halides for scintillation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The new line of high-purity halides enables growth of scintillation detector crystals to improve performance in detection of X-rays, [gamma]-rays, and radioactive particles. The crystal growth halides line includes thallium iodide, as well as...

PV workstation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The PV IsoStation series workstation offers a 36"x60" ergonomic workspace specifically for PV test and development applications, offering storage and shelving for instruments, solar simulators, and other devices. A specially treated worksurface...

Seal resistance to corrosive processes.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Chemraz XTR perfluoroelastomer, created in collaboration with Daikin Industries, targets highly corrosive fluorine environments (i.e., ClF3 and NF3), offering the highest available chemical resistance to thermal cleaning processes utilizing...

Wafer-level probe software.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The ProberBench Operating Environment is designed for efficient, intuitive, and safe wafer-level probing. Development of the interface and architecture was reportedly based on a three-month user study in the laboratories semiconductor design...

High-powered ultra-violet laser.(PRODUCT NEWS)
January 1, 2009... The Q304-HD high-powered ultra-violet (UV) laser provides 50% more power (>11W at 355nm) than its predecessors, with a "best in class" beam quality M2 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A collaborative course for HDD manufacturing.(INDUSTRY FORUM)(The hard disk drive)
January 1, 2009... The hard disk drive (HDD) industry has been evaluating lithographically patterned media as a vehicle to maintain the ~40% per year growth in areal density, to well beyond 1Tb/[in.sup.2]. To achieve this in a timely manner means reducing...