Solid State Technology articles from June 2004

Solid State Technology archives from June 2004

DFM needs new collaborative mindset.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... In recent years, companies in the semiconductor industry have been collaborating much more than in the past. Major collaborative efforts, in various forms, have sped the development of leading-edge technologies and processes while...

Fabless companies keep pace with chipmakers in 2003.(Business Trends)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Worldwide public fabless revenue rose 16.2% to $24.2 billion in 2003, keeping pace with overall industry growth of 18% and representing 16.6% of total semiconductor industry sales, according to a recent report from the Fabless Semiconductor...

Trikon Technologies Inc.(Worldwide Highlights)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Trikon Technologies Inc., Wales, UK, has completed the Semiconductor Equipment Association's ACTION low-k CVD project, conducted at the Crolles II Alliance facility in France with participants STMicroelectronics, Philips Research, AMD Saxony,...

NEC Electronics Corp. has signed a deal with Transmeta Corp. to incorporate its LongRun2 technology, which addresses power consumption and leakage, into NEC's sub-90nm chips.(Worldwide Highlights)
June 1, 2004... NEC Electronics Corp. has signed a deal with Transmeta Corp. to incorporate its LongRun2 technology, which addresses power consumption and leakage, into NEC's sub-90nm chips. NEC also will take an ownership stake of

Winbond Electronics Corp. and Etron Technology Inc. have received "lucrative" orders from Intel and Sharp to bundle their memory chips with multichip-package products in next-generation handsets, according to the China Economic News Service.(Worldwide Highlights)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Winbond Electronics Corp. and Etron Technology Inc. have received "lucrative" orders from Intel and Sharp to bundle their memory chips with multichip-package products in next-generation handsets, according to the China Economic News Service....

AMD.(USA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AMD has opened two "automated precision manufacturing" (APM) centers in Austin, TX, and Dresden, Germany. The centers will be used to integrate version 3.0 of AMD's APM technologies into Fab 36, the company's 300mm wafer fab under construction...

International Sematech.(USA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... International SEMATECH and the state of Texas have agreed to launch a five-year, $200 million project to accelerate development of next-generation semiconductors, nanotechnology, and related technologies. The Advanced Materials Research Center,...

FEI Co. said it has broken the 1 [Angstrom] (0.l nm) image-resolution barrier with a 200kV transmission electron microscope (TEM).(USA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FEI Co. said it has broken the 1 [Angstrom] (0.l nm) image-resolution barrier with a 200kV transmission electron microscope (TEM). The process, which utilizes electron optics developed by FEI and CEOS Co., could enable TEM techniques such as 3D...

STMicroelectronics and South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor are discussing a potential partnership in a 2 trillion won ($1.73 billion) chipmaking plant in China.(China)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... STMicroelectronics and South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor are discussing a potential partnership in a 2 trillion won ($1.73 billion) chipmaking plant in China, according to Dow Jones and the Korea Economic Daily. Hynix and STMicro reportedly...

TSMC.(China)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... TSMC has begun moving equipment into its new facility in Shanghai, proceeding toward a scheduled production date of 4Q04 contingent on approval from the Taiwanese government, according to Dow Jones. TSMC gained initial approval to invest about...

Shin-Etsu Handotai Co.(Japan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., a subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., plans to spend [yen] 40 billion ($361.2 million) to raise monthly capacity of 300mm wafers by 50% to 300,000 units by the end of 2004, according to local news reports. The increase...

Seiko Epson Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. plan to merge their liquid-crystal display (LCD) businesses, according to the Japan Corporate News Network.(Japan)
June 1, 2004... Seiko Epson Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. plan to merge their liquid-crystal display (LCD) businesses, according to the Japan Corporate News Network. The combined entity, Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices Corp., 55% owned by Epson, will begin...

NEC Electronics Corp. is expanding 300mm wafer production at the site of its subsidiary NEC Yamagata Ltd.(Japan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... NEC Electronics Corp. is expanding 300mm wafer production at the site of its subsidiary NEC Yamagata Ltd. The new 5 billion [yen] 300mm plant, adjacent to an existing 300mm-wafer fab line with 4000 wafers/ month capacity, will have a total...

Samsung Electronics Co.(Korea)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Samsung Electronics Co. plans to invest approximately $1.1 billion on a new 300mm line at its facilities in Giheung, south of Seoul, Dow Jones has reported. Part of the investment is included in Samsung's 2004 capex budget, with the rest to be...

DongbuAnam Semiconductor Inc.(Korea)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... DongbuAnam Semiconductor Inc. has secured a 1.18 trillion won ($1.02 billion) syndicated loan from 14 financial institutions to expand capacity of 200mm wafers from 40,000 wafers/month to 70,000 wafers/month, according to Dow Jones. DongbuAnam...

Samsung Electronics.(Korea)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Samsung Electronics plans to double production of 300mm wafers to 70,000 units/month by the end of 2004 to meet demand for DRAM chips, according to the Maeil Kungje. The company intends to further boost production to 90,000 wafers/ month in...

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.(Singapore)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. began moving in equipment to its $3 billion, 300mm Fab 7 facility on March 26. Pilot production at the facility is scheduled to begin in late 3Q04 with an expected capacity of 2000 wafers/month;...

Taiwan's top two foundries posted better sales in the first quarter of 2004, with production lines running at full capacity even during the typically slow post-holiday period.(Taiwan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Taiwan's top two foundries posted better sales in the first quarter of 2004, with production lines running at full capacity even during the typically slow post-holiday period. TSMC's 1Q04 revenues were $1.75 billion, just below an all-time high...

PowerChip Semiconductor Corp.(Taiwan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PowerChip Semiconductor Corp. may achieve the world's largest 12-in. wafer capacity with its plans to boost fab output from 35,000 wafers/month to 45,000 by the end of this year, according to the Taiwan Economic News. The chipmaker is expected...

The European Union is joining the US' fight against China's chip taxes as a third party, according to the Xinhua Financial News.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The European Union is joining the US' fight against China's chip taxes as a third party, according to the Xinhua Financial News. Isabel Ramallo, spokesperson for the EU's Chinese delegation, noted that the EU is not joining as a co complainant,...

To help support Infineon Technologies AG and Altis Semiconductor, its JV with IBM, the European Union has approved government aid from France and Portugal, according to Dow Jones.(Eurofocus)
June 1, 2004... To help support Infineon Technologies AG and Altis Semiconductor, its JV with IBM, the European Union has approved government aid from France and Portugal, according to bow Jones. France's contribution, worth about 23.6 million [euro] ($29...

Transistor nodes along carbon nanotube interconnect pipes.(Technology News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Fujitsu researchers are working on making simple transistor nodes along networks of carbon nanotube interconnect pipes. This opens the possibility of "fundamentally changing the nature of the IC," says Naoki Yokoyama, Fujitsu Research Fellow...

Researchers boost the efficiency of polymer OLEDs.(Technology News; organic light-emitting diodes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A presentation at the American Chemical Society's recent national meeting suggests that the designers of flexible displays made from polymer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) should be able to boost the efficiency of the systems beyond what...

Light and sound from nanocrystalline silicon.(Technology News)
June 1, 2004... Professor Nobuyoshi Koshida's group at Tokyo U. of Agriculture and Technology sees wide potential for displays and actuators from its process of getting planar light and ultrasonic emissions out of nanocrystalline silicon. Treating...

Sensors, algorithms speed EFEM robot setup time.(Technology News)
June 1, 2004... Sometimes it takes more than a day to set up and "train" the precise movement of wafer-handling robots in semiconductor fabrication equipment frontend modules (EFEMs), which are bolted on fab tools to load and unload wafer carriers in...

Nanoengineered electronic materials get real with directed self-assembly.(Nanotechnology)
June 1, 2004... Three decades of technological progress have provided exponential gains in IC performance over time and led to feature sizes in the tens of nanometers. If the scaling pace can be maintained, planar dimensions on the order of a few nanometers...

Solutions-based approach to developing next-generation CVD precursors.(Interconnect)
June 1, 2004... Providers of new low-k technologies have typically attempted to develop a complete integrated solution on their own by using proprietary technology and hoping for universal adoption in the market. The problem with this approach is that the...

System-in-package update.(Test/Assembly/Packaging)
June 1, 2004... Nearly every product and component roadmap in the electronics industry is driven by miniaturization. The primary mechanism for increasing semi-conductor density has been the decrease in transistor size made possible by improvements in process...

Ask the expert.
June 1, 2004... Q I'm experiencing pattern collapse in my lithography process. What can help me overcome this problem ? A Pattern collapse can be a major obstacle in 193 nm and 248 nm photolithography processes. Air Products' OptiPattern[TM] Surface...

Using laser ellipsometry and DUV reflectometry for SiON arc materials.(Metrology series: Part 1)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Laser ellipsometry (LE) and DUV reflectometry (DUVR) are now being used to monitor etch processes and reduce nonuniformities that had affected yield. Maps showing 49-point thickness and reflectance of an ARC/polysilicon/oxide/silicon...

Advanced etch applications using tool-level data.(Etch)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Semiconductor-manufacturing process control has historically relied on the dual approach of fixed statistical process-control (SPC) limits and limited metrology sampling. This approach, however, does not address sub-90nm requirements....

Advanced techniques for 3D devices in wafer-bonding processes.(MEMS)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Wafer bonding is one of the most powerful processing techniques used in the fabrication and packaging of MEMS devices, which usually have three-dimensional architectures. Different approaches are currently in use: fusion, adhesive,...

Taking the wet-developable route to applying BARC in implant layers.(Photoresists)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Traditionally, bottom antireflective coatings (BARC) have mainly been used in critical layers for gates and contacts, but the application of BARC in implant layers also has become more desirable as device feature sizes shrink. Using...

Concern grows over AMC in lithography bays.(Contamination Control)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW There is increasing awareness about the growing sensitivity of 193nm optics to acidic, basic, and condensable organic species in lithography bay environments. Exposure tool suppliers are developing stringent specifications for...

Optimized dispense recipes and 20nm filtration for reducing resist defects.(Chemical Handling)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Point-of-use chemical filtration for 193nm photoresists and bottom antireflective coating (BARC) formulations has become a crucial issue as semiconductor manufacturers struggle with defect densities in next-generation processes, In...

The changing art of measuring vacuum pressure.(Vacuum Technology)(Pirani gauge)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Semiconductor manufacturing applications require measurement of a wide range of pressures to ensure proper vacuum conditions. Unfortunately, major process steps--such as CVD, PVD, and epitaxial applications all have different working...

Minifab operations for SoC production.(Fab Management)
June 1, 2004... OVERVIEW A growing trend in broadband-networked digital consumer electronics has led to a paradigm shift in semiconductor manufacturing toward more rapid ramp-up, shorter cycle time, and high mix and low-volume "minifab" operations involving...

Semicon[R] West 2004 preview.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... Make better business decisions when forecasts seem untrustworthy. Fill in your knowledge gaps with technology courses. Debate the latest ITRS updates. Maximize your interest in the semiconductor supply chain. Where can you do all that? Go to...

Combo system based on ACT line.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The CLEAN TRACK ACT M photomask resist Coater/developer is targeted for 6025 substrate processing at the 90-55nm nodes. Three modules are incorporated into one system: a photomask developer, a photomask resist coater, and a photomask (PEB)...

Macrodefect team provides real-time inspection.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The WaferView team of macrodefect inspection tools combines three products to offer real time inspection of every wafer at each step in the lithography or CMP process. The i-MOD module's detection and classification algorithms automatically...

Step-and-repeat system has lens NA = 0.92.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The NSR-S308F step-and-repeat system is a lens-based scanning ArF excimer laser stepper for mass production of devices at 65nm and below. The system is reportedly equipped with the highest NA projection lens (NA = 0.92) supporting an ArF...

Single-wafer platform provides noncontact clean.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Goldfinger Mach2 HP fourchamber single-wafer cleaning system is a production ready product suited to a variety of wafer-surface prep applications. It can be configured for FEOL post-ash cleaning, post-deposition and other particle deans, as...

Scanning microscope designed for submicron imaging.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The LEXT confocal laser scanning microscope has 0.12gm resolution, 3D measurement capability, and magnification power from 120 14,400x to meet requirements for submicron imaging. A 408nm laser is combined with optics to optimize image quality...

Copper capillary produces bonds comparable to gold.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The CuPRA copper capillary is engineered for various types of IC bonding, and can be used in a range of applications from fine-pitch wire bonding of more than 500 I/Os to low pin-count devices. The capillary can handle copper wire from...

EFEM has self-teaching capability.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The Performix fabrication equipment front-end module (EFEM) features an Automated Self Teach wafer-handling robot, which enables the system to be installed and operated without extensive operator training, and minimizes initial startup time. An...

AFM offers hands-free operation.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The AF-LM 300 system is an atomic force line monitor (AFM) for measuring depth and surface planarity of frontend structures at the 90nm node and below. The system provides direct, nondestructive, within-die AFM measurements at production-level...

Transducer minimizes convection effects.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The HPS Series 925C MicroPirani transducer is a MEMS-based thermal conductivity gauge that features a pressure-measurement range from [10.sup.5]torr to atmosphere--two decades below a standard Pirani sensor. The sensor element is made of a...

Quick-release weld system.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Model 4-500 benchtop head is a fully integrated tube weld head system for high-production bench welding of short stick-out fittings, tubes, tube-to-valve bodies, and other similar assemblies. It is suited for cleanroom aseptic welding of...

Drive-level control concept.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A decentralized front- and backend control concept provides diagnostics local to each device, which allow machine service without disrupting the entire production process. It also reduces the load on the central processor, requires less...

Servomotors with bearing-less design.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kollmorgen CARTRIDGE DDR direct drive rotary servomotors combine the performance of frameless direct-drive motors with the ease of installation of a full-frame motor. CE-marked and UL-listed for global application, these motors feature...

Fast flip-chip bonding platform.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The 8800 FC Quantum platform reportedly enables the highest throughput available in a single machine for a variety of flip chip applications. The dual bonding system (DBS) executes individual bonding steps in parallel. It consists of two flip...

Organic-based die-attach products.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The DA 7000 and DA 8000 Series die-attach product line is based on organic technology that will target both lead frame and array pack ages for semiconductors, especially 3D stacked die packaging and board on chip devices. These die-attach...

Troubleshooting tool set.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The TS3 300mm station is suited for use in wafer rescue applications, but is also an alternative to expensive sorting platforms. The tool set consists of an automatic FOUP opener, an automatic low-contact wafer-transfer machine, and a portable...

Sensor takes real-time measurements.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The TDM-200 sensor measures absolute trench depth in real time for MEMS applications. This on-line tool can be used during Bosch etch and deposition cycles without synchronization signals from the etch tool, and without having to calculate etch...

Stability mounts outgas <1ppm.(Product News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A line of optic mounts includes special top (Model 9814) and center mounts (Models 9816 and 9917) with a retention system to optimize stability while minimizing wavefront distortion, ensuring that the mirrors are truly flat and solid. Mirror...

Compact guidance system.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The MINIMODULE is a compact linear guidance system with a miniature ball guideway (MINIRAIL) and integrated tooth belt drive that allow a compact design. Both the rail and carriage are manufactured from corrosion-resistant stainless steel, as...

Spectrometer measures down to [less than or equal to] 10ppm.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The OmniStar mass spectrometer continuously monitors gas output for toxic and greenhouse gases, and can measure up to 64 different gases simultaneously in concentrations from 100% down to [less than or equal to] 10ppm. Onmistar monitors the gas...

Monitor collects data in real time.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The AiM-200 molecular contamination monitor checks contamination on critical surfaces such as optics or wafers, where haze formation problems are caused by organic condensables in purge gases or in the ambient environment. Two sensors monitor...

USJ metrology tool probes without damage.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The SSM 250 and 2500 metrology tools measure sheet resistance of ultrashallow-junction (USJ) source/drain implants using EM probe technology. The nonpenetrating, nondamaging four-point probes are made from a conductive elastic material, without...

Etch tool with spin process.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The Galileo GL-210 substrate-etch tool uses a wet, single-wafer spin process technology that performs delicate wafer thinning, stress relief, and wafer conditioning. The system is equipped with an advanced Bernoulli handling system that reduces...

Transducer uses 100% digital architecture.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The Type 890 Series Baratron compact digital pressure transducer for gas delivery applications is designed to meet the needs of OEMs and gas suppliers who require a compact digital transducer at a lower cost. The 890 Series can be used in the...

AFP provides flexible scanning options.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The Multiscan atomic-force probe (AFP) quickly and repeatedly measures electrical performance characteristics of 90nm and 65nm transistors. The AFP uses multiple specialized atomic force microscope heads, controlled by patent pending Multiscan...

Wire bonder shows placement >5[micro]m.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The Model 8000 gold ball-and-stitch thermosonic wire bonder performs precision gold wire bonding for flexibility, ease of programming, and high throughput in complex multichip applications, high I/O count devices, and gold ball bumping for...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... * JULY 2004 12-16--SEMICON West--San Francisco and San Jose, CA. Featured at this year's exposition are a series of ITRS meetings to report on the latest Roadmap developments and updates. The Wafer Processing exhibition and technical...

300mm: Friend or foe? Solid State Technology asked industry experts to weigh in on what the rise of 300mm manufacturing means to the industry.(Perspectives)
June 1, 2004... 300mm manufacturing: No drop in equipment demand As I look at the progression of the 300mm-wafer transition, I'm struck by how much has been said and written, how many widely diverging forecasts and predictions have been made, and how much...