Solid State Technology articles from June 2005

Solid State Technology archives from June 2005

China: threat or opportunity?(Editorial)
June 1, 2005... Japan was the first Asian country to challenge the US in advanced chipmaking. Subsequently, other countries around the Pacific Rim were able to follow the Japanese model to become leading chipmakers themselves--first South Korea and then...

Semiconductor Industry Association.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
June 1, 2005... Worldwide chip sales were $18.1 billion in February, 2% below January figures that were revised upward to be essentially flat with December, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Year-on-year sales growth in February was...

Royal Philips Electronics and Penn State U. have jointly developed an advanced MOSFET model that they claim should supplant the currently used CMOS standard compact model for approximating the physical behavior of transistors down to the 65nm node.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Royal Philips Electronics and Penn State U. have jointly developed an advanced MOSFET model that they claim should supplant the currently used CMOS standard compact model for approximating the physical behavior of transistors down to the 65nm...

A US District Court in New Jersey has ruled that Infineon Technologies AG's products do not infringe upon embedded memory claims by Mosaid Technologies Inc., Ottawa, Ontario.(USA)(patent infringement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A US District Court in New Jersey has ruled that Infineon Technologies AG's products do not infringe upon embedded memory claims by Mosaid Technologies Inc., Ottawa, Ontario. Mosaid subsequently filed new litigation in a Texas US District Court...

Development and manufacturing of equipment based on IBM's C4NP (controlled-collapse chip connection new process) technology is underway at Suss MicroTec AG's facilities in Waterbury Center, VT, per a joint development deal signed in September 2004.(USA)
June 1, 2005... Development and manufacturing of equipment based on IBM's C4NP (controlled-collapse chip connection new process) technology is underway at Suss MicroTec AG's facilities in Waterbury Center, VT, per a joint development deal signed in September...

Intel Corp.(China)
June 1, 2005... Intel Corp. is planning to build a second factory in Chengdu for semiconductor assembly and testing, according to the Wall Street Journal. Spending on the project is estimated at $375-$450 million, with construction slated for later this year...

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co.(China)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Shanghai's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC) said it would pay up to $20 million to cover any lawsuits targeting founder and CEO Richard Chang and company directors. The move follows a decision by the Taiwanese government to...

Tower Semiconductor.(Israel)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Directors of Tower Semiconductor have approved the company's 2005 operating plan, which includes a workforce reduction of approximately 70 employees and other cost-reduction measures. Tower, which reported a loss of $137.8 million in 2004 on...

Elpida Memory Inc.(Japan)(Production data)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Elpida Memory Inc. said it will have ramped to volume production of 90nm DRAM chips at its subsidiary in Hiroshima as of April, according to the Nikkei Business Daily. About 51% of Hiroshima Elpida's monthly 300mm wafer output (25,000...

Nippon Systemware Co.(Japan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Nippon Systemware Co. (NSW) has launched a chip-fabrication business offering system chip design and testing for startups, with production outsourced to Taiwan's TSMC and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, among others, according to the Nikkei...

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.(Korea)(membership)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is the newest member of the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), the consortium's R&D subsidiary targeting manufacturing infrastructure, methods, and standards. ISMI members now account for...

MagnaChip Semiconductor, the former nonmemory operations of Hynix Semiconductor, has agreed to acquire IC Media Corp. for an undisclosed amount.(Korea)
June 1, 2005... MagnaChip Semiconductor, the former nonmemory operations of Hynix Semiconductor, has agreed to acquire IC Media Corp. for an undisclosed amount. The Santa Clara, CA-based CMOS image-sensor developer has 90 employees at offices in the US,...

Flash-memory technology provider Silicon Storage Technology Inc. (SST), Sunnyvale, CA, has acquired privately held Taiwanese firm Actrans Systems Inc., a fabless flash memory and EEPROM designer, for $20 million in cash and stock.(Taiwan)
June 1, 2005... Flash-memory technology provider Silicon Storage Technology Inc. (SST), Sunnyvale, CA, has acquired privately held Taiwanese firm Actrans Systems Inc., a fabless flash memory and EEPROM designer, for $20 million in cash and stock. SST stated...

Taiwan's No. 2 TFT-LCD panelmaker Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. has completed the [yen] 18.5 billion (US$176.5 million) sale of its 3G LCD subsidiary International Display Technology Inc. to Sony Corp., first announced in January.(Taiwan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Taiwan's No. 2 TFT-LCD panelmaker Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. has completed the [yen] 18.5 billion (US$176.5 million) sale of its 3G LCD subsidiary International Display Technology Inc. to Sony Corp., first announced in January. Sony has...

Crolles2 Alliance partners STMicroelectronics, Royal Philips Electronics, and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. have agreed to widen the scope of their R&D collaboration.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Crolles2 Alliance partners STMicroelectronics, Royal Philips Electronics, and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. have agreed to widen the scope of their R&D collaboration to provide and support reusable system-on-chip (SOC) intellectual property...

SMSC, Hauppauge, NY, a developer of application-specific semiconductor technologies, has acquired Oasis SiliconSystems Holding AG, Karlsruhe, Germany, for $94 million in cash and stock.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... SMSC, Hauppauge, NY, a developer of application-specific semiconductor technologies, has acquired Oasis SiliconSystems Holding AG, Karlsruhe, Germany, for $94 million in cash and stock. Oasis, one of Europe's largest private fabless...

Cell chip designed for ease of manufacture.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
June 1, 2005... While the new IBM-Sony-Toshiba multiprocessor Cell chip takes a radically new approach to design to get its blazing 4GHz, 256 gigaflops performance with relatively low power consumption (around 48W), it opts for some relatively conservative...

Bacteria make more stable flexible display material.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... There's a new flexible display material that avoids some common problems with other transparent organics by closely matching the heat expansion characteristics of quartz glass. Also unlike other organic substrates, this one is extruded by...

Nikon develops flexible polarization for high-NA 193nm scanners.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
June 1, 2005... With immersion lithography and higher numerical-aperture (NA) lenses in the works, Nikon Corp. believes it is time to apply enhanced polarization control in the illumination systems of new 193nm ArF scanners for improved image contrast as pitch...

Venture shows high-efficiency backlight made with CVD carbon nanowalls.(Dailight Japan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Dailight Japan is showing an LCD backlight that uses carbon nanowalls to produce an efficient 801m/W of light, a 60% better conversion rate than conventional cold-cathode technology. The venture, a subsidiary of the Meikyosha Group, uses plasma...

In-Ga-Zn-O transistors on flexible plastic look manufacturable.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The high-speed, transparent transistors made on flexible plastic film at room temperature by Hideo Hosono and his group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology look like they'll also be manufacturable with conventional semiconductor equipment. ...

Stacking chip-scale packages.(TEST/ASSEMBLY/PACKAGING)
June 1, 2005... The practice of stacking packaged DRAMs to achieve higher-density memories has been around for decades. In fact, DRAM stacking dates back to IBM Corp.'s PC AT model in the mid-1980s when dual in-line packages were combined to achieve 512K bytes...

Prospects and challenges for chip-level optical interconnects.(INTERCONNECT)
June 1, 2005... Increasing speed and functionality in ICs place severe demands on current interconnects in terms of speed (bandwidth), power, and density. Innovations in conventional conductors and insulators, along with traditional device scaling, will soon...

Low-temperature RTP for source/drain engineering.(THERMAL PROCESSING)(rapid thermal processing )(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW Relatively low-temperature rapid thermal processing offers some new alternatives for addressing the critical question of how to reduce source-drain parasitic resistance through ultralow thermal budget approaches. Solid-phase epitaxial...

Rapid and selective post-etch residue removal for Cu and low-k devices.(CHEMICALS/CHEMICAL HANDLING)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW The adoption of copper and low-k dielectrics has enabled the industry to overcome inherent limitations in aluminum and silicon dioxide materials used in IC interconnects as feature sizes and pitch spacing scale down. However, the use...

Meeting the Cu diffusion barrier challenge using ALD tungsten nitride carbide.(DEPOSITION)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW Shrinking dimensions leave less volume for copper in interconnect structures, thereby increasing via and line resistances. An ultrathin conductive diffusion barrier is required to mitigate the problem. A tungsten nitride carbide (WNC)...

Transistor scaling is moving implant energies lower.(IMPLANTATION)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW As transistors scale down in size, implant processes must accommodate requirements for lower energies and higher doses to improve advanced transistor performance. While scaling source/drain extension implants into the low-energy regime...

Carl Zeiss SMT: corporate profile.(Company Profile)
June 1, 2005... Carl Zeiss SMT and its divisions serve the global semiconductor manufacturing and testing equipment markets with leading-edge optical and E-beam technology. Products range from top level systems and components for lithography productions tools...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2005... * JUNE 2005 28--Advanced Reticle Symposium--Santa Clara, CA. This one-day forum draws executives, engineering managers, technologists, and key decision-makers from design, equipment, fab/fabless semiconductor, software, and photomask...

Using a single-wafer spin system to prevent dielectric film peeling.(ETCH)(Reprint)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW The challenges associated with modern wafer processing in semiconductor manufacturing are being driven by an increase in the number of processing steps, increasing complexity of device technologies, process integration flows, and new...

Applications of spin-on hybrid BARCs for FEOL and BEOL integration.(PHOTORESISTS)(Bottom antireflective coatings)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW Bottom antireflective coatings (BARC) enable semiconductor manufacturers to control substrate reflectivity, improve critical dimension (CD) patterning, and increase depth of focus in high-resolution photolithography. Organic BARC...

Using profilometer metrology to create a phase measurement standard.(PHOTOMASKS)
June 1, 2005... OVERVIEW While the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has critical dimension calibration standards for photomasks, the US agency has not yet developed a standard for phase measurements. To fill this void, a NIST-traceable...

SEMICON[R] West 2005: preview.(semiconductor industry)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
June 1, 2005... The 35th annual SEMICON West conference and exhibition is back in one location this year--San Francis--due to the expanded size of the Moscone Convention Center. The conference program will run from Sunday, July 10-Friday, July 15, while the...

Sub-0.25[micro]m track system serves both production and R&D.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Tractrix XP spin track system is a cassette-fed, fully automated, SMIF-compliant wafer track system with a Windows-based GUI for recipe creation and system control. For geometries sub-0.25[micro]m and above, the system features easy...

System delivers low-energy implants for transistor scaling to 90nm and beyond.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The VIISta HC single-wafer ion implanter is designed for low-energy implant applications in sub-90nm processing. Its interlocked incident-angle control provides beam steering repeatability; the patented dual-magnet ribbon beam architecture...

S/TEM provides <1.0[Angstrom] resolution for nano applications.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Titan 80-300 scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) is dedicated to corrected microscopy. The S/TEM system yields atomic-scale imaging with TEM information limits below 0.7[Angstrom] and S/TEM resolution [ILLUSTR

Chemical monitoring for electroless deposition.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Quali-Line QLC-8500 is an online chemical-monitoring system for electroless baths used in VLSI damascene cobah capping applications. Based on cyclic voltammetric stripping, involving the effect that additives have on the electroplating...

Laser writers pattern reticles at 130nm and 250nm design nodes.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Omega6800 and Omega6080 are high-productivity raster-scan laser writers for semiconductor reticles down to the 130nm and 250nm design nodes, respectively. The 6080 can produce 15-20 reticles/day. The 6800 reduces microscopic systematic...

Two-in-one inspection tool automatically classifies and responds to defects.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LDS3300 C system combines simultaneous micro-and macrodefect detection for 200-300mm wafer applications. The system performs automated defect detection, classification, and inline review of the entire wafer surface. Variations considered...

Bonder offers 87% faster bumping at 60[micro]m pitch.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The ATPremier stud-bumping machine offers greater stud-bumping speed, lower impact force, and finer pitch capability for the flip-chip market. The bumper bonds 36 standard bumps/sec at 60[micro]m pitch--an 87% speed improvement over the...

Stepper allows patterning down to sub-20nm resolution.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The NPS300 nanopatterning stepper is available as a manually loaded machine or as a fully automated system, with up to 300mm wafer handling and automated template pickup that allows different templates to be printed on the same wafer. It...

Portable wafer prober.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The EG6000 portable 300mm production-wafer prober is designed for high-volume manufacturing, achieving accuracy of [+ or -] 2.5[micro]m with the base system and [+ or -] 1.5[micro]m with the S model. One-button automation lets the prober...

FDC system for chipmakers.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Imprint MX2 is a scalable fault detection and classification (FDC) system for semiconductor manufacturing. Its user-configurable features allow customers to implement the most appropriate FDC controls for individual tools and processes, across...

Die bonder for sensor assembly.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The EasyLine 8088 die bonder is suited for assembly applications such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other components. The tool offers high-speed air bearing pick-and-place capability, a closed-loop linear motor pick tool,...

Modeling software.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... CIMPortal Beta 3 software is suitable for supplier evaluation and OEM development of production SEMI Interface A solutions. New features include the third-generation equipment model developer that uses wizards to develop models. Flexible...

Enhanced mask-design software.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... With Prolith version 9.0, customers can predict the manufacturability of extreme resolution enhancement techniques (xRET) and other critical features using multialgorithm simulations that take minutes to complete vs. days or weeks for...

300mm wafer bonder.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The EVG520IS semiautomated wafer-bonding system handles wafers up to 300mm and can be configured for pilot-line or volume production. It is designed for wafer-level and advanced packaging, 3D interconnects, and MEMS fabrication. Upgrades from...

Backside aligner.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The manual backside alignment system (MBA) has four-camera ultraprecise optical backside alignment with 1-2[micro]m accuracy, compared to 3-5[micro]m in IR systems. Other features include a PLC-controlled touchscreen interface and the ability...

Yield management software.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... YieldManager Real Time enables real-time process control and rapid response to process excursions. It integrates data from design, process, inspection, and test equipment horizontally across all aspects of the manufacturing process, allowing...

200-300mm optical flatness system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... The WaferSight wafer-flatness metrology tool maps wafer shape, flatness, and thickness variations. Built for in-line metrology during wafer production, the tool is available for both 300mm and advanced 200mm wafers, and supports ITRS...

CD metrology system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... The NovaScan 3090 series, starting with the 3090CD installed on Lam Research Corp.'s 2300 Exelan etch system, is designed to operate both as an integrated metrology and stand-alone plat form for 200-300mm systems at the 65nm node and beyond....

Compact rotation stages.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... The URS Series rotation stages feature top-down mounting and a stiff, compact design for metrology, inspection, tomography, and other precision indexing applications. The stages are available in both closed-loop DC servo motor (URS-CC) and...

Depth, CD metrology system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... The Innova-D system for automated depth and CD measurement uses confocal optics to measure step heights and linewidths on semiconductor, optoelectronic, and MEMS devices. Depth measurement repeatability is 0.03[micro]m (3[sigma]) and linewidth...

Wafer thinning materials.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... Wafer thinning materials are available for thinning the wafer substrate upon which ICs are built, providing increased flexibility (such as for those used in "smart cards"), allowing smaller chip packages or multiple chips in the same package,...

Ask the expert.
June 1, 2005... Q My LPCVD silicon nitride process has hit its limit at 680[degrees]C. How can I reduce my thermal budget without sacrificing film quality? A Maintaining film performance and quality while managing a thermal budget is a challenge faced by...

Post-CMP brushes.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... Planarcore PVA brushes offer post-CMP wafer cleaning and polishing, with brush molding technology that reduces tool downtime, reportedly improving throughput and decreasing on-wafer defectivity. The integral core construction allows for more...

Test system for CMOS.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... The $510 semiconductor reliability test system is a high channel-count, turnkey solution for reliability testing and lifetime modeling of ULSI CMOS processes at the 65nm node and beyond. It can also be used for production wafer-level...

MEMS workstation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2005... A MEMS workstation, produced with The Micromanipulator Co., is designed for proof-of-design and prototype testing, providing MEMS assembly, micromotion analysis, electronic test, repair, and packaging for applications in RF/wireless, optical,...

Kronis.(LITERATURE showcase)
June 1, 2005... Kronis delivers low maintenance exhaust management tot low k-CVD processes Achieving clean combustion of low k organosilane precursosrs is challenging, and failure to do so results in unacceptable by products and blockages in downstream systems...

High performance, compact URS stages.(LITERATURE showcase)
June 1, 2005... Newport Corporation has introduced a new series of high-performance, low phone rotation stages. The new URS Series stages feature top-down mounting, a stiff, compact design and aperture. They deliver high reliability and high throughput in...

Taking nanotechnology to market: Solid State Technology asked industry experts to discuss how semiconductor companies can use what they already know to commercialize nanotechnology.(PERSPECTIVES)
June 1, 2005... NGL may be the key to commercializing nanotechnology Thomas Glinsner, Helge Luesebrink, Paul Lindner, EV Group, Scharding, Austria Nanotechnology promises a broad range of future applications in a wide variety of disciplines. Whether the...