Solid State Technology articles from June 2007

Solid State Technology archives from June 2007

A revolution is needed to tackle the commoditization of equipment design.(INDUSTRY FORUM)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Much has been written about the escalating cost of R&D funding required by semiconductor equipment OEMs to stay on the IC development trajectory required by the ITRS and Moore's Law. The gap between what is required and what can be supplied,...

Ready for prime time?(3D INTERCONNECTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Among the most significant developments in interconnect slated to appear at this month's International Interconnect Technology Conference include those involving 3D chip architectures. Indeed, 3D stacking may offer the most promising route to...

50th anniversary Web site.(3D INTERCONNECTS)(Solid State Technology launch new website)(www.solid-state.com)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Solid State Technology is celebrating its 50th anniversary with features throughout the year about the past, present, and future of semiconductor manufacturing technology. We invite our readers to submit remembrances, stories, and commentaries...

Leaving a legacy.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... When former US Vice President Al Gore testified on climate change before US House and Senate committees this spring, he called on the US to take the lead in reducing the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Riding a wave of popular...

Gartner dims 2007 tool outlook amid memory, demand concerns.(BUSINESS TRENDS)(Gartner Dataquest)
June 1, 2007... Acknowledging "considerable downside risk" due to memory oversupplies and pricing declines, Gartner Dataquest now projects a -1.5% decline in overall semiconductor capital spending this year to $55.23 billion, instead of a 1% increase. 2008...

Citing a number of factors ranging from mobile-phone shipments to lingering excess inventories and a slumping DRAM market, iSuppli Corp.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
June 1, 2007... Citing a number of factors ranging from mobile-phone shipments to lingering excess inventories and a slumping DRAM market, iSuppli Corp. has lowered its outlook for 2007 semiconductor sales to about 8% from 10.6%, and IC Insights has cut its...

1Q07 was ugly for most DRAM firms, and the biggest benefit by attrition was Hynix Semiconductor Inc., which significantly narrow the lead of No. 1 supplier Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., according to data from iSuppli Corp.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
June 1, 2007... 1Q07 was ugly for most DRAM firms, and the biggest benefit by attrition was Hynix Semiconductor Inc., which significantly narrow the lead of No. 1 supplier Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., according to data from iSuppli Corp. Overall DRAM sales...

A Carlyle Group-led consortium seeking to snap up packaging services firm Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has called off its pursuit, though other private equity firms reportedly are eyeing possible bids.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A Carlyle Group-led consortium seeking to snap up packaging services firm Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has called off its pursuit, though other private equity firms reportedly are eyeing possible bids. Meanwhile, Carlyle has moved...

AMD.(USA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Reevaluating its business model to push back into profitability, AMD is slowing the 200mm-300mm transition at its Fab 30 in Germany and moving toward an asset-lite model. The company also has launched a $2.2 billion sale of notes to raise...

SEMATCH.(USA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Researchers at SEMATECH's Mask Blank Development Center at the U. of Albany have located, marked, and measured 10nm silicon particles intentionally deposited on a quartz mask blank, precision seen as necessary for EUV lithography at the 22nm...

Schott Lithotec.(USA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Schott Lithotec, the last US supplier of photomask plates, is ceasing production and will sell its Poughkeepsie, NY facility, finally deciding that lower ASPs and a shift of customers to Asia means it's no longer a viable business to be in.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services department received more than twice as many applications for the 65,000 available spots for 2008 H-1B visas.(USA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The US Citizenship and Immigration Services department received more than twice as many applications for the 65,000 available spots for 2008 H-1B visas--the very same day that the group started accepting applications (April 2).

Qimonda AG.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Qimonda AG plans to spend about 2 billion [euro] (~US $2.73 billion) over five years for a new 300mm DRAM fab in Singapore. Construction is slated to begin this year, with production starting in 2009 and ramping to 60,000 wafers/month by 2012.

Infineon Technologies and Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.(ASIAFOCUS)
June 1, 2007... Infineon Technologies and Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (HSMC) have agreed to build at least two fabs in Hyderabad, India--a $1 billion 200mm/0.13[micro]m CMOS facility, followed by a $3.2-$3.5 billion 300mm fab. Infineon also...

TSMC.(Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... TSMC aims to begin 45nm production by September, ahead of initial 4Q07 plans, starting with a low-power 45nm process, then a general purpose and high-performance process, and a 45nm logic family with low-power triple gate oxide option.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Hynix Semiconductor Inc. has begun construction of its new $4.1 billion Fab M-11 300mm facility in Cheongju, South Korea, with sub-48nm NAND flash memory production planned by 3Q08.

Fujitsu Ltd.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Fujitsu Ltd. is delaying a planned capacity expansion of 300mm/65nm production at its Mie Prefecture facility--down to 18,000 wafers/month by March 2008 instead of projections of 25,000 wafers/month--and will slow future expansion as well,...

Elpida Memory Inc.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Elpida Memory Inc. plans to produce up to 80% of DRAMs at its site in Hiroshima, Japan, with 70nm process technology by year's end, note Japanese news reports. The site originally had been projected to reach bout 20% of the mix of the process...

DENSO Corp.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Japan's DENSO Corp. says it will spend about $200 million ([yen] 24 billion) to establish a third company to produce automotive semiconductor products, targeting sales of ~$850 million ([yen] 100 billion) by fiscal 2015. Denso Electronics...

Anadigics Inc.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Anadigics Inc. wants to build a 150mm GaAs wafer fab in China's Jiangsu Province, to cost $10-$15 million over the next two years. Initial production is planned for late 2009.

Soitec.(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Soitec says sales grew 41.5% in fiscal 2007 vs. a year ago to about 372.0 million euros. Growth slowed in each fiscal quarter on a year-on-year basis, and the company remains cautious in the short-term mainly due to inventory, but still expects...

ON Semiconductor.(EUROFOCUS)
June 1, 2007... ON Semiconductor and Masaryk U. in the Czech Republic have opened a lab facility for basic silicon and microelectronics R&D.

Royal Philips Electronics.(EUROFOCUS)
June 1, 2007... Royal Philips Electronics has spun off programmable IP startup Silicon Hive BV, formed in 2003 to commercialize Philips Research's technology for consumer and mobile devices.

Scottish firm MicroEmissive Displays has officially opened a new 10 million [euro] volume manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany, to produce components used in microdisplays for glasses, head-mounted displays, and electronic viewfinders.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Scottish firm MicroEmissive Displays has officially opened a new 10 million [euro] volume manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany, to produce components used in microdisplays for glasses, head-mounted displays, and electronic viewfinders....

Cooling chips to -33[degrees]C gains a one-generation jump in speed.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
June 1, 2007... Active cooling looks like a practical addition to the toolkit for increasing mainstream chip performance in the near term, claim Toshiba scientists who've been working out the details of designing low-temperature devices. Their work, reported...

Thin is in with Novellus's Vector Express.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Novellus Systems Inc.)
June 1, 2007... The latest evolution of Novellus Systems Inc.'s 300mm wafer Vector Express PECVD tool reduces the number of deposition zones to actually increase the system throughput for thin films. With >70% of the 45nm dielectric PECVD for logic (see...

Going deep: new capacitor trench etching enables sub-70nm DRAMs.
June 1, 2007... The need to control DRAM cell capacitance and ensure that this parameter is uniform across all cells on the wafer becomes more critical to memory manufacturers as they hit 70nm structures requiring ~80:1 aspect ratios. For DRAM applications,...

MRS meeting specs the future.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Materials Research Society)
June 1, 2007... This year's spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS, April 9-13 in San Francisco) informed a record number of attendees on near- and far-term possibilities for process technology, showcasing research results in electronic...

Diving deep for device inspiration.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The 3D shells of tiny ocean creatures called diatoms could provide the foundation for novel electronic devices, including gas sensors able to detect pollution faster and more efficiently than conventional devices, according to research reported...

Implementing a strategy for effective fab data management.(APC systems)(Interface A standards)
June 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW In the next wave of advanced wafer fabs, APC systems will require a robust equipment data acquisition (EDA) framework. The Interface A standards were developed to establish that framework to facilitate data acquisition...

Improving wafer yields with integrated all-surface inspection.(METROLOGY)(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW An all-surface macro-inspection tool includes the capability to inspect the backside and edges of wafers without reducing overall tool throughput. This allows for simple correlation between defect locations on front and...

A double-line/double-patterning process to extend immersion beyond 45nm.(LITHOGRAPHY)
June 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW The readiness of immersion lithography for volume production--expected by the close of 2007--depends on solutions that address several critical issues involving focus, overlay, defectivity, numerical aperture, and...

Using strain engineering to improve NVM retention time.(STRAIN ENGINEERING)(nonvolatile memory)
June 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Floating-gate and nitride trap-based nonvolatile memory (NVM) retention time tests show that tensile stress improves retention time while compressive stress degrades retention. Enhanced retention time under tensile...

Silicon and WLP enable commercial-grade MEMS resonators.(MEMS)(microelectromechanical systems)(wafer-level packaging)
June 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Thanks to progress in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), vibrating mechanical devices that meet the stringent clock source specifications for consumer electronics can now be manufactured from silicon using high-yield...

Trench etch system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The Centura Mariana trench etch system can etch 80:1 aspect ratio trenches, which allows users to scale DRAM capacitors beyond 70nm. Dual-frequency tuning capabilities tightly control the etch profile and critical dimension with 2% etch depth...

PECVD thin-film processing system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The Vector Express plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) platform delivers thin-film process performance for tool extendibility at the 45nm node and beyond. Using the SmartSoak processing feature, the Vector system's multistation...

E-beam system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The SB351 e-beam system can be used for mask-writing as well as direct-write applications. Using shaped beam technology, this variable-shaped beam (VSB) system allows mask-write applications down to 90nm in production and 65nm in R&D. The VSB...

Processor with Class 1 mini-environment.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The SSEC 3300 Series processors with Class 1 mini-environments include SCARA robotics, with vacuum or edge grip handling for wafers to 300mm. The SCARA robotics handler is completely sealed, for operation within the processor's Class 1...

Electron microscope system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... This Crisp transmission electron microscope (TEM) probe system for the imaging and analysis of materials with atomic resolution includes an imaging energy filter from the Zeiss 200kV Libra 200 instrument generation, supplemented with an...

Lathe for beveling silicon wafers.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The LA3200 advanced lathe provides precision micro-abrasive blasting for demanding production environments, including beveling silicon wafers. The lathe works by propelling abrasive air out of up to five small nozzles aimed at a part rotating...

Wafer probe card.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The PH150XP wafer probe card is a cost-effective solution for testing smaller-sized, smaller density DRAM devices (512MB and below) where tester resources mandate four or more touchdowns per wafer. The PH150XP probe card features a new...

Plasma arc detector.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... This plasma arc detector provides real-time, high-power analyses of plasma micro-arcing, which can cause damage to the target, the film being deposited, and even the wafer surface in chemical vapor deposition and etch processes. The plasma arc...

Laser scribing machines.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The new PV Series are Class 1 enclosed laser scribing systems for isolation and series interconnection of thin film solar cells. The systems are built on the ChromaDice diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser platform. It employs high peak power,...

Laser photomask writer.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The Sigma7500-II has a new linearity equalizer function that is capable of writing subcritical layers for 45nm and 65nm that previously have required e-beam writers. By integrating an industry-standard Mentor Graphics OPC solution, the...

Angle and inline valves.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... This series of angle and inline valves are suitable for a wide range of applications in the high vacuum range. The valves feature a robust design that resists contamination, increases service life, and makes units suitable for industrial...

XYZ piezo scanner for AFM.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The minute P-363 PicoCube, together with its ultra-low noise E-536 driver/controller, provide significantly higher resolution and positional stability than previous multi-axis scanning stages. It has a high-speed XYZ scanner for AFM/SPM and a...

Purge-nest product series.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The Smart Shelf purge nest product series eliminates wafer defects significantly by creating an environment that controls oxygen and humidity levels. It improves yield and saves on consumables by lowering contamination through real time RH and...

Interconnect platform.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The MicroPILR interconnect platform is designed to revolutionize the interconnect within semiconductor packages, substrates, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other electronic components. The novel interconnection is achieved through...

300mm resistivity standards.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... These NIST-traceable 300mm calibration standards for resistivity and sheet resistance will allow users of automated 300mm four-point probes and other noncontact sheet resistance measurement tools to calibrate and monitor these instruments....

Basement gate valve.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... This basement gate valve is designed to enable this company's dry vacuum pumps operating in harsh processes to be kept running during foreline maintenance. The valves were developed as part of a joint collaboration with VAT. The valves have...

Ask the experts.(talks with Barb Muskauski and Tim Lebrecht)(Interview)
June 1, 2007... Q I'm experiencing problems with inconsistent carrier mobility and photoluminescence intensity within my gallium nitride layers, even while using a good grade of ammonia and a state-of-the-art purifier. How can I cost-effectively resolve this...

Ionizer for eliminating static charge.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The Ion Systems AeroBar VF Model 5359 ionizer eliminates static charge on glass panels in the FPD industry, solar industry, and in other large-surface applications. Its nozzle technology reduces maintenance and its user-settable controls...

Linear ball-screw stage.(PRODUCT NEWS)
June 1, 2007... The ATS115 series compact, hard-cover, linear ball-screw stage travels up to 600mm with speeds up to 300mm/sec and a side-seal design with hard cover for medium-performance applications. The robust aluminum cover is hard-coated for scratch...

Merging mask design and manufacturing to drive cycle-time improvement.(INDUSTRY FORUM)
June 1, 2007... Semiconductor industry observers who think the drive for lower manufacturing costs and cycle time is a recent phenomenon would do well to acquaint themselves with the history of the data handoff between design and manufacturing. This handoff,...