Solid State Technology articles from March 2006

Solid State Technology archives from March 2006

ISS special report.(Industry Strategy Symposium)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Part 1: Chip industry set for resurgence, not maturity A recurrent debate during the 2006 Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) at Half Moon Bay near San Francisco, CA, was whether the semiconductor industry really is mature, or if it is still...

Chipmaking's tough economic road ahead.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... Semiconductor manufacturing is entering a new phase. While great attention is being paid to coming technology challenges, the economics may prove even trickier. Over the next few years, two major factors will force changes in fab...

Chip industry tops records in 2005 with $227.5 billion, says SIA.(Semiconductor Industry Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Worldwide sales of semiconductors topped a record $227.5 billion in FY05, up 6.8% from the $213.0 billion posted in 2004, according to the recent figures from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Demand was driven principally by the...

IBM Corp., Sony Corp., and Toshiba Corp. have extended their multiyear agreement for 300mm-90nm/65nm process technologies to include development for the 32nm node and beyond.(USA)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... IBM Corp., Sony Corp., and Toshiba Corp. have extended their multiyear agreement for 300mm-90nm/65nm process technologies to include development for the 32nm node and beyond. Research and development will be done at Albany NanoTech and IBM's...

Williams Advanced Materials Inc., a Buffalo, NY-based provider of cleaning and reconditioning services.(acquiring Cerac Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Williams Advanced Materials Inc., a Buffalo, NY-based provider of cleaning and reconditioning services, has agreed to acquire privately held Cerac Inc., a provider of physical vapor deposition equipment and specialty inorganic materials, for...

Industry pioneer and co-founder of GCA Corp in 1958, James E. Gallagher passed away on February 7.(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Industry pioneer and co-founder of GCA Corp in 1958, James E. Gallagher passed away on February 7. He was SEMI president and chairman of the board of directors from 1978-1980 and contributed to a better understanding of US-Japan trade...

Photronics.(planning to open a facility in South Korea)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Photronics Inc., Brookfield, CT, plans to begin construction in 2H06 on a new photomask fabrication facility in South Korea, to support R&D and volume production of photomask technologies for semiconductors using 65nm- and below process...

Sharp.(investing to increase its capacity)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sharp is investing 15 billion yen (~US $131 million) to increase production capacity of liquid-crystal display panels at its plant in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, by nearly 20% to 2000 panels/day.

Fujitsu Ltd.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2006... Fujitsu Ltd. said it will spend 120-130 billion yen (US $1.05-$1.15 billion) to build a new semiconductor plant in Mie Prefecture, extending its 300mm capabilities to 65nm CMOS logic. Construction will begin in early FY06, with initial...

A group of 14 chipmakers, universities, and research institutes are exploring ways to control leakage currents in CMOS designs below 65nm.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A group of 14 chipmakers, universities, and research institutes are exploring ways to control leakage currents in CMOS designs below 65nm. The CLEAN project, supported by 4.5 million euros (~US$5.5 million) from the European Commission, aims to...

Soitec, Bernin, France, has signed a $150 million deal to supply silicon-on-insulator wafers to AMD, extending a $50 million pact signed in 2005.(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Soitec, Bernin, France, has signed a $150 million deal to supply silicon-on-insulator wafers to AMD, extending a $50 million pact signed in 2005. The agreement is part of a multiyear contract to supply 200mm and 300mm silicon-on-insulator...

Addendum.(EUROFOCUS)
March 1, 2006... The January 2006 Chemical/Chemical Handling column, "Differentiating tools and techniques for liquid flow control," did not list Celerity or McMillan as suppliers of LFCs, along with other suppliers. Liquid-flow control challenges are much...

Intel demonstrates 45nm SRAM test chip right on schedule.(static random access memory)
March 1, 2006... Intel says it has demonstrated the first working 45nm chip, keeping the company right on pace with its two-year development cycle, and right on schedule to begin its 45nm microprocessor product ramp in the 2H07. "Typically, we demonstrate the...

Protein guides nanocrystal self-assembly for flash memory floating gates.(IEDM conference by Shan Tang, U. of Texas)
March 1, 2006... An improved method for nanocrystal placement for the floating gate of a flash memory cell, using a protein-mediated self-assembly approach, was described at the 2005 IEDM conference by Shan Tang, U. of Texas, Austin. A template formed by a...

Polymer tunnel diodes enable both logic and memory functions.(Column)
March 1, 2006... Low-current density resonant tunneling diodes (RTD) were shown by J.P.A. van der Wagt in the paper, "Tunneling-based SRAM" (Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 87, Issue 4, April 1999), and all subsequently published work used compound...

Japanese project simulates imprinting, generates masks from device data.(microelectromechanical systems)
March 1, 2006... Japan's national MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) project reports development of software tools for MEMS devices that can simulate nanoimprinting results under different process conditions, and can automatically generate a mask set,...

Seiko Epson makes flexible SRAM by transfer from glass to plastic.(static random access memory)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Seiko Epson reports making an SRAM on a flexible plastic substrate and reading it with a thin film transistor made on the same sheet, potentially opening the way for actual flexible electronics modules combining processors or displays with...

New technologies drive demand for advanced FPD tools.(flat panel displays)
March 1, 2006... Flat screen displays keep getting bigger, better, and cheaper. Currently, the market for large, flat TVs is dominated by plasma displays, but active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) are rapidly gaining market share. Less noticed, but...

Wafer-level final test costs driven by MCPs and SIPs.(multichip packages and systems in package )
March 1, 2006... Industry pundits have said that the current semiconductor cycle is being driven not by PC sales as in years past, but by a portability revolution featuring new mobile consumer electronics. Mobile systems such as cell phones and MP3 players...

Measuring deep-trench structures with model-based IR.(METROLOGY)
March 1, 2006... OVERVIEW Advanced DRAMs using deep-trench capacitors have small cell designs and excellent scaling potential. At the 90nm node and beyond, measuring the dimensions of deep trenches during fabrication is increasingly important for process...

Challenges in the design and processing of future IC interconnects.(International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors)(Integrated circuits)
March 1, 2006... OVERVIEW The 2005 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) predicts that up to 11 layers of hierarchical wiring with a cumulative wire length >1.4km will be used in microprocessor chips manufactured in 2007. Electron...

Using mixed-fluid jet bombardment for advanced particle removal.(methods of semiconductor wafer cleaning)
March 1, 2006... OVERVIEW R&D studies evaluate the particle-removal performance and safe limits of single-wafer cleaning techniques based on either immersion megasonics or mixed-fluid jet bombardment. In leading-edge processes, results show that megasonic...

A crossflow filtration system for heavy-metal wastewater treatment.(research on waste water treatment)
March 1, 2006... OVERVIEW Semiconductor solder bump operations, in which chips are attached to their substrates using both lead and lead-free plating processes, produce wastewater containing heavy metals (primarily lead and tin) as well as acids, chelates,...

Work-force scaling challenges loom as China goes global.(growth of China's semiconductor industry)
March 1, 2006... China's electronics industry is moving onto the world stage with increasing momentum, due largely to strategic efforts aimed at increasing its manufacturing capability and narrowing its technology gap with Taiwan, Japan, the US, and Europe. ...

New fabs fuel solid growth of chipmaking in China.
March 1, 2006... In the five years since the beginning of 2001, China has accounted for 21% of the industry's new fab construction. In the five years before that, however, Chinese fabs accounted for only 3% of the industry's new construction. The beginning of...

Preview.(Semicon Europa 2006)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... April 11-15, Munich, Germany Exhibition Hours Tuesday, April 4 10 am-5 pm Wednesday, April 5 10 am-5 pm Thursday, April 6 10 am-4 pm SEMICON Europa, celebrating its 30th anniversary, will be held from Monday, April 3, to Thursday,...

Ion implanter for high-dose implants and 65nm.(Optima HD ion implanter addresses traditional high-dose implants )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Optima HD ion implanter addresses traditional high-dose implants as well as the expanding range of applications in sub-65nm generation device manufacturing. The low-energy, high-dose system offers a wide energy range from 200eV to 80KeV,...

Mixed wafer metrology tool offers ALM accuracy.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Mentor [DF.sup.3] nondestructive tool handles high-volume production of 300mm semiconductor wafers and has been designed to easily adapt to handling a mixed-wafer lab environment where 200mm and 300mm wafers are continually interchanged....

300mm strip system delivers high throughput for sub-90nm apps.(Suprema strip system is designed to provide chipmakers an efficient and cost-effective strip solution )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The 300mm Suprema strip system is designed to provide chipmakers an efficient and cost-effective strip solution for high-volume manufacturing at the 90nm node and below. The system's proprietary platform is based on a flexible, modular design...

Next-generation metrology system for photomasks.(photomask system combines the capabilities of a CD-SEM, a DUV dual-beam laser-interferometer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The n&k 5700-CDRT next-generation photomask system combines the capabilities of a CD-SEM, a DUV dual-beam laser-interferometer, and a spectroscopic ellipsometer into a single unit. The tool simultaneously furnishes polarized reflectance (R) and...

Thermoelectric heater/chiller.(thermoelectric heat exchanger used to heat and cool chemicals for semiconductor and medical applications)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Kool-Pure is an ukra-high purity thermoelectric heat exchanger used to heat and cool chemicals for semiconductor and medical applications. It utilizes a patented, leak-proof, all PFA (Tefon) flow path to ensure chemical resistance, high purity,...

Micro gas sensor.(direct gas monitoring )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Micro gas sensor is a rugged, modular and fully upgradeable environmental measurement device for extreme environments and commercial applications. The environmental monitors include a GUI output with full sensor control and data analysis...

Liquid flow controllers.(semiconductor tools for monitoring and controlling liquid process chemicals)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The InFlo liquid flow controller product line is used in semiconductor tools for monitoring and controlling liquid process chemicals. The controllers are based on nonintrusive ultrasonic sensors and sophisticated signal processing algorithms,...

X-ray image processor.(verifier image processor application software)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... For advanced inspection, failure analysis, and process verification, verifier image processor (VIP) application software series VIPx offers an extended feature set of advanced SMT/BGA inspection capabilities and image enhancement tools to...

Flowmeters for aggressive and ultra-pure liquid applications.(flowmeters for aggressive and ultra-pure liquid applications)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The mini-Pathfinder is the latest addition to this company's line of variable area flowmeters for aggressive and ultra-pure liquid applications. The new meter incorporates the design features of the Pathfinder series flowmeters into a 28%...

Spectroscopic ellipsometer.(characterization of thin-film thickness and optical properties )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The MM-16 spectroscopic ellipsometer extends the capabilities of classical ellipsometry for the characterization of thin-film thickness and optical properties with high accuracy. It can collect full spectral ellipsometric data (2048 points) at...

Bulk purifiers.
March 1, 2006... The GPT series of bulk palladium purifiers provide optimum performance when flows of pure hydrogen up to 80 [nm.sup.3]/hr are required. They can purify inlet gas quality as low as 99.99%. The GPT 2040 bulk purifiers have been fitted with this...

UHP flow controller.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The model U802 UHP Liquid FLO-CONTROLLER precisely measures and controls flow rates of virtually any fluid as low as 15 ml/min, or as high as 10 lpm. Repeatable results are achieved by utilizing a patented microturbine flow sensor design. This...

Fueling innovation with virtual re-aggregation.(analysis of X Architecture)
March 1, 2006... Disaggregation of the electronics design chain, along with industry-wide collaboration, is here to stay. However, as industry expertise remains distributed among myriad players across the globe, companies are being challenged to work together...

Chemicals.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Chemicals Acids Honeywell Electronic Materials 408-962-2000 www.electronicmaterials.com Lab-Pro Inc 408-745-0222 www.labproinc.com Mallinckrodt Baker Inc# 908-859-2151 www.jtbaker.com/micro (see ad pCV3) ...

Gases/gas handling.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Gases, Commodity Argon Air Liquide Electronics U.S. LP 972-301-5200 www.airliquide.com BOC Edwards# 800-848-9800 www.bocedwards.com (see ad p15) Hydrogen Air Liquide Electronics U.S. LP 972-301-5200...

Process materials.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Crystals, Growing/Sawing Crucibles, crystal growing PLANSEE Aktiengesellschaft 43-5672-600-2080 www.plansee.com Quartz Scientific Inc 440-354-2186 www.qsiquartz.com Saint-Gobain Quartz PLC 44-191-262-5311 ...

Contamination control.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Abatement Systems Gases BOC Edwards# 800-848-9800 www.bocedwards.com (see ad p15) Hitachi High Technologies America 877-327-3824 www.hitachi-hta.com Chemicals BOC Edwards# 800-848-9800...

Fabrication/process technology.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... CIM/CAM, Process Control Manufacturing Software Design/manufacturing, assembly/packaging KUKA Controls GmbH 714-606-1485 www.kukacontrols.com Design/manufacturing, automation KUKA Controls GmbH 714-506-1486...

Machinery, tools & equipment.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Automation/Wafer Handling/Robotics Automatic guided vehicles SICK Inc 952-941-6780 www.sickusa.com Machine vision CyberOptics Semiconductor Inc 503-495-2200 www.cyberopticssemi.com SICK Inc 952-941-6780...

Vacuum technology.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Vacuum Systems/Accessories Bell jars fixtures BOC Edwards# 800-848-9800 www.bocedwards.com (see ad p15) CHA Industries 510-683-8554 www.chaindustries.com CTI-Cryogenics 508-337-5000 www.helixtechnology.com...

Displays.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Manufacturing Machinery/Equipment/Accessories Backlighting for display panels Lumex Inc 847-359-2790 www.lumex.com Carriers, quartz United Silica Products Inc 973-209-8854 www.unitedsilica.com Chemicals,...

Test, metrology & inspection.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Analyzers Air Dionex Corp 408-737-0700 www.dionex.com Beam profile (ion/electron) High Voltage Engineering Europa BV 31-33-461-9741 www.highvolteng.com Capacitance voltage (C-V) Four Dimensions Inc ...

Back end production.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Bonding/Die Attach Adhesives, die attach Ablestik 310-764-4600 www.ablestik.com Alphasem AG 41-71-637-6363 www.alphasem.com Dynatex Int'l 707-542-4227 www.dynatex.com SUSS MicroTec SAS 33-4-50-35-83-92...

Industry services.(2006 Resource Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Analytical Services Chemical analysis Evans Analytical Group 408-530-3500 www.eaglabs.com The M&P Lab 618-382-0082 www.the-mandp-lab.com Northern Analytical Laboratory Inc 603-429-9500 www.northemanalytical.com...

Manufactures' representatives.(2006 Resources Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Chemicals Chemicals, miscellaneous Josco Products 512-443-1037 www.joscoproducts.com Handling, storage/distribution systems CS Clean Systems AG 49-89-96-24-00-0 www.cscleansystems.com Contamination Control ...

Consultants.(2006 Resources Guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Areas of Concentration Airfreight Lufthansa Cargo AG 49-69-696-50983 www.lhcargo.com Chemicals F&F Associates 781-444-5499 The McIlvaine Co 847-784-0012 www.mcilvainecompany.com Spectrum Technologies...

Trade Names.(2006 Resource Guide)
March 1, 2006... The Trade Names section is an alphabetical listing of products and services commonly known by a commercial name or name/model number combination, followed by a short description and the name of the service. Further information on the...

Manufacturers.(Vendor Directory)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... A&N Corp 707 SW 19th Ave, Williston, FL 32696; 352-528-4100, FAX: 352-528-3441, sales@ancorp.com, www.ancorp.com Gen Mgr, Dan Vaudreuil; Dir Sls/Mktg, Jeff Vaudreuil; Sls Mgr, Dana King; Mktg Mgr, Paul Donovan; Sls, Scott O'Connell;...

Industry service providers.(Vendor Directory)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... AVO Photonics 700 Business Center Dr, Suite 125, Horsham, PA 19044; 215-441-0107, www.avophotonics.com Accu-Tech Laser Processing Inc 1175 Linda Vista Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078; 760-744-6692, FAX: 760-744-4963,...

Manufacturers' reps/distributors.(Vendor Directory)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... AVO Photonics 700 Business Center Dr, Suite 125, Horsham, PA 19044; 215-441-0107, www.avophotonics.com ADTEK Photomask 4950 Fisher St, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4T 1J6; 514-737-7030, FAX: 514-737-9893, info@adtekphotomask.com,...

Consultants.(Vendor Directory)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... ADTEK Photomask 4950 Fisher St, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4T 1J6; 514-737-7030, FAX: 514-737-9893, info@adtekphotomask.com, www.adtekphotomask.com Pres, Alex Kalil; VP Oper, Anthony Smith; Prodn Control Mgr, Gopal Chinniah; Gen Mgr,...

New metal etch process targets flash and DRAM.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Applied Materials recently released an upgrade of its DPS II technology, called AdvantEdge Metal Etch, at SEMICON Japan to take advantage of a growth in applications using flash memory--especially NAND flash. The new technology targets both...