Solid State Technology articles from March 2008

Solid State Technology archives from March 2008

Special report series: ISS and SMC.(Web Exclusives)(Industry overview)
March 1, 2008... The SST Editorial Staff recaps SEMI's recent Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS), and the Strategic Materials Conference (SMC) that followed, with this special report series available only on our website. Point your browser to the specific URLs...

A few lessons from ISS.(Industry overview)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... It's easy to think of the semiconductor industry as an anomaly in the history of business because, in fact, it is. But to assume there are no models to look to when semiconductor businesses need inspiration is to unnecessarily cut ourselves off...

SEMI: wafer shipments rose 8% in 2007.(BUSINESS TRENDS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments came in around revised projections in 2007, squeaking back into positive growth territory by year's end, according to the latest data from SEMI's Silicon Manufacturers Group. Total area shipments rose 8.3%...

Global sales of semiconductors took their typical seasonal dip in December ($22.28B, -3.6% Q-Q, +2.5% Y-Y) but managed 3.2% growth for the full year (a record $255.6B), according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
March 1, 2008... Global sales of semiconductors took their typical seasonal dip in December ($22.28B, -3.6% Q-Q, +2.5% Y-Y) but managed 3.2% growth for the full year (a record $255.6B), according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Minus the...

European R&D consortium IMEC and the U. of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CSNE) are joining efforts in EUV lithography development in order to demonstrate "practical feasibility" and "build confidence" in the technology for the 32nm half-pitch device node and below.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... European R&D consortium IMEC and the U. of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CSNE) are joining efforts in EUV lithography development in order to demonstrate "practical feasibility" and "build confidence" in the technology...

SEMI.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
March 1, 2008... SEMI has announced further details of its initiatives in photovoltaics (PV), an area that involves 20% of its membership. Beyond colocation of future SEMICON West tradeshows with a global solar trade fair, SEMI's new "PV Group" aims to find...

Hitachi Kokusai Electric has agreed to license ASM International's patents for batch atomic layer deposition technology.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
March 1, 2008... Hitachi Kokusai Electric has agreed to license ASM International's patents for batch atomic layer deposition technology, to bolster its own work in the technology.

EV Group and Brewer Science say they have demonstrated temporary wafer bonding capabilities for a wide range of backside processes.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... EV Group and Brewer Science say they have demonstrated temporary wafer bonding capabilities for a wide range of backside processes, including through-silicon vias and backside metallization, using an approach optimized for high-temperature...

Intel and Micron say they have jointly developed (through their "IM Flash" JV) a 50nm-process based, 8Gb single-level cell NAND flash chip with data read/write speeds of 200MB/s and up to 100MB/s, 5x faster than conventional SLCNAND flash chips.(USA)
March 1, 2008... Intel and Micron say they have jointly developed (through their "IM Flash" JV) a 50nm-process based, 8Gb single-level cell NAND flash chip with data read/write speeds of 200MB/s and up to 100MB/s, 5x faster than conventional SLCNAND flash...

Rudolph Technologies has acquired all IP and selected assets from privately held RVSI Inspection to add the firm's flagship 3D wafer inspection technology to its own 2D macrodefect inspection portfolio, and strengthen its presence in advanced packaging applications.(USA)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Rudolph Technologies has acquired all IP and selected assets from privately held RVSI Inspection to add the firm's flagship 3D wafer inspection technology to its own 2D macrodefect inspection portfolio, and strengthen its presence in advanced...

FormFactor.(USA)
March 1, 2008... FormFactor is trimming its workforce by 14% and pushing back its expansion into Singapore by six months, with manufacturing expected to start "no sooner than late 2009." Customers' reduced test equipment investments in a tough DRAM pricing...

ZMD AG has sold its complete SRAM product line.(USA)
March 1, 2008... ZMD AG has sold its complete SRAM product line (including manufacturing rights, mask sets, IP and inventory) to San Carlos, CA-based AllianceMemory.

SMIC.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... SMIC says it will set up a new independent unit in Shenzhen, China, to run new 200mm and 300mm lines, the latter utilizing 45nm process technology recently licensed from IBM, and both drawing on significant support from the municipal...

Fujitsu.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... Fujitsu is spinning off its LSI business divisions into a new subsidiary in order to spur growth in its ASSP and ASIC businesses and accelerate [less than or equal to] 45nm development. The plan involves moving [less than or equal to] 90nm chip...

Mitsubishi Electric has agreed to reacquire RenesasTechnology's Kumamoto Prefecture power chip plant.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Mitsubishi Electric has agreed to reacquire RenesasTechnology's Kumamoto Prefecture power chip plant, which was handed over to the JV with Hitachi in 2003, to increase its capabilities for power devices and upgrade to 200mm production. Renesas...

Sharp Manufacturing Systems.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Sharp Manufacturing Systems has created a wafer cleaning system that uses higher-concentrated ozone water to more effectively dissolve and remove photoresist and other organic contaminants, according to the Nikkei Business Daily. Typical...

IMEC.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... IMEC has opened an office in Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park, initially as just as a representative office but expected to grow into an R&D center within six months, in order to facilitate work on semiconductor process, design, prototyping, and...

Panasonic.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... Panasonic (nee Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.) says it will build a second building at the site of discrete device operation in Suzhou, China, to make advanced ICs as well as general-purpose discrete devices (LEDs) and camera modules for...

Sachem and Japan's Nagase have formed a JV to market Sachem's "Mobius System" tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) recycle technology in Asia, which regenerates spent TMAH developer used in photolithography into reusable ultrapure TMAH.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Sachem and Japan's Nagase have formed a JV to market Sachem's "Mobius System" tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) recycle technology in Asia, which regenerates spent TMAH developer used in photolithography into reusable ultrapure TMAH. Target...

Samsung and Hynix reportedly are working together in a state-sponsored partnership to develop and acquire next-generation (post-40nm) semiconductor technologies, including spin-torque-transfer magnetic-random-access-memory (STT-MRAM) and various nonvolatile memory devices, according to the Korea Times.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Samsung and Hynix reportedly are working together in a state-sponsored partnership to develop and acquire next-generation (post-40nm) semiconductor technologies, including spin-torque-transfer magnetic-random-access-memory (STT-MRAM) and...

Fujifilm.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... Fujifilm says its electronics materials subsidiary has purchased an advanced argon fluoride (ArF) immersion scanner to help ramp its new ArF immersion photoresists into high-volume production.

Panasonic Factory Solutions.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... Panasonic Factory Solutions says it has developed a new wafer dicer that is 30x faster and wastes 2/3 less material than a typical diamond cutter, targeting a market niche in thinner (

Formosa Plastics Group.(ASIAFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... The Formosa Plastics Group is spending about $4.6M on R&D of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) film, a packaging material for solar cell modules, in a bid to become a key domestic supplier for a prospective $312M market--Taiwan's solar cell industry...

National Semiconductor.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... National Semiconductor says it will close certain chipmaking toolsets, including its 150mm wafer fabrication facility in Greenock, Scotland, and cut its workforce by approximately 200 in an effort to "modernize facilities and rationalize...

STMicroelectronics.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... STMicroelectronics has made its 45nm CMOS process available via French brokerage service CMP for prototyping to academia, R&D labs, and companies for multiproject wafer services, and has added its 65nm CMOS SOI process for academia. More than...

Infineon Technologies.(EUROFOCUS)
March 1, 2008... Infineon Technologies says it is shipping in volume RF switches manufactured in a CMOS-based process on silicon wafers, with performance equivalent to RF switches manufactured in gallium arsenide (GaAs), without requiring sapphire wafers and...

Shedding light on alternative to LCD manufacturing.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Replacing traditional TFT-LCD manufacturing with a lower-cost alternative that is also a more efficient technology is (forgive the pun) a bright idea that should be attractive to manufacturers. Uni-Pixel is aiming to fulfill this wish with its...

Japan's PV suppliers tout improved efficiencies.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(photovoltaic cells)
March 1, 2008... Revealing the first details on its CIGS technology, Honda Soltec Co. Ltd. says it's averaging 11.1% efficiency from its new solar module line. Other leading Japanese photovoltaic suppliers also described technologies for improved efficiencies...

TEL ready for solar debut.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Tokyo Electron Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Separately, Tokyo Electron chairman Tetsuro Higashi told Nikkei Microdevices that his company plans to enter the solar equipment business with a thin-film deposition system, rather than the turnkey lines currently supplied by most equipment...

SMC highlights PV, LED, and packaging materials.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
March 1, 2008... This year's Strategic Materials Conference in late January showed truly amazing perspective on new electronic materials markets of gigantic scales like photovoltaics, high-efficiency lighting, and advanced 3D and WLP packages. Solar is...

Ponte Solutions sees advantage in taking DFM to the IP level.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Several announcements involving Ponte Solutions during the final months of 2007 illustrated a strategy of targeting DFM at the IP level by placing tools in the hands of designers where they are most comfortable: in the "cockpits" of their...

Using ultrapure steam for water-contamination control.(CONTAMINATION CONTROL: SPECIAL REPORT)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Multiple semiconductor and related processes--including diffusion, RTP, ALD, etch, and DUV lithography--currently use water vapor as part of manufacturing. Steam generated from de-ionized water is an excellent cleaning...

In situ chemical cleaning for improved ion implanter utilization.(CONTAMINATION CONTROL: SPECIAL REPORT)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW The overall utilization efficiency of production ion implanters is strongly influenced by the build up of solid deposits inside the vacuum system. Atmel and ATMI have been jointly testing an in situ cleaning process that...

Addressing manufacturing variation at advanced nodes with silicon-contour-based DFM.(DFM)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Applying foundries' recommended design rules can often raise design costs because many recommended design rules result in trade-offs, requiring designers to spend more time in verification. In addition, as these rules...

Intel pushes lithography limits, co-optimizes design/layout/process at 45nm.(CHIP FORENSICS)(Column)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW This month, SST presents a preview of the March edition of Chip Forensics, an online column by Dick James, senior technology adviser at Chipworks, a specialty reverse engineering company that takes apart ICs and...

Stepper technology enabling wafer-level packaging adoption.(WAFER-LEVEL PACKAGING)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Driven by the needs for mobile personal electronics, wafer-level packaging (WLP) is now being used for many mainstream ICs. Lithography requirements for WLP must consider overall cost-of-ownership. ********** ...

Multilayer thin film barrier for protection of flex-electronics.(DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Continuous evolution marks the electronics industry's progress toward even thinner, lighter and more flexible products. Although tremendous progress has been demonstrated, one fundamental obstacle that remains is the...

Deposition technology for TFT-LCD production savings.(DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW A flat panel deposition technology, which utilizes a rotary target arrangement instead of the traditional planar and is also applicable beyond Gen 8.5, is described. In addition to enabling manufacturing and materials...

Emerging materials on the roadmap for silicon-based IC systems.(DEPOSITION)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW In general, emerging materials will augment silicon transistor technology by providing enhanced speed, lower-power consumption, improved heat dissipation, improved memory capacity/ data retention, or added RF/analog...

Damage-free cleaning and inspection of advanced multiple-gate FETs.(CLEANING/SURFACE PREPARATION)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Multiple-gate FETs incorporating narrow silicon fins have been investigated as an alternate to traditional CMOS technology. For silicon . ns to be manufactured in high-volume fabs, new processes will be needed, and...

High efficiency solar cells with printed Al-alloyed rear contacts.(PHOTOVOLTAICS)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Processes have been developed to create n-type silicon cells on thin wafers with screen printed aluminum-alloyed rear junctions. An independently confirmed record-high efficiency of 17.4% (140[cm.sup.2]) has been...

More important, more complex: MEMS metrology.(METROLOGY)
March 1, 2008... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Just as MEMS developers are waking up to the fact that metrology tools can add value to development and fabrication of MEMS devices, tool suppliers are facing the challenges--and opportunities--of serving an increasingly...

CMP process control system.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Applied Materials Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The FullVision system enables real-time control of dielectric CMP processes to the 45nm device node and beyond. The system couples this company's patented window-in-pad technology with multiple-wavelength spectroscopy to deliver advanced in...

Mask inspection systems.(PRODUCT NEWS)
March 1, 2008... The TeraFab family of reticle inspection systems offers wafer fabs flexible options to qualify incoming masks and inspect production masks for contaminants that reduce yield and increase production risk. The TeraFab mask inspection systems...

Noncontact wafer thickness measurement system.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Lumetrics Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The OptiGauge precision thickness measurement uses super luminescent emitting diode (SLED) technology to accurately measure the thickness of silicon wafers using infrared light. It operates on the principle of low coherence interferometry....

Parts cleanliness testing station.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Particle Measuring Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Surfex 100M tabletop monitor is a compact, integrated particle extraction system for monitoring and qualifying part cleanliness. By combining ultrasonic extraction, particle measurement, and high purity fluidics, the monitor reportedly...

Surface imaging and analysis software.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Agilent Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Pico Image is a modular atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging and analysis software package designed for AFM users working in a wide range of research applications, including life sciences and material sciences. Pico Image analyzes image data...

Dry pumps.(PRODUCT NEWS)
March 1, 2008... The A3P high performance dry pumps for semiconductor medium applications cover a wide range of pumping speed from 100-1000 [m.sup.3]/hr. The A3P range responds to every 300mm medium process vacuum requirement at a low utilities cost. The...

Re-circulating chiller.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Applied Thermal Control Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The K9 re-circulating chiller with a cooling capacity of 9kW provides reliable precision cooling control with a temperature stability of 0.1[degrees]C. The K9 comes in an ultra-compact package with a footprint of only 77cm x 51cm. The K series...

45nm-capable parametric probe cards.(PRODUCT NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Two new Pyramid parametric probe cards allow single-pass high performance DC and RF measurements and reduce the cost of parametric production test for semiconductors with advanced process nodes at 65nm, 45nm, and beyond. The exclusive Pyramid...

Automated characterization suite software.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Keithley Instruments Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The ACS (Automated Characterization Suite) V3.2 software is for semiconductor test and characterization at the device, wafer, and cassette level. Version 3.2 has multisite parallel test capabilities, results binning for die sort applications,...

Anti-backlash assembly.(PRODUCT NEWS)
March 1, 2008... The VHD series anti-backlash assembly is good for eliminating drag and wear associated with high pre-load forces and provides the maximum load-carrying capability and reportedly the highest axial and radial stiffness of any of this company's...

Physical design verification product.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Magma Design Automation Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Talus QDRC integrates design rule check (DRC) into implementation for 65 and 45/40nm designs and enables physical sign-off-quality DRC to improve productivity and time to market. Prevailing DRC methods require streaming data from an...

NanoCD Suite for complete OCD.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Nanometrics Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The NanoCD Suite is composed of four key optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology solutions: NanoGen; NanoMatch; NanoStation and NanoDiffract. When NanoCD Suite is combined with the company's Atlas standalone and 9010 integrated metrology...

Copper thickness measurement with temperature compensation.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Oxford Instruments Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The CMI165 gauge provides temperature-compensated copper thickness measurements in an ergonomic hand-held device. It measures hot or cold Cu on PCBs; reduces waste by eliminating the need for coupons; measures foil or laminated Cu thickness in...

Single-stage rotary vane pumps for low and medium vacuum.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Pfeiffer Vacuum Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... HenaLine is a complete line of oil-sealed rotary vane pumps that are suitable for both industrial applications as well as research & development environments. These pumps generate vacuums with pumping speeds of between 25 and 1000[m.sup.3]/hr....

Inspection module.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Rudolph Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The AXi940 macro defect inspection module will perform wafer frontside inspection as part of the all-surface Explorer Inspection Cluster, a multisurface inspection system designed to deliver fast, accurate, and reliable macro inspection at a...

Single-wafer high current tool.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The VIISta HCS is a sixth-generation, single-wafer high current tool for advanced device manufacturers. It builds upon this company's patented "Dual Magnet Ribbon Beam" architecture. It is designed to deliver superior device performance and...

Silica contamination standards.(PRODUCT NEWS)
March 1, 2008... The silica contamination standards (SCS) product line is built by depositing highly spherical silica spheres that have well-characterized optical properties and a very tight monodisperse size distribution. The SCS are used to calibrate the...

Deep-UV coating capability.(Lithography)(Agilent Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Deep-UV optical coating is now available that offers long-lifetime optics that address the growing need for highly accurate and reliable beam delivery in medical and semiconductor photolithography systems. Reflectivity and damage-threshold...

Scan-field i-line stepper.(Lithography)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The NSR-SF155 scan-field i-line stepper has improved throughput of 200 wafers per hour or more, with overlay accuracy reduced to less than 25nm. The system uses leading-edge lens technology to achieve the same wide exposure field as DUV...

Bilayer photoresist for sub-45nm DRAM production.(Lithography)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... This bilayer photoresist for DRAM production applications from TOK and Dow Corning uses a Dow Corning silicon polymer in the imaging layer to provide good etch selectivity. Adding the polymer to TOK's photosensitive materials enables the use of...

Scalable MEMS manufacturing.(INDUSTRY FORUM)
March 1, 2008... Traditionally, MEMS devices have been developed using a combination of custom design and manufacturing techniques in a select number of captive MEMS foundries or in one of the commercial specialty MEMS fabs that have sprung up in recent years....

Chemicals * gases * materials: handling and control.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... CHEMICALS Chemicals Acids/bases BASF Aktiengesellschaft 49-621-60-14002 www.electronic-materials.basf.com Lab-Pro Inc 408-745-0222 www.labproinc.com Puritan Products Inc 610-866-4225 www.puritanproducts.com...

Fab * process technology and equipment.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... FABRICATION/PROCESS TECHNOLOGY Chemical Mechanical Planarization Polishers Abrasive Technology 740-548-4100 www.abrasive-tech.com Entrepix Inc 602-426-8677 www.entrepix.com MR Semicon Inc 505-899-8183...

Test * metrology and back-end production.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... Analyzers Capacitance voltage (C-V) Four Dimensions Inc 510-782-1843 www.4dimensions.com Materials Development Corp 818-700-8290 www.mdc4cv.com Carrier lifetime/mobility/concentration/conductivity type Four...

Industry services.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... Analytical Services Chemical analysis Applied Chemical Laboratories Inc 408-737-8880 www.appchem.com The M&P Lab 518-382-0082 www.the-mandp-lab.com Northern Analytical Laboratory Inc 603-434-8400...

Trade names.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... AIMS[TM]--Aerial image mask review system. Carl Zeiss SMT AG ANTARES[R]--CryoKinetic cleaning system. FSI International Inc Adixen--by Alcatel Vacuum Technology. Alcatel Vacuum Technology France Longhill-- ...

Vendor directory.(2008 RESOURCE GUIDE)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... Manufacturers AAF International American Air Filter Div, 10300 Ormsby Park Pl, Suite 600, Louisville, KY 40223-6169; 502-637-0011, FAX: 502-637-0321, info@aafintl.com, www.aafintl.com High Purity Mgr, Bill Kitch AAK Corp...