Solid State Technology articles from May 2009

Solid State Technology archives from May 2009

Turnkey manufacturing finally adjusting to solar industry needs.(ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Eager equipment suppliers have found it difficult to shift the photovoltaics manufacturing paradigm from machine-by-machine crystalline silicon to lower-cost thin-film turnkey lines. Their philosophy hasn't failed, says Navigant Consulting's...

Metrology firm gears up during downturn.(ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(Semilab)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Budapest, Hungary-based Semilab is staking its claim in the metrology sector with a pair of new acquisitions to broaden its portfolio and cement a foothold in Tier 1 fabs. Chris Moore, president/CEO of Semilab AMS, tells SST's James Montgomery...

Intermolecular making a play for PV applications.(ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(photovoltaic)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Intermolecular CEO David Lazovsky and Craig Hunter, newly appointed VP/GM of its solar business group, describe the company's solar strategy in an interview with SST's Debra Vogler. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Electric utilities seen as prime PV market.(ONLINE AT WWW.SOLID-STATE.COM)(photovoltaic)(Abound Solar )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Expected strong demand from electric utilities for solar panels triggered a request by Abound Solar for a loan guarantee from the federal government's Advanced Energy Loan program, that would allow the company to triple manufacturing capacity...

In search of the next switch.(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... Jeff Welser, director of the Nanotechnology Research Initiative, is on a mission to find a replacement for the transistor, which is rapidly approaching fundamental limitations. It just cannot be scaled much further. He said the goal of the NRI,...

Few unscathed in worse-than-thought 2008.(BUSINESS TRENDS)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
May 1, 2009... A month ago Gartner pegged preliminary 2008 capex at a -25% slide to ~$33.46B. Turns out the firm was about $3B on the high side--its "final" tally pegs 2008 semiconductor capex at just $30.7B, down -31.7% from 2007. With the combined...

Global shipments of polysilicon surged 41% from the start of 2008 to year's end.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Global shipments of polysilicon surged 41% from the start of 2008 to year's end, thanks to new capacity coming online--and even the late-year meltdown across the semiconductor industry and beyond didn't curtail growth, according to data from...

Global PV output surged to 5.5GW in 2008 according to preliminary data from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
May 1, 2009... Global PV output surged to 5.5GW in 2008 according to preliminary data from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). Meanwhile, the US-based Solar Energy Industries Association said domestic PV manufacturing capacity increased 65%...

Applied Materials and DISCO plan to develop wafer thinning processes for fabricating through-silicon vias (TSV) for 3D chips.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Applied Materials and DISCO plan to develop wafer thinning processes for fabricating through-silicon vias (TSV) for 3D chips, using Applied's etch/dielectric deposition/PVD/CMP systems and DISCO's grinding tools.

FlipChip International and SMIC have agreed to align their technology and product roadmaps.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)
May 1, 2009... FlipChip International and SMIC have agreed to align their technology and product roadmaps for 300mm bumping solutions at a number of technology nodes.

As planned, Axcelis Technologies has closed the sale of its 50% interest in Japanese JV SEN to partner Sumitomo Heavy Industries.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... As planned, Axcelis Technologies has closed the sale of its 50% interest in Japanese JV SEN to partner Sumitomo Heavy Industries, with a chunk of the $122.3M in proceeds used to pay off overdue notes obligations.

The Semiconductor Test Consortium has dissolved and transferred its infrastructure and Semiconductor Test Interface eXtensions (STIX) working group to SEMI's new special interest group, the Collaborative Alliance for Semiconductor Test (CAST).(USA)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Semiconductor Test Consortium has dissolved and transferred its infrastructure and Semiconductor Test Interface eXtensions (STIX) working group to SEMI's new special interest group, the Collaborative Alliance for Semiconductor Test (CAST)....

Qimonda's 300mm/65nm-capable, 38,000 wafer starts/month fab in Richmond.(USA)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Qimonda's 300mm/65nm-capable, 38,000 wafer starts/month fab in Richmond, VA is officially up for sale; if a buyer is not found, a tool sale will quickly follow.

Rubicon says it has grown the world's largest sapphire crystal--a 200kg (441lb) "super boule," more than twice the company's previous efforts.(USA)(Rubicon Technology Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Rubicon says it has grown the world's largest sapphire crystal--a 200kg (441lb) "super boule," more than twice the company's previous efforts--from which it can make optical components and wafers larger than 300mm.

WRS Materials has acquired Isonics Semiconductor Group.(USA)
May 1, 2009... WRS Materials has acquired Isonics Semiconductor Group, adding 90nm particle-grade reclaimed wafers and expanded 200mm-300mm production, and has secured $9.9M in funding.

3D IC packaging startup Imbera has secured $15m in Series B funding.(USA)(Imbera Electronics)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... 3D IC packaging startup Imbera has secured $15M in Series B funding, which will be used to bring online a high-volume manufacturing operation in Korea and support R&D activities in Finland

Portland, Oregon reportedly is a finalist for a new $1.1b investment from Siltronic and an unnamed European investor to build a new factory.(USA)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Portland, Oregon reportedly is a finalist for a new $1.1B investment from Siltronic and an unnamed European investor to build a new factory, according to a local paper citing "an internal city e-mail."

SUNY/Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) has opened a new $150m NanoFab East center.(USA)(State University of New York)(Albany State University)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... SUNY/Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) has opened a new $150M NanoFab East center, part of a $1B package from IBM and partners of which the bulk will go toward 22nm-node development.

ON Semiconductor has licensed 110nm technology from LSI Logic for a new ASIC platform.(USA)
May 1, 2009... ON Semiconductor has licensed 110nm technology from LSI Logic for a new ASIC platform, to be produced in its wafer fab in Gresham, OR.

ESI and Zygo have called off their merger proposed in Oct. 2008.(USA)(Electro Scientific Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... ESI and Zygo have called off their merger proposed in Oct. 2008; as a result Zygo will pay $5.4M in breakup fees, and an additional $1.2M if it finds another buyer within six months.

Akrion Systems.(USA)
May 1, 2009... Akrion Systems has appointed COO Michael Ioannou as president of the company, replacing Jim Molinaro who left to pursue other interests.

It's official: Taiwan Memory will partner with Japan's Elpida for DRAM technology.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... It's official: Taiwan Memory will partner with Japan's Elpida for DRAM technology. But despite buzz about finding room for everyone in Taiwan's proposed DRAM restructuring, Micron CEO Steve Appleton says "the deal that's OK with Elpida is not...

Japan says it will end a three-year old punitive import duty on Hynix chips later this month.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Japan says it will end a three-year old punitive import duty on Hynix chips later this month after determining the company no longer benefits from state or federal government aid.

Toshiba reportedly is considering procuring solar panels from Sharp and other suppliers.(ASIAFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... Toshiba reportedly is considering procuring solar panels from Sharp and other suppliers to strengthen its push into the PV sector.

Nippon Steel is nearly ready to ramp output and sales of single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) wafers.(ASIAFOCUS)(Nippon Steel Semiconductor Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Nippon Steel is nearly ready to ramp output and sales of single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, the first Japanese company to reach full production of the technology.

Despite rumors of a "large-scale business redeployment," Intel's Dalian plant is still on schedule.(ASIAFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... Despite rumors of a "large-scale business redeployment," Intel's Dalian plant is still on schedule, according to a GM cited by a local paper; construction of six main buildings is almost complete, and a data center will be online within days.

Local reports suggest China is working on a plan to establish a "union" in its silicon materials industry.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Local reports suggest China is working on a plan to establish a "union" in its silicon materials industry to help cope with the ongoing financial crisis.

Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric are injecting $571m into their Renesas JV.(ASIAFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric are injecting $571M into their Renesas JV via a new shares issuance.

Elpida has acquired a portion of ownership from Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor in their DRAM JV.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Elpida has acquired a portion of ownership from Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor in their DRAM JV, Rexchip, enough to make it a 52% owner and thus convert the JV to a consolidated subsidiary.

ENN Solar Energy Co. Ltd. has produced China's first 5.7[m.sup.2] tandem junction thin-film photovoltaic solar panels.(ASIAFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... ENN Solar Energy Co. Ltd. has produced China's first 5.7[m.sup.2] tandem junction thin-film photovoltaic solar panels on an Applied Materials SunFab line.

The European Patent Office has revoked a patent from the U. of Neuchatel's regarding amorphous silicon PV technology.(EUROFOCUS)(University of Neuchatel)(Oerlikon)(Sunfilm)(photovoltaics)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The European Patent Office has revoked a patent from the U. of Neuchatel's regarding amorphous silicon PV technology, which had been licensed to Oerlikon--and was the crux of a suit against Sunfilm, which uses Applied Materials' SunFab tools.

CEA/Leti and IBM have signed a five-year deal.(EUROFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... CEA/Leti and IBM have signed a five-year deal to pursue development of materials and processes for 22nm CMOS and beyond.

Applied Materials has signed a five-year contract to support its wafer processing systems.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Applied Materials has signed a five-year contract to support its wafer processing systems at Tower Semiconductor's Fab 2 200mm manufacturing facility in Israel, "at a low, predictable cost."

EV Group and CEA/Leti have formed a joint development program to use EVG's 300mm temporary bonding and debonding technology.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... EV Group and CEA/Leti have formed a joint development program to use EVG's 300mm temporary bonding and debonding technology for work on TSVs and 3D integration.

Soitec says its "Smart Stacking" circuit stacking capability, which transfers thin layers of processed wafers onto a variety of materials, is ready.(EUROFOCUS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Soitec says its "Smart Stacking" circuit stacking capability, which transfers thin layers of processed wafers onto a variety of materials, is ready for manufacturing and licensing.

Despite Freescale's choice to shutter its operation in East Kilbride, Scotland, National Semiconductor says closures in its other sites means more work will be coming.(EUROFOCUS)(Freescale Semiconductor)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Despite Freescale's choice to shutter its operation in East Kilbride, Scotland, National Semiconductor says closures in its other sites means more work will be coming to its facility in Greenock.

The Linde Group says it has a new long-term contract to supply gases for next-generation thin-film PV module production.(EUROFOCUS)(Masdar PV GmbH)(photovoltaics)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Linde Group says it has a new long-term contract to supply gases for next-generation thin-film PV module production at Masdar's manufacturing site in Erfurt, Germany.

Merck says it will sponsor work on semiconductor nanoparticles from Israeli startup QLight Nanotech.(EUROFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... Merck says it will sponsor work on semiconductor nanoparticles from Israeli startup QLight Nanotech for use in display applications.

Under a new pact, Infineon will supply components and a technology license to Robert Bosch.(EUROFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... Under a new pact, Infineon will supply components and a technology license to Robert Bosch for low-voltage power transistors.

Weeks after ASMI agreed to drop swords with key investor Hermes, hedge fund Centaurus Capital has lowered its ASMI stake to <5%, down from 7.22%.(EUROFOCUS)(resignation of Leon van den Boom from ASM International)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Weeks after ASMI agreed to drop swords with key investor Hermes, hedge fund Centaurus Capital has lowered its ASMI stake to

ARISE Technologies says its Line 2 in Bischofswerda, Germany has produced its first monocrystalline PV cells on schedule.(EUROFOCUS)
May 1, 2009... ARISE Technologies says its Line 2 in Bischofswerda, Germany has produced its first monocrystalline PV cells on schedule, with an efficiency range of ~15%-16%.

Megasonic cleaning tool seeks a clean sweep at 65nm and below.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(ACM Research Shanghai Ltd.)
May 1, 2009... At advanced technology nodes (65nm and below) there is a need for cleaning technology that better manages the ever-shrinking cleaning process window. Mechanical damage and defect levels--particularly gate and capacitor structures that become...

New inspection tool addresses yield, solar cell classification.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(PVI-6)
May 1, 2009... KLA-Tencor Corporations's latest inspection product, the PVI-6, designed for optical in-line dual-sided inspection of photovoltaic (PV) wafers and cells, can inspect solar wafers and cells at the highest speed and accuracy for all stages of the...

Double-duty tool cuts costs for c-Si solar-cell wafering.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(crystalline silicon)(Technical report)
May 1, 2009... The most expensive component of crystalline silicon-based PV manufacturing flow is the wafer--reducing wafer fabrication cost is considered key to the goal of making solar energy competitive with grid power. To this end is the goal of a new...

Parallel probing universes draw closer.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Technical report)
May 1, 2009... For the most part, the universes of wafer probes and sockets have customarily been separate and distinct. Yet they parallel each other in many ways: they provide temporary electrical contact to a device under test, and have many common...

Copper BEOL solutions for advanced memory.(INTERCONNECTS/ELECTROMIGRATION)(Cover story)
May 1, 2009... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW While most copper back-end-of-line (BEOL) memory applications today utilize a single damascene layer of copper for the bitline, there are growing applications that utilize multiple copper layers and dual damascene. To...

The reliability margin of interconnects for advanced memory technologies.(LOW-k DIELECTRICS)
May 1, 2009... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW The trends of decreasing dimensions and new materials motivated the investigation of how these may affect the dielectric reliability of the interconnect structures. We posit that for a given supply voltage, the...

Identifying yield-impacting polishing-induced defects on polished silicon substrates.(METROLOGY)(Technical report)
May 1, 2009... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Traditional incoming wafer quality analysis methods have proven inadequate in detecting polishing induced defects (PID). A new nondestructive methodology that enables defect capture and reliably distinguishes between...

Thermal laser separation for wafer dicing.(DICING)
May 1, 2009... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Thermal laser separation (TLS) is used to separate brittle materials using well known basic principles. The range of applications vary from cutting display glass (including laminated glass), cutting the edges in float...

TSV reaps headlines, MVP reaps profits.(THE RILEY REPORT)(through silicon vias)(Micro Via Pad)
May 1, 2009... Wle high-density through-silicon vias (TSV) hold the limelight in advanced packaging development, a low-density via-through-pad version of TSV has moved past them to production. Tessera's Micro Via Pad (MVP) package, introduced a year ago as an...

TC vacuum gauge controller.(PRODUCT NEWS)(thermocouple)
May 1, 2009... A low-cost benchtop thermocouple vacuum gauge controller measuring atmosphere to hard vacuum, the MAS-200LED-V vacuum gauge measures vacuum in Torr and features a 531 type thermocouple vacuum gauge tube that senses vacuum and displays the...

Automatic impedance matching network.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... The CPMX1000, designed as a cost-effective alternative for power applications up to 1250W, handles RF currents of 20A and is designed with air-variable capacitors. It can be used as a stand-alone unit or controlled remotely, with DeviceNET,...

DUV interferometer.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The FizCam DUV interferometer measures optics and optical systems at 193nm wavelength deep ultraviolet (DUV), even in the presence of vibration and air turbulence. A single-camera, high-speed optical phase sensor...

Measurement and analysis of micro- and nano-fibers.(PRODUCT NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Fibermetric system powered by the Phenom personal electron microscope is designed to discover and quantify the properties of woven and nonwoven fiber samples quickly, making direct observation and measurement of micro- and nanofibers...

FIB-SEM workstation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... The AURIGA CrossBeam (FIB-SEM) workstation has a redesigned vacuum chamber, now with 15 ports for different detectors. A charge compensation system enables the local application of an inert gas flush to neutralize electrostatic charging of...

200kV aberration-corrected S/TEM.(PRODUCT NEWS)(JEM-ARM200F)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The JEM-ARM200F atomic resolution analytical microscope enables both atom-by-atom imaging resolution and spatial resolution for atom-to-atom chemical mapping of materials, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss...

Metal bonding adhesive.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... Supreme 10HT is a one-part, heat resistant adhesive formulated to cure at elevated temperatures and offer good metal bonding performance and easy, fast assembly. Serviceable over a temperature range of 4 K to 400[degrees]F, it exhibits...

32nm node all-plane inspection.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... The TeraScanXR high-resolution reticle-, aerial- and wafer-plane inspection system offers sensitivity, lower cost/inspection, and faster mask dispositioning inspecting down to the 32nm node. Inspection planes include high-resolution...

Die bonder.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... The 2009 SSI soft solder die bonder boasts up to 50% higher speed than conventional equipment. Process control helps cut gas consumption by up to 50%, and reduce cost/chip for applications including a variety of packages and power modules. An...

Upgraded characterization system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
May 1, 2009... Hardware, firmware, and soft ware enhancements to the Model 4200-SCS semiconductor characterization system include nine new solar cell test libraries that expand capabilities for solar cell I-V, C-V, and resistivity testing applications. An...

A PV manufacturing state of the union.(INDUSTRY FORUM)(photovoltaic)
May 1, 2009... Historically, photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers have developed in-house capability one machine at a time, and since the industry was small, there was little outside interest in changing this paradigm. Equipment manufacturers serving the...