Solid State Technology articles from November 2004

Solid State Technology archives from November 2004

What's new at www.solid-state.com?(Solid State Technology On-Line)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Gate-stack engineering, high-k dielectrics Join host John Borland for our pre-recorded webcast, "Gate Stack Evolution from the 90nm to the 45nm Node." Sponsored by Lain Research Corp., this webcast is now available on demand. Length is 60...

Exclusive features.(Solid State Technology On-Line)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Click on the SST button on the left side of the page, then the Exclusive Features button to access the two articles below or type in www.solid-state.com/featurearticles.

Environmental protection.(Solid State Technology On-Line)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Default values appear to be overestimating PFC emissions from fabs Shou-Nan Li, Hui-Ya Shih, Jui-Hsiang Cheng, Jung-Nan Hsu, Kuang-Sheng Wang, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Chun-Nan Lin, Winbond Electronics...

Batch ALD tools.(Solid State Technology On-Line)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Batch ALD tools start DRAM capacitor production Dr. Paula Doe, Contributing Editor High-k films for DRAM capacitors look poised to create real volume production demand for atomic-layer deposition tools. But furnace makers with new...

Let's start down the road to nanotech.(Editorial)
November 1, 2004... While recent industry roadmaps have shown many red brick walls ahead, mapmakers say they are confident that the industry will still be able to follow the track of Moore's Law for another 15 years. They even feel that with new material sets and...

Infineon Technologies AG.( plead guilty to charges of DRAM memory-chip price fixing )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Infineon Technologies AG has agreed to plead guilty to charges of DRAM memory-chip price fixing brought by the US Department of Justice, and will pay a $160 million fine, one of the biggest antitrust fines ever levied in the US. Under the...

ASML Holding NV, Veldhoven, The Netherlands, and Tokyo-based Nikon Corp. have mutually agreed to suspend legal proceedings in the US and Asia concerning disputed IP for lithography processes, ending their patent litigation begun in 2001.(Worldwide Highlights)
November 1, 2004... ASML Holding NV, Veldhoven, The Netherlands, and Tokyo-based Nikon Corp. have mutually agreed to suspend legal proceedings in the US and Asia concerning disputed IP for lithography processes, ending their patent litigation begun in 2001. The...

Albany Nanotech.(university of albany )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Albany Nanotech, the nanotechnology center located at the U. of Albany/State U. of New York, said that its College for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CSNE) has installed and begun qualifying for 300mm wafers using a 193nm preproduction...

Lucent Technologies.(United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ, has received a four-year, $9.5 million contract from DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to develop technology to be used with maskless optical lithography processes. Lucent will work with...

National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has sold its imaging business to Eastman Kodak Co. for an undisclosed amount.(USA)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA, has sold its imaging business to Eastman Kodak Co. for an undisclosed amount. The assets, including equipment, IP, and about 50 employees, will become part of Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions...

CSMC Technology Corp.(China)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... CSMC Technology Corp. has finalized a deal to build an $80 million plant in Wuxi. The facility, to be completed by the end of 2005, will boast two 200mm production lines with total output of 60,000 wafers/month. Wuxi is becoming a hot...

Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial, and Toshiba plan to establish a [yen] 110 billion 6G TFT-LCD panel UV by January 2005, with mass production by March 2007., Santa Clara, CA, has sold its imaging business to Eastman Kodak Co. for an undisclosed amount.(Japan)
November 1, 2004... Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial, and Toshiba plan to establish a [yen] 110 billion 6G TFT-LCD panel UV by January 2005, with mass production by March 2007., Santa Clara, CA, has sold its imaging business to Eastman Kodak Co. for an...

Samsung Electronics Co.(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. production of 512Mb DDR SDRAM utilizing 90nm process technologies )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Samsung Electronics Co. said it has achieved mass production of 512Mb DDR SDRAM utilizing 90nm process technologies on 300mm wafers. The new device, available at 333-400MHz, is a migration from 0.10[micro]m processes, incorporating ArF light...

Research group CEA-Leti, Grenoble, France, and global electronics group Thales have formed a joint lab to work on radio-frequency (RF) MEMS.(Compagnie Europeenne d'Accumulateurs S.A.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Research group CEA-Leti, Grenoble, France, and global electronics group Thales have formed a joint lab to work on radio-frequency (RF) MEMS. The four-year project, to be performed by CEA's heterogeneous silicon integration department, aims to...

UK-based ARM Holdings has agreed to acquire Artisan Components Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, for approximately $913 million in cash and stock, in an effort to broaden its system-on-a-chip (SoC) business and IP, as well as its sales channel.(Eurofocus)
November 1, 2004... UK-based ARM Holdings has agreed to acquire Artisan Components Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, for approximately $913 million in cash and stock, in an effort to broaden its system-on-a-chip (SoC) business and IP, as well as its sales channel. ARM CEO...

EV Group.(Eurofocus)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... EV Group, Scharding, Austria, a supplier of wafer-bonding and lithography equipment, said it will reorganize its operations in the US in response to increased business and customer demand. EV Group's US subsidiary will combine its headquarters,...

NEC cuts 65nm standby power by two orders of magnitude.(NEC Electronics Corp.)
November 1, 2004... NEC has cut standby current leakage at the 65nm node by 30-100x by using HfSiON as the high-k gate dielectric and a transistor structure optimized for Transmeta Corp.'s LongRun2 technology to dynamically adjust the body bias as well as the...

Environmentally friendly wet cleans protect yields, bottom line.(Front End Of Line)
November 1, 2004... New global guidelines and semiconductor industry targets for protecting the environment are compelling chipmakers to consider options for waste/effluent treatment and reduction. Historically, IC manufacturing has required large volumes of...

Precision thickness control in the ECES process.(MEMS)(electrochemical etch-stop )
November 1, 2004... The electrochemical etch-stop (ECES) technique is a popular method for bulk micromachining of a p-n junction silicon wafer in microelectro-mechanical (MEMS) applications because it has the ability to fabricate microstructures and membranes with...

Parallel test techniques reduce test costs.(Test/Assembly/Packaging)
November 1, 2004... The 1999 SIA roadmap predicted a transistor's cost-of-test (COT) would exceed its fabrication cost by 2012. COT reduction strategies include testing less, more efficiently, and differently, as well as reducing the cost of the testers used [1]....

Advancing the standards for ultrahigh-purity fluoropolymer components.(Chemical Handling)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... OVERVIEW New wet processes for semiconductor manufacturing require higher standards for purity and improved design and materials for fluid system components. Semiconductor equipment makers and tool integrators are calling for longer life...

Eliminating carbon and watermarks during post-CMP cleaning.(Wafer Cleaning)
November 1, 2004... OVERVIEW The use of organosilicate glass (OSG) as a low-k dielectric in copper interconnects creates challenges in cleaning wafers after they have been through chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). The high methyl content of OSG yields...

Engineered substrates require strain metrology.(Materials)
November 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Innovative materials have emerged as an alternative to simple scaling for achieving improved device performance [1]. Among the solutions, engineered substrates--in particular, strained silicon-on-insulator (sSOI)--are commonly...

Handling and filtration evaluation of a colloidal silica CMP slurry.(Vacuum Applications)
November 1, 2004... OVERVIEW Maintaining CMP slurry quality is critical for low defectivity in complex CMP processes [1-4]. Consequently, slurry "health" parameters are key considerations in distribution and dispensing systems. Accelerated aging and handling...

Middleware layers could lead to plug-and-play automation.(Software)
November 1, 2004... OVERVIEW The emergence of equipment data acquisition (EDA) standards, such as the new Interface A standard, opens up the possibility of plug-and-play manufacturing tools with greater levels of automation in semiconductor fabs. While...

FIB and ESEM system repairs mask defects.(VisIONary focused ion-beam (FIB) column and an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) into one system for 65nm-node mask defect repair)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Accura XT+ combines the VisIONary focused ion-beam (FIB) column and an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) into one system for 65nm-node mask defect repair. The system accommodates current photomasks as well as next-generation...

Mini-batch ALD system targets advanced films.(atomic-layer position system for depositing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Verano 5000 is a 300mm, mini-batch atomic-layer position (ALD) system for depositing high-k capacitor dielectric films such as [Al.sub.2][O.sub.3], Hf[O.sub.2], and HfSi[O.sub.x] for high-volume applications with quick turnaround time. The...

Workstation provides ultrahigh-resolution imaging.(Product News)(CrossBeam EsB FIB/gEM workstation offers energy and angle selective backscattered electron )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The CrossBeam EsB FIB/gEM workstation offers energy and angle selective backscattered electron (EsB) imaging at ultrahigh resolution without further column adjustment. A proprietary Gemini field-emission SEM allows high-contrast, material...

Silicon drift detector is LN-free.(liquid nitrogen)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The UltraDry silicon drift detector is a liquid nitrogen (LN)-free solution for high-throughput energy-dispersive spectroscopy applications. The detector exhibits resolution of 140eV (Mn) at 2500 kcps and 175eV (Mn) at 60,000cps, and can detect...

Macro defect inspection system.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The NSX-115 automated macro defect-inspection solution is optimized for 2D gold and solder bump and probe mark inspection, as well as outgoing fab quality-control applications. The system is 3-5x faster than the previous NSX model, enabling...

Analog/digital transducer.(HPS Series 999 Quattro transducer)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The HPS Series 999 Quattro transducer integrates the miniaturized hot-cathode ionization sensor, MEMS-based MicroPirani sensor, and a piezo sensor within a single, compact pressure-measurement device. The transducer can be operated by digital...

TOC analyzers.(Sievers 900 Series of total organic carbon)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Sievers 900 Series of total organic carbon (TOC) analyzers includes laboratory, online, and portable models, as well as the optional 900 Autosampler. Sievers DataPro 900 software integrates the Autosampler with a 900 model analyzer for...

Polarization manager.(PM3000A monitors and controls optical polarization)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The PM3000A simultaneously monitors and controls optical polarization with the functionality of the PC1000C polarization controller and PS2300B in-line polarization analyzer in one instrument. An advanced control algorithm automatically sets...

Metal-matrix composite.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... An aluminum silicon carbide (AlSiC) metal-matrix composite provides tailored CTE and high thermal conductivity for the housing, interconnection, and thermal management of microelectronic, optoelectronic, and power electronic devices. Modifying...

Thermal interface materials.(TP- 1600 films and TP-2400 pads)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Thermally conductive TP- 1600 films and TP-2400 pads improve dissipation in electronic components and assemblies and are designed for ease of use and process flexibility. Because they are pre-cured, the fabricated TIMs do not require special...

No cooling-off period for annealing: Solid State Technology asked industry experts to predict the future of thermal processing.(Perspectives)
November 1, 2004... Industry must choose anneal approach: revolutionary vs. evolutionary A challenge in continued device scaling is the ultrashallow junction (USJ) formation in the source/drain extension areas of advanced transistors. To activate the dopant...

The Shanghai Huayi Group and Taiwan's Asia Union Electronic Chemical Corp. have formed a manufacturing joint venture to supply wet chemicals for the local 200mm-300mm chipmaking industry, according to domestic newswire reports.(Taiwan's Asia Union Electronic Chemical Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Shanghai Huayi Group and Taiwan's Asia Union Electronic Chemical Corp. have formed a manufacturing joint venture to supply wet chemicals for the local 200mm-300mm chipmaking industry, according to domestic newswire reports. The first phase...

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.(China)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.'s (SMIC) 300mm fab in Beijing is set to begin production in late 2004, according to the Asia Pulse Businesswire. The foundry, which is SMIC's fourth fab (three 200mm facilities are in Shanghai and...

Toshiba Corp.(plans to expand production capacity )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Toshiba Corp. plans to expand production capacity at its 200mm facility in Yokkaichi, central Japan, by 7.5% to 107,500 wafers/ month by 1H05, to match current demand for flash memory until its new 300mm facility comes online, according to the...

Fujitsu aims to begin production at its [yen] 160 billion 300mm/90nm-65nm chipmaking plant in Mie, western Japan, "slightly ahead" of its planned April 2005 start date, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.(Japan)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Fujitsu aims to begin production at its [yen] 160 billion 300nm/90nm-65nm chipmaking plant in Mie, western Japan, "slightly ahead" of its planned April 2005 start date, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Also aiming for early rampup is...

Tokyo Seimitsu Co.(Tokyo Seimitsu Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Tokyo Seimitsu Co. plans to build a chip-making-equipment production facility next to its operations in Hachioji, Tokyo, according to Japanese news reports. The facility, which will produce grinders for polishing silicon wafers and other...

Mitsumi Electric Co. has agreed to acquire Renesas Technology Corp.'s 150mm front-end-of-line semiconductor manufacturing operations in Chitose, Japan, for an undisclosed amount.(Japan)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Mitsumi Electric Co. has agreed to acquire Renesas Technology Corp.'s 150mm front-end-or-line semiconductor manufacturing operations in Chitose, Japan, for an undisclosed amount. The facility, currently owned by Renesas Northern Japan...

New synergy in the fabless arena: the Korea-India connection.(Korea/India)
November 1, 2004... The relationship between Korea and India has never been stronger, and it now encompasses the world of high technology. The two countries are generating a new synergy in the fabless chip industry with India leveraging its expertise in developing...

Asian TFT-LCD market drives manufacturing trends.(transistor-liquid-crystal display)
November 1, 2004... Asia is the focal point of the thin-film transistor-liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) industry. In 2005, almost 100% of new equipment sales for TFT-LCD fab lines will be in Asia [1]. This has been the pattern for more than a decade. There are...

Industry dynamics require a new look at risks and total cost.(Equipment buying in Japan Part one: outsourcing)
November 1, 2004... As the semiconductor industry emerges front its most precipitous and prolonged slump in history, Japanese chip manufacturers are closely examining their business models to see what lessons can be learned that will permit them to survive, and...

Balancing risk and opportunity in the pre-owned equipment market.(Equipment buying in Japan Part two: OEMs)
November 1, 2004... Bolstered by a booming digital consumer products market, the Japanese semiconductor industry has reclaimed a dominant position [1], with manufacturers committing substantial R&D investments to 65nm and 45nm production capabilities. But this...

ChipMOS Technologies Inc. has agreed to purchase all of the testing and assembly assets of First International Computer Testing and Assembly Technology Inc. (FICTA), located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan, for $30 million to boost its capacity for assembly/testing memory products to 12 million pieces/month.(ChipMOS Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ChipMOS Technologies Inc. has agreed to purchase all of the testing and assembly assets of First International Computer Testing and Assembly Technology Inc. (FICTA), located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan, for $30 million to boost its...

Winbond Electronics Corp.(expansion)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Winbond Electronics Corp. has begun construction of its $2.5 billion 300mm fab in the Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung. Equipment move-in is scheduled to take place by May 2005, with pilot production by 4Q05 of 24,000 wafers/month; mass...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... DECEMBER 2004 1-3--SEMICON Japan -- Tokyo, Japan. The show will feature SFMI'S Technical Symposium focused on semiconductor and device manufacturing technologies, as well as the MEMS/NEMS Pavilion. Info: Contact SEMI Japan, ph...

Consumer demands make for a sizzling imaging market in Japan.(Japan)
November 1, 2004... In the 1970s, Japanese IC manufacturers were trying to catch up to the US. In the 1980s, they, took the lead and dominated DRAM while the US refocused on logic. In the 1990s, Japanese IC manufacturers lost DRAM dominance to Korea and Taiwan....