Solid State Technology articles from October 2006

Solid State Technology archives from October 2006

New weekly blog: Ed's Threads.(Web Exclusives)
October 1, 2006... To read senior technical editor Ed Korczynski's musings on semiconductor manufacturing technology and business, go to: www.pennwellblogs.com/sst/eds_threads

Outlook for EUVL manufacturing insertion.(LITHOGRAPHY)(extreme ultraviolet lithography)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Stefan Wurm, SEMATECH, Austin, Texas Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is one of the main contenders for high-volume manufacturing lithography at the 32nm half-pitch node. EUV technology maturity must be demonstrated by the performance of...

MEMS moves to the mainstream.(micro electromechanical systems)(Editorial)
October 1, 2006... The MEMS market has long been in a state of extreme fragmentation. Even now, according to a new report from France-based market research and consulting firm Yole Developpement, MEMS devices are actively being produced by some 300 companies, 250...

SEMI: wafer shipments keep climbing in 2Q06.(BUSINESS TRENDS)
October 1, 2006... Worldwide silicon area wafer shipments rose another 4% in 2Q06 vs. the prior quarter to nearly 2000 million sq. inches (MSI), more proof that wafer suppliers are enjoying robust sales and heavy demand. Compared with a year ago, total wafer...

Semiconductor design software firm Synopsys Inc.(WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS)(acquired Sigma-C Software AG)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Semiconductor design software firm Synopsys Inc., Mountain View, CA, has acquired lithography simulation/verification software developer Sigma-C Software AG, Munich, Germany, for $20.5 million in cash. Worldwide sales of semiconductors...

Intel Corp.(USA)(restructuring)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Confirming months of speculation, Intel Corp. has announced plans for a sweeping restructuring, including $3 billion annual savings from costs and operating expenses over the next two years, $1 billion in "capital expenditure avoidance," and...

Mississippi-based SemiSouth Laboratories, a privately held company formed to commercialize silicon carbide (SiC) technologies developed at Mississippi State U.(USA)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Mississippi-based SemiSouth Laboratories, a privately held company formed to commercialize silicon carbide (SIC) technologies developed at Mississippi State U., and II-VI Inc., Saxonburg, PA, have opened a new multimillion-dollar SiC...

AMD.(ASIAFOCUS)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc. opens new facility in Shanghai)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AMD has officially opened its multimillion-dollar R&D center in Shanghai's Zhang Jiang technology complex, the company's largest system design hub outside the US. Work at the Shanghai Research and Development Center will initially focus on...

Tower Semiconductor Ltd.(ASIAFOCUS)(image sensors are made)
October 1, 2006... Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is making a new series of 3.0-megapixel CMOS image sensors, based on its 0.18-micron process, for mobile applications including cell phones and PDAs.

Tera Probe.(ASIAFOCUS)(semiconductor testing facility in Kyushu)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Tera Probe plans to spend 5-10 billion yen (US $43-$86 million) for a new semiconductor testing facility in the Kyushu Operation Center, slated to be finished by March 2007.

Specialty foundry Dongbu Electronics and Cadence Design Systems Inc. have developed a high-voltage BCDMOS process design kit for 60V chip designs using 0.35[micro]m process technologies.(ASIAFOCUS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Specialty foundry Dongbu Electronics and Cadence Design Systems Inc. have developed a high-voltage BCDMOS process design kit for 60V chip designs using 0.35[micro]m process technologies, for high-voltage and power-management applications in...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has extended a licensing deal with Silicon Storage Technology Inc. (SST) to incorporate its 90nm SuperFlash embedded flash technology.(ASIAFOCUS)
October 1, 2006... Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has extended a licensing deal with Silicon Storage Technology Inc. (SST) to incorporate its 90nm SuperFlash embedded flash technology, moving from a 0.13[micro]m agreement signed in Dec. 2005....

Infineon Technologies AG.(EUROFOCUS)(radio frequency integrated circuit )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Infineon Technologies AG said it has received a multimillion-piece purchase order from the US government to supply RF ICs for the US' new electronic passport. The chips, which will store the same information as the paper passports, will be...

BASF.(EUROFOCUS)(BASF AG invests in new building)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... BASF says it is investing a "double-digit million euro" sum in a new plant at its Ludwigshafen, Germany manufacturing site, to produce process chemicals used in the semiconductor industry. The new Electronic Material Center is scheduled to open...

Bede X-ray Metrology and European research consortium IMEC are collaborating on the use of x-ray metrology.(EUROFOCUS)
October 1, 2006... Bede X-ray Metrology and European research consortium IMEC are collaborating on the use of x-ray metrology for process control and characterization of new semiconductor materials used at the 45nm node and below.

SEMATECH optimizes the gate stack with dual high-k and metal gate.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology)
October 1, 2006... At the Symposium on VLSI Technology in June, SEMATECH reported on a new approach it has developed to meet ITRS requirements for low-standby power (LSTP) transistors for the 45nm technology generation. Called "dual high-k, dual metal gate"...

Giving life to self-healing chips: preventing hard silicon failures.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
October 1, 2006... In a bid to enhance the performance of microprocessors, the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC) recently said it has a plan to develop self-healing chips--i.e., chips that don't fail, having been designed to diagnose when components wear out and...

"Jumpy" chromophores could enable molecular electronics.(TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
October 1, 2006... Researchers at the U. of Pennsylvania and St. Josephs U. are touting their work on chromophores, which when linked together enable transfer of electrical charges that exceed mobility in organic semiconductors by up to a factor of three, and...

Vacuum systems for ALD.(VACUUM TECHNOLOGY)(atomic layer deposition)
October 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes require vacuum conditions both for proper deposition and adequate purging of precursors from the chamber. Since the ALD process is surface driven, the high percentages of unreacted...

Using oxygen and hydroxyl radicals for batch-furnace oxidation.(THERMAL PROCESSING)(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Balancing the lifetime and residence time of radicals is critical to achieving acceptable radical oxidation growth rates and uniformities in large-batch reactors. Oxidation rates of silicon depend strongly on crystal...

Meeting future SDE requirements using co-implantation and RTA.(Source-Drain Extension)(Rapid Thermal Annealing)(Case study)
October 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW The requirements for the source/drain extensions of future devices are increasingly more demanding with respect to dopant activation, junction depth, and abruptness as semiconductor technology continues to scale [1]....

Controlling CD and process window limits for implant patterning.(RESISTS)
October 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW As design rules have shrunk, the overlay of implant layers has become a problem [1]. Existing topography on the substrate caused changes in the resist thickness, which led to varying resist CDs and limitations to the...

A process window-based approach to mask optimization.(PHOTOMASKS)
October 1, 2006... EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW Different performance and wafer-yield criteria apply to different types of integrated circuits, and the masks for those circuits may need to be optimized to achieve maximum value of production. An approach that takes the...

Excimer laser workstation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The IX-250 excimer laser micromachining system is a Class 1 industrial-grade workstation that can accommodate a variety of excimer lasers, offering 12 axes of motion, with 250mmx200mm travel (for processing 150mm wafers). It operates across the...

Upgraded darkfield inspection system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The Puma 91xx darkfield patterned wafer inspection system offers double the throughput for critical line monitor applications (20 wafers/hour) than last year's 9000 series, and >30WPH for less critical tool monitoring apps, as well as enhanced...

Instrument for surface chemical characterization.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The K-Alpha uses x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to quantitatively determine the surface chemical composition of the top few nanometers of solid materials such as insulators, semiconductors, and metals. A monochromated x-ray beam can be...

Mini-cleanroom for pre-cure processes.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The "Cocoon" pre-cure system incorporates a HEPA filter within the curing chamber, creating a miniature, heated, inverted cleanroom for the pre-cure process. Lenses are suspended directly above the hot laminar airflow from the HEPA filter face,...

In situ wafer process monitoring.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The Integral Wafer enables in situ process monitoring during critical, harsh environment process applications, such as high-power dielectric etch. The ultrathin RF-shielded laminated device (in 200mm or 300mm sizes) is recessed into a silicon...

Add-on for TEL Mark series.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The ARDiMuS system expands data and recipe management capabilities of TEL's Mark series tracks. The software auto-configures itself to the system, offering enhanced recipe control and in situ data monitoring and analysis. Rite Track, West...

Upgraded fab MES software.(PRODUCT NEWS)(manufacturing execution system)(Brooks Software)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Improvements and upgrades to the Factory-Works manufacturing execution system (MES) application suite include: modules for work order and inventory management, a manufacturing bill of materials, process nonconformance, and enhanced reporting...

Interlayer dielectric precursor.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The PDEMS ILD is an organosilicate glass for making a porous low-k dielectric material by PECVD, for 45nm geometries and beyond. A UV-based post-treatment process creates the pores, which are imparted to the film by employing a...

Multisite test system.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The Sapphire D-40 system combines analog, digital, mixed-signal and RF test instrumentation for SiP and MCP device integration and test. It has enhanced data management and parallel test capabilities, offering 40 interchangeable instrument...

Multifunctional microscope workstation.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The CrossBeam NVision 40 microscope, codeveloped with SII Nanotechnology Inc., combines electron beam, focused ion beam (FIB), and gas injection system technologies for nanoscopic imaging, structuring, and analysis. Features include two in-lens...

Quartz material for next-gen semis.(PRODUCT NEWS)(GE Advanced Materials)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The i21 ingot is a new homogenous solid quartz material for production of 300mm wafers with submicron linewidths. Available in sizes from 400mm to 560mm, it offers an ultralow defect concentration, and low OH (hydroxyl group) content to make it...

300mm horizontal wafer shipper.(PRODUCT NEWS)
October 1, 2006... The Hawk blow-molded polypropylene co-polymer horizontal wafer shipper protects 2-25 300mm wafers during handling and shipping. It has a wide access slot for manual or automated wafer insertion and removal, dual-wall air-filled lid and base,...

Tristar[TM] UV laser.(LITERATURE: showcase)
October 1, 2006... The Spectra-Physics Tristar[TM] is a high-repetition rate UV laser that offers an impressive combination of power and flexible repetition rates. It can be configured with more than 800 mW of 355 nm power at 100 kHz with a pulse width of 2 W, or...

MSP Turbo-Vaporizer.(LITERATURE: showcase)
October 1, 2006... The Model 2800 Turbo-Vaporizer[TM] from MSP Corporation uses fine droplet atomization to increase droplet surface area by six orders of magnitude for efficient droplet vaporization, and avoid direct liquid-to-hot metal surface contact that can...

Series 09.1 SS High Vacuum Gate Valve.(LITERATURE: showcase)
October 1, 2006... VAT introduces Series 09.1 Stainless Steel High Vacuum Gate Valve to its extensive product me. Designed for harsh processes, this valve is bellows sealed features a wedge sealing system and offers easy cleaning and low-cost maintenance. Request...

Tiger Optics introduces world's first Laser-based Trace oxygen analyzer.(LITERATURE: showcase)
October 1, 2006... Tiger Optics introduces an electro-optic oxygen module for its new LaserTrace. multi-point, multi-species multi-gas analyzer. Based on a powerful, proven technology, Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS), rapidly measures trace oxygen down to...

Manufacturing challenges for immersion below 45nm.(INDUSTRY FORUM)
October 1, 2006... With the introduction of the immersion technique into deep-submicron patterning, the semiconductor industry will manage to keep up with the scaling roadmap using refraction-based lithography for another two, hopefully three generations before...