Emerging markets — another major ConFab topic — are important for SEMI members, noted Morrow, and last year, the trade organization created a business unit just for these sectors. In particular, the LED industry is booming with long-term growth. "Many of the suppliers who support that industry are semiconductor suppliers as well," explained Morrow. "They see many of the same needs, some of the same processes and need for standards and industry collaboration that the semiconductor industry has developed to a very high degree." This collaboration will be necessary for the LED industry to reduce costs and accelerate the market.

Morrow noted that the trade organization’s standards program has resulted in a very robust 3D IC standards foundation in place for the manufacturing issues that need to be addressed to enable 3D architectures to prosper efficiently and effectively. “If we go into every system becoming a unique requirement, there will be delays to development of that industry,” said Morrow. SEMI has also supported 450mm standards as well as LED standards, which eliminate the kind of expensive differentiation that doesn’t add any value. “We can focus on innovation, which has always been the mechanism for new markets to be developed.”

More from The ConFab:

• Tighter chip densities tease out litho, metrology weaknesses, says Intel
• LEDs are fundamentally semiconductors, says Philips Lumileds
• Market update: Growth still good, avoiding excess
• 450mm gaining momentum in the supply chain
• Bring lithography <11nm with materials, not new steppers, says Brewer Science

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