Monthly Archives: June 2013

David DiPaola is managing director for DiPaola Consulting a company focused on engineering and management solutions for electromechanical systems, sensors and MEMS products.  A 17 year veteran of the field, he has brought many products from concept to production in high volume with outstanding quality.  His work in design and process development spans multiple industries including automotive, medical, industrial and consumer electronics.  He employs a problem solving based approach working side by side with customers from startups to multi-billion dollar companies.  David also serves as senior technical staff to The Richard Desich SMART Commercialization Center for Microsystems, is an authorized external researcher at The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at NIST and is a senior member of IEEE. Previously he has held engineering management and technical staff positions at Texas Instruments and Sensata Technologies, authored numerous technical papers, is a respected lecturer and holds 5 patents.  To learn more, please visit www.dceams.com.    

In the development of new MEMS products, the team is the most important factor.  Executive management and investors will always evaluate teams and will only take large risks with teams that have earned their trust. In response to a question, I asked Rich Templeton (CEO of Texas Instruments) regarding how he made the decision to invest in a new technology, a portion of his response highlighted the evaluation of and betting on teams. This is driven by the fact that it is actually quite common for engineers and entrepreneurs to lead multiple successful projects or startups over their career. With this in mind, let’s review the necessary attributes that make these engineers and entrepreneurs so successful in MEMS new product development. 

Integrity:  This is the foundation upon which all other attributes are built. Truthfulness, consistency and accuracy of one’s actions is of utmost importance, as without it you have nothing. This is not something that is exercised in part or stretched. It needs to embody who you are.        

Good Judgment: An equally important attribute to integrity is a person’s ability to exercise discernment. It’s the skill of knowing what information is needed to make a sound decision, how to efficiently gather that information, being decisive and achieving positive outcomes a significant portion of the time. It also entails the ability to lead when large gaps in information exist and managing the associated risk. Engineers who use good judgment only reevaluate decisions for change as new information becomes available. Furthermore, they study given information, decisions made and outcomes to hone this skill over time. 

Details: The details are what make products robust with ultra high reliability. A small detail can often make the difference in achieving or missing a specified performance target. For example, overlooking the use of a getter in a MEMS device with a vacuum cavity could result in output drift if materials out gas over time. Understanding the detailed physics of the problem at hand is also critically important. 

Ability to Learn: Technology and human understanding of complex systems continues to evolve. In order to be successful, a individual must have the desire and ability to learn as new information becomes available. The MEMS industry is constantly changing with CMOS and nanotechnology integration, smaller feature sizes, optimized processes, standardization, sensor fusion and more.  Those who are unwilling to learn from not only their work but the credible work of others will have difficultly producing competitive products.       

Problem Solving:  This is really a combination of proper methodology, attention to details and the ability to learn. Experts in a field that know the answer before they start, rarely solve problems. In running a design of experiments (DOE) of a MEMS sensor with a flip chip on flex laminated to a plastic substrate, pressure, time and heat were varied in a effort to eliminate voids in the laminate material and optimize process parameters. The first DOE resulted in multiple large voids over all parameters showing no noticeable trends. Through a methodology of identifying alternate factors and testing hypothesizes, it was then discovered that moisture impregnated in the plastic substrate and flex circuit itself was actually introducing voids in the laminate as it out gassed during the lamination process. Once the moisture was removed either through a prebake or proper material handling, the voids were no longer present. A subsequent DOE was completed including moisture as a factor and the process was optimized. In a confirmation experiment, the predicted worst-case process parameters resulted in large lamination voids and the optimized case demonstrated lamination with no voids and excellent adhesion.     

Motivation / Passion:  The drive behind peoples’ actions and its alignment with project goals are essential. Are they doing it because they love it and in essence it is a part of their DNA or is it simply a paycheck? Does the subject matter wake them up in the morning because they can’t wait to get started? Do their eyes light up, their voice become invigorated and their body language become expressive when they speak? Do off shoots of their passion migrate into their personal time off? These are some of the characteristics that highly motivated and passionate people display. I had the privilege of discussing entrepreneurism and leadership with Ray Stata, founder and chairman of Analog Devices, a few years ago. Through words and action, his passion is intertwined throughout ADI. When their MEMS division was starting out and encountering difficultly, he showed his commitment to the business by becoming the general manager. He figured the company would not fire the founder although they could. In his spare time, he continues to show his entrepreneurial spirit as he lives vicariously through his investments in and mentoring of technology startups. Everyone I have spoken to at ADI speaks highly of him. Mr. Stata is an excellent example of the type of person you want on your team.

Creativity:  The ability to think in new ways is extremely important. It’s having the wherewithal to take an idea that appears crazy at the time and figuring out a way to make it work and provide a competitive advantage. Devices that provide outstanding function and have an elegant, eye-pleasing package with a captivating yet easy to use interface exude creativity. An example of creatively in action is the first generation Apple iPhone. When it was first released, it revolutionized the smart phone approach and the smart phone leader at the time is still recovering after large market share loss. 

Experience: When looking at job descriptions, the top requirement is often education level. This approach is not robust. Let me explain. If you were going to launch a MEMS device in production and wanted to hire an engineer, who would you choose: 1) A person with a bachelor’s degree in physics who launched several profitable MEMS products in millions of units per year successfully or 2) a person with a PhD in the subject matter of interest and an MBA with little industry experience? This is hypothetical, but it illustrates a point. Education is extremely important, but the method through which it is obtained is less critical and can take many forms. The CEO of Tumblr dropped out of high school in his freshman year because his school system had a weak computer science program. Instead he and his parents agreed for him to pursue his education through alternative, more productive channels. As recently highlighted in the news, he just sold his company for $1.1 billion to Yahoo. He cites that he worked with and learned a tremendous amount from the smart people he surrounded himself with.      

Persistence: The quality of steadily continuing despite difficult challenges along the way is a necessary characteristic of all accomplished engineers. People who are persistence are often mislabeled as stubborn. The key difference is persistent people listen to good reason and are cooperative. However, being cooperative does not mean going along with the direction from those in authority that logical reason and data shows is the wrong path. Instead staying the course and using influential communication with supporting data and analysis to gain needed support is a better approach.      

Communication:  Proper communication is not only used to transfer information but also to persuade doubters with good reason. This is an essential skill for interaction with customers, colleagues, investors and management. An engineer with good communication skills can explain a complex problem in a well-articulated, concise and simplified manner without skipping critical details. In the end, the listener understands what was accomplished, how it was done, critical details and the resulting impact of the project. 

Influence:  Individuals in MEMS new product development will encounter resistance from various people along the way. This could be from management, investors or colleagues. Hence the ability of individuals to affect the thinking and actions of others through sound reasoning, credible data, persistence and convincing plans is necessary to bring MEMS products to fruition. For many years, there were critics who stated that standards for MEMS will never happen. Instead of accepting the status quo, engineers from Intel and Qualcomm with the support of MIG and other companies worked together to produce the first MEMS standard on sensor parameters. These actions are now influencing the MEMS community to accept that maybe some level of standardization is possible and beneficial. 

Risk Tolerance: New product development and higher levels of risk go hand in hand. Engineers who take on this challenge, need to have a greater tolerance for this risk and be able to manage it. The key benefit of higher risk is the larger reward that is typically associated with it. With any new product development, there is always the possibility for cancellation, low adoption, project delays and insufficient funding. However, building teams on the principles above is the first step to lowering risk.      

Other Points to Consider:  When choosing a team leader, vision is another important factor to consider. Leaders with vision have the foresight to see the potential in an idea before it exists.  Not all team members have to be visionaries but it is important that trust is built between those who have it and those who don’t. In addition, carefully consider the chemistry when building a team. Having proper technical and business depth, meshing personalities and clear leadership is extremely important.

The team is essential for success in any MEMS new product development. Focusing on the key attributes mentioned above will help companies hire the best individuals for MEMS new product development. In next month’s blog, proper execution of MEMS validation will be discussed.   

Fujitsu Laboratories Limited has launched millimeter-wave transceiver based on gallium-nitride high-electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT). The device operates at frequencies up to the millimeter-wave band and features an output of 10W.

Until now, developing high-output modules that operate in the millimeter-wave band have required modules consisting of separately packaged components to allow for sufficient heat dissipation. As a result, it has been difficult to produce compact modules. In addition, because the occurrence of signal loss tends to increase in internal module terminal connector components at higher frequencies, reaching millimeter-wave operations has proved to be challenging.

The new high-output millimeter-wave transceiver module developed by Fujitsu uses a heat sink embedded with multi-layer ceramic technology capable of efficiently dissipating heat. Through its unique architecture that reduces signal loss occurring in internal terminal connector components, the transceiver module can achieve millimeter-wave operations. With dimensions of 12mm × 36mm × 3.3mm, the new module measures less than one-twentieth the size of a conventional combined unit.

Using the new technology, it is possible to combine multiple chips within a single unit, thereby enabling the development of more compact radar devices and wireless communications equipment.

Fujitsu Laboratories plans to put this technology to use in a wide range of applications that require compact modules with high output across wide bandwidths, including wireless devices and radar systems.

Building on its extensive microscope lineup, KEYENCE Corporation has released a new multipurpose microscope. The VHX-700F allows users to leverage some of the advanced functions of the VHX Series, such as Depth Composition and 3D Display, while offering the same image quality and primary measurement capabilities at a lower price point.

The VHX-700F incorporates observation, measurement, and image recording capabilities into a single device, while offering all of the imaging techniques found in traditional inspection equipment. The microscope boasts a 0.1x – 5,000x magnification range and provides bright field, dark field, and transmitted illumination. Additional attachments offer polarized, diffused, and DIC imaging methods. Users can also inspect inside of small openings with a complete lineup of borescopes and fiberscopes.

By combining the technology generally found in stereoscopic, metallurgical, measurement, and scanning electron microscopes, the VHX-700F is able to accentuate the strengths of these systems while avoiding many of their limitations. Not only can images be captured entirely in focus with the exceptionally large depth-of-field, but a variety of measurements can be completed directly on the image with just a click of the mouse. A multi-angle stand is paired with a rotating stage to allow 360 degree views without the need to fixture or manipulate the sample, and the camera easily detaches for handheld, non-destructive imaging of larger parts.

Silicon Labs, a provider of high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Energy Micro AS. Based in Oslo, Norway, the late-stage privately held company offers the industry’s most power-efficient portfolio of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) and is developing multi-protocol wireless RF solutions based on the industry-leading ARM Cortex-M architecture. Energy Micro’s energy-friendly MCU and radio solutions are designed to enable a broad range of power-sensitive applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), smart energy, home automation, security and portable electronics markets.

The growth of the IoT market, coupled with continued deployment of smart grid and smart energy infrastructure, is driving strong demand for energy-efficient processing and wireless connectivity technology to enable connected devices in which low-power capabilities are increasingly important. Industry experts predict that the number of connected devices for the IoT will top 15 billion nodes by 2015 and reach 50 billion nodes by 2020.

“Silicon Labs and Energy Micro share a complementary vision of a greener, smarter, wirelessly connected world, and the foundation for this combined vision is ultra-low-power technology enabled by each company’s innovative mixed-signal design,” said Tyson Tuttle, president and CEO of Silicon Labs. “This acquisition combines two proven leaders in nano-power MCU and wireless SoC design into a formidable force that will accelerate the deployment of energy-friendly solutions across the Internet of Things and smart energy industries.”

The company expects the addition of Energy Micro’s EFM32 Gecko MCUs and EFR Draco Radios, ultra-low-power technology expertise, energy-aware Simplicity development tools, and world-class design and applications teams will drive the rapid expansion of its Broad-based business. Silicon Labs intends to apply these complementary embedded technology platforms and expertise to enable the industry’s most energy-efficient solutions for the burgeoning IoT and smart energy markets, as well as the proliferation of battery-powered portable electronics devices. In addition, both companies’ 32-bit MCU and wireless products leverage the same ARM Cortex-M architecture, which is expected to accelerate the combined roadmap and support rapid adoption among the existing customer base.

“The Energy Micro team is excited to join Silicon Labs,” said Geir Førre, president and CEO of Energy Micro, who after the closing, is expected to become vice president and general manager of Silicon Lab’s Energy-Friendly Microcontroller and Radio business unit, based in Oslo. “Silicon Labs’ excellent resources and technology will help the combined company develop new products and gain market share more quickly.”

Olympus this week announced the release of the LEXT OLS4100 laser confocal microscope system. Designed to deliver nanometer-level imaging, accurate 3D measurement, and outstanding surface roughness analysis, the OLS4100 features auto brightness and a new high-speed stitching mode.

 

Engineered to meet a growing demand for increased measurement precision and wider observation applicability, the OLS4100 offers advanced measurement performance at ten-nanometer resolution with a variety of user-friendly performance parameters. Thanks to high numerical apertures and a dedicated optical system that obtains maximum performance from a 405 nm laser, the OLS4100 can reliably measure acute-angled samples that were previously impossible to measure.

“Widely used in quality control, research, and development across an array of industries and applications, OLYMPUS LEXT laser microscopes set a new standard in 3D laser microscopy,” said Matt Smith, Olympus director of sales and marketing. “Today, with the LEXT OLS4100, Olympus is once again raising the bar with a new level of precision and ease of use.”

The OLS4100’s auto brightness setting is part of an automatic 3D image acquisition system that allows even first-time users to quickly acquire 3D images with the click of a button, greatly reducing image acquisition time. A new high-speed stitching mode allows the user to specify target areas from wider-area stitched images. 

The OLS4100 employs a dual confocal system that, when combined with its high-sensitivity detector, enables the capture of clear images from samples consisting of materials with different reflectance characteristics. In addition to the laser image, the OLS4100 uses a white LED light and a high-color-fidelity CCD camera to generate clear, natural-looking color imagery comparable with that obtained with high-grade optical microscopes. This color image can be overlaid upon the 3D laser image for a 3D representation of your sample.

The OLS4100’s new multilayer mode is capable of recognizing the peaks of reflected light intensities of multiple sample layers and setting each layer as a focal point, making it possible to observe and measure the upper and lower surfaces of a sample with a transparent coating. This multilayer mode also facilitates the observation and measurement of multiple layers of transparent materials.

Calibrated in the same way as contact surface roughness gauges, the OLS4100 represents a new level of surface roughness measuring and adheres to the necessary roughness parameters and filters required per ISO and JQA. This allows users with contact surface roughness gauges to obtain output results from the OLS4100 consistent with their existing instruments, with the advantage of greater speed and non-contact measurement.

Engineered with easy operation in mind, the OLS4100 facilitates a systematic workflow through an intuitive interface that allows even novice users to quickly master measurement procedures. A wide range of measurement modes are available, each designed to efficiently enable specific analysis results. No pre-processing of samples is necessary.

Demand for flexible displays is set to undergo massive growth during the next seven years, with a broad variety of applications—ranging from smartphones to giant screens mounted on buildings—driving a nearly 250 times expansion in shipments from 2013 through 2020.

Global shipments of flexible displays are projected to soar to 792 million units in 2020, up from 3.2 million in 2013, according to a new IHS report entitled “Flexible Display Technology and Market Forecast.”  Market revenue will rise to $41.3 billion, up from just $100,000 during the same period.

“Flexible displays hold enormous potential, creating whole new classes of products and enabling exciting new applications that were impractical or impossible before,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director for mobile and emerging displays and technology at IHS. “From smartphones with displays that curve around the sides, to smart watches with wraparound screens, to tablets and PCs with roll-out displays, to giant video advertisements on curved building walls, the potential uses for flexible displays will be limited only by the imagination of designers.”

Generation flex

IHS classifies flexible displays into four generations of technology. The first generation is the durable display panels that are now entering the market. These panels employ a flexible substrate to attain superior thinness and unbreakable ruggedness. However, these displays are flat and cannot be bent or rolled.

Second-generation flexible displays are bendable and conformable, and can be molded to curved surfaces, maximizing space on small form-factor products like smartphones.

The third generation consists of truly flexible and rollable displays that can be manipulated by end users. These displays will enable a new generation of devices that save space and blur the lines separating traditional product categories, such as smartphones and media tablets.

The fourth generation consists of disposable displays that cost so little that they can serve as a replacement for paper.

Starting small

With their thin, light and unbreakable nature, flexible displays initially are expected to be used in smaller-sized products, such as mobile phones and MP3 players. However, once large-size displays are available, flexible technology will be used in bigger screen-size platforms, such as laptops, monitors and televisions.

The largest application for flexible displays during the next several years will be personal electronic devices. This segment will be led by smartphones, with shipments climbing to 351 million units by 2020, up from less than 2 million this year.

Flexible stars at SID

Flexible displays were a major topic at the Society for Information Display (SID) Display Week event in Vancouver in May.

During an SID keynote address, Kinam Kim, president and CEO of Samsung Display Co., discussed his company’s flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. Kim said that the technology will be suitable for wearable electronics devices like Google Glass.

Also at SID, LG Display showed a 5-inch OLED panel constructed out of plastic that was both flexible and unbreakable.

Furthermore, Corning at SID showed its Willow Glass, which can be used as with both OLEDs and liquid-crystal displays (LCD) in mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets and notebook PCs. Because of its thinness, strength and flexibility, Willow Glass could enable future displays to be wrapped around a device or a structure.

IHS predicts OLEDs will be the leading flexible display technology during every year for the foreseeable future, accounting for 64 percent of shipments in 2020.

Shipments of television sets in the United States declined by 11 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to one year earlier, according to a TV Systems Intelligence update from information and analytics provider IHS.

U.S. TV shipments dropped to 6.6 million units, down from 7.4 million a year ago in the first quarter of 2012. Liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD TV) decreased by 7 percent, while plasma plunged 39 percent, as presented in the attached figure.

However, the news was not all bad: The average selling price (ASP) for LCD TVs increased 3 percent, driven by a recovery in consumer confidence and a focus on replacing main TV sets with more full-featured products and larger screen sizes.

The fall in the United States reflected the worldwide decrease of television shipments during the first quarter. However, global TV shipments declined far lower, down by less than 2 percent.

The contraction in global volumes was driven by the decline in the remaining markets for bulky analog cathode ray tube (CRT) sets as well as by the reduction in plasma demand. Other factors responsible for the decrease included a widespread cutback in LCD TV manufacturing volumes by major Japanese vendors, and a repositioning of the market toward fewer, larger-sized TV sets in the mature markets.

Consumers spend more as feature demand increases

As a result of the ASP increase for LCD TVs, revenue was relatively stable by comparison, with total TV revenue dropping by 11 percent in line with total shipments, while LCD TV revenue declined significantly less than shipments, by 4 percent.

For brands relying on the LCD market, this creates an opportunity to expand their margins in the highly competitive TV market.

“The U.S. market is starting to reposition toward higher-end TV sets,” said Veronica Thayer, analyst for consumer electronics & technology at IHS. “Now that most homes have at least one flat-panel TV, consumers have become more discerning in their tastes and place more value on features like light-emitting diode (LED) backlighting, supersized screens and interactive smart TVs.”

Supersized LCD TVs and LED lead the way

Supersized LCD TV sets larger than 50 inches in the diagonal dimension accounted for 27 percent of U.S. LCD TV unit shipments in the first quarter, up from 15 percent one year before.

Furthermore, these large sets represented over half of all U.S. LCD TV revenue, at 53 percent, up sharply from 39 percent one year earlier.

For top television manufacturers, such high-cost sets represent an opportunity to maintain pricing despite declining unit sales in the United States.

Primarily because of increased shipments of 50-inch and 60-inch sets, the ASP for LCD TVs in the United States increased year-on-year in the first quarter. The ASP stood at $704, up from $682 one year earlier.

Meanwhile, LED-backlit sets increased their share of U.S. TV unit shipments to 72 percent, up from 37 percent during the first quarter of 2012. LED sets accounted for 76 percent of total TV revenue, up from 52 percent.

Samsung and Vizio remain the top US TV brands in Q1

In terms of competitive positioning, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. earned the highest revenue from the U.S. market for all types of televisions and in the key LCD TV segment, despite strong gains by Vizio Inc.

South Korea’s Samsung during the first three months of 2013 accounted for 31 percent of overall U.S. television market revenue, up from 30 percent during the same period in 2012. The company also expanded its share of U.S. LCD TV revenue to 28 percent, up from 27 percent one year earlier.

Meanwhile, Vizio increased its share of TV revenue sharply, rising to 16 percent, up from 11 percent in 2012. The U.S.-based company also boosted its portion of U.S. LCD TV revenue to 18 percent, up from 14 percent one year earlier, due to the increase in number of large-screen-size TV models offered, particularly the very successful 60-inch, and helped by the brand’s entry into Best Buy.

In terms of volume, the squeeze on the total number of shipped TVs still favored Samsung, with 1.6 million units in the first quarter this year. However, Vizio managed to edge out Samsung on U.S. LCD TV volume during the period by a few thousand units.

“Samsung has retained its position as the leading premium television brand in the United States by capitalizing on demand for premium features, but Vizio is making strong moves in volumes and larger-sized models, although its current revenue is still lower,” Thayer added. “Ultimately, feature-rich sets and large screen sizes lead to higher TV ASPs, which can provide an opportunity for manufacturers to regain margins.”

 

Advanced packaging technology is undergoing dramatic changes as the smart phones and new sensor technologies demand continued improvements in form and function.  To address these massive changes, SEMICON West will feature a number of programs on new packaging technologies and processes with speakers from leading chip makers, equipment manufacturers, and material suppliers.

According to IDC, forecasts semiconductor revenues will log a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1 percent from 2011-2016, but revenues for 4G phones will experience annual growth over 100 percent for the same period. NanoMarkets estimates that the global market for “Internet of Things” sensors will reach $1.6 billion this year and grow to a value of $17.6 billion by the end of the decade as sensors become increasingly connected to the Internet directly or through hubs.  Both trends will significantly impact semiconductor and microelectronics packaging.  Demand for equipment and related tools in the 3D-IC and wafer-level packaging area alone is forecasted to grow from approximately $370 million in 2010 to over $2.5 billion by 2016, according to Yole Developpment.

To address these changes, SEMICON West 2013 (register at www.semiconwest.org/registration), held on July 9-11 in San Francisco, will feature a number of programs on new packaging applications, requirements, technologies, and products, including:

  • Generation Mobile:  Enabled by IC Packaging Technologies — Speakers from ASE, UBM Tech Insights, Amkor Technology, SK Hynix, and Universal Scientific Industrial will present on the latest advances in wafer-level packaging, new materials, and multi-die integration, including new System-in-Package (SiP) and Package-on-Package (PoP) methods. Location: Moscone Center (North Hall), TechXPOT North, Tuesday, July 9, 10:30am-12:30pm.
  • “THIN IS IN": Thin Chip & Packaging Technologies as Enablers for Innovations in the Mobility Era — IEEE/CPMT will hold a technical workshop on the overall trend of maximum functional integration in the smallest and thinnest package with lowest packaging costs with speakers from Intel, Cisco, ASE, Micron, SK Hynix, Nanium, Kyocera and more. Location: San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Tuesday, July 9, 1:30-4:45pm.
  • Advancing 2.5D and 3D Packaging through Value Engineering — Speakers from Altera, Amkor, ASE, ASET, KPMG, UMC, STATS ChipPAC and more will take a critical look at 2.5D implementations and the current outlook for 3D packages, including tools and technologies for heterogeneous stacks. Location: Moscone Center (North Hall), TechXPOT North, Wednesday, July 10, 1:00-3:30pm.
  • MEMS & Sensor Packaging for the Internet of Things— This session will feature speakers from all parts of the ecosystem to address how future visions of a pervasive interconnected world will be realized through the heterogeneous integration of MEMS and ICs.  The program will feature keynote speaker Janusz Bryzek from Fairchild Semiconductor, and speakers from VTT Research, Fraunhofer IZM, Robert Bosche, EV Group, Dai Nippon Printing, and more. Location: Moscone Center (North Hall), TechXPOT North, Thursday, July 11, 10:30am-1:00pm.

In addition to the packaging programs, SEMICON West 2013 will also feature over 560 exhibitors with the latest innovation on microelectronics manufacturing, including over 150 exhibitors with equipment and technology solutions for advanced packaging.  Other programs and exhibitors at West will address lithography, advanced materials and processes, silicon photonics, test, LED and MEMS manufacturing, and other subjects.  For more information on SEMICON West and to register, visit www.semiconwest.org

CEA-Leti will present recent advances and a preview of future developments in micro- and nanotechnologies, followed by workshops on key technical fields, during Leti Innovation Days, June 25-28, on the MINATEC campus.

The gathering incorporates Leti’s two-day Annual Review, now in its 15th year. That event provides an update of developments from Leti’s labs and its success in transferring technology to industry.

The 15th Annual Review kicks off on June 25th with two plenary sessions:

  • Envisioning the Future, chaired by Leti CEO Laurent Malier, will include insights from industry leaders into the technological innovations that will shape the future.
  • Enabling the Future, chaired by Pierre-Damien Berger, Leti VP of business development and communication. Presentations will include Leti’s latest developments and the key enabling technologies that will drive advancements in a broad range of sectors.

June 26th presentations by Leti specialists and partners will cover security and safety, environment and health, green IT and nanoelectronics.

“This year’s review powerfully highlights the wide-ranging strengths of Leti’s offer, from continuous innovation to technology transfer and support for SMEs,” said Leti CEO Laurent Malier. “Leti last year demonstrated a new FD-SOI solution that offers a 40 percent improvement in power consumption and a 30 percent frequency improvement, at lower costs. Transferred to manufacturing, it delivered the first application processor product dedicated to smartphones exceeding 3 GHz. We also particularly expanded our actions for SMEs, with a specific initiative allowing them to benefit from the expertise of our researchers and engineers and to access our state-of-the-art equipment.”

The Annual Review will be followed on June 27-28 by five in-depth workshops on design for 3D, memory, photonics, imaging and nanopackaging.

Leti Innovation Days participants will include international and European decision-makers: CEOs, CTOs, marketing and strategy directors, R&D managers, IT and semiconductor companies, innovative SMEs, end-user companies, research institutes, startups and international press. Represented industries include advanced microelectronics, green IT, memory, imaging, LEDs and lighting, safety and security, and healthcare and the environment.

 

Much has been said of the 450mm transition.  But the description of this inflection is something of a misnomer.  Though everyone desires a smooth, coordinated and orderly conversion, it may be a little less placid than the term “transition” implies.  Rather, I suggest calling it the 450mm “transformation.”   Because, even for the segments that continue manufacturing semiconductor devices on 300mm and 200mm silicon wafers, the industry will change dramatically with the introduction of 450mm wafer processing. The 450mm era will impact industry composition, supply chain dynamics, capital spending concentration, future R&D capabilities and many other facets of today’s semiconductor manufacturing industry — not the least of which are the fabs, wafers and tools with which chips are made.

The shift to 450mm will take a several years to manifest and numerous complexities are being skillfully managed by multiple organizations and consortia.   For those reasons, the evolutionary tone of “transition” seems appropriate. However, once the changeover occurs, in hindsight, most in the industry will recognize that they participated in something transformational.

No transformation occurs in isolation and other factors will contribute to the revolutionary qualities of 450mm.  Market factors, new facilities design, next generation processing technology, the changing dynamics of node development and new materials integration will simultaneously affect the industry landscape.

While reading about the implications of 450mm is valuable, I believe that there is much to learn by being a part of the discussion. How is this future transformation being envisioned and acted on today?  I hope that you will join us — at our “live” event, where you will have the opportunity to hear first-hand information… direct from well-informed experts in the industry.

SEMICON West offers this opportunity with “Must See” 450mm events to mark on your calendar…

….450 Consortia plans, timelines and status; equipment development; critical standards; future-looking fab facilities and EHS issues; executive perspective, and vital R&D capabilities will all be covered at SEMICON West.

Wafer Standards

The transition to 450mm manufacturing is accompanied by the development of various standards aimed at achieving cost, efficiency and technology improvements. Some standards are a product of the deliberate consensus-based SEMI International Standards program, which has produced over 15 essential 450mm-specific standards to-date.  Additionally, consortia, customers and suppliers organize complementary efforts to align common approaches to transition solutions.

Potential revisions in the 450mm wafer specification are under consideration.  At least two issues are currently being evaluated by the industry and both portend significant ramifications for wafer suppliers, equipment makers and those technologies that interface with the wafer.

First, the wafer orientation method may be revised to eliminate the orientation “notch” on the perimeter of the substrate. The notch was introduced in the 300mm transition as an alternative to the flat.  However, both equipment suppliers and IC makers, through a constructive and collaborative dialog, have concluded that eliminating the notch can potentially improve the die yield, tool performance and cost.

Secondly, reduction of the wafer edge exclusion area — that peripheral portion of the silicon on which no viable device structure occurs — also offers potential yield advantages.  The current 450mm wafer specification (SEMI E76-0710), originally published in 2010, calls for a 2mm edge exclusion zone.  IC makers believe that reduction of this area to a 1.5mm dimension offers the cost equivalence of a 1 percent yield increase.  Though a percent may sound trivial, it is represents substantial increased value over time.

These and other wafer-related issues will be key topics at SEMICON West and will be thoroughly reviewed on Wednesday, July 10 at the SEMI Standards program entitled “Silicon Wafers — Future Standardization to Enable the Transition.” Materials will be presented by expert speakers including authoritative customers participating in the Global 450 Consortium (G450C), which includes Samsung, TSMC, IBM, Intel and GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

Facilities and EHS

Wafer transitions offer one of the rare periods when new approaches can be developed and integrated into facilities plans.  During the 300mm transition, significant developments occurred in factory automation and wafer handling. Similarly, the 450mm transition is a window to update the industry approach to a number of fab systems. Rising energy costs, water scarcity, and climate change will continue to present both challenges and opportunities for semiconductor manufacturing in the 450mm era. These sustainability concerns are driving demand for tools that can more reliably and cost-effectively achieve a shared vision of resource balance.

Along with cost and efficiency improvements, IC makers and consortia driving the transition to 450mm manufacturing expect to achieve similar or better environmental performance. Larger footprints and resource demands from 450mm facilities in conjunction with mandates for environmentally aware operations are compelling fabs and suppliers to consider sustainability and systems integration at greater levels than ever before. 

Experts in fab facilities, energy, water and equipment engineering will discuss the implications of 450mm to environment, health and safety during the SEMICON West 450mm Manufacturing EHS Forum on Wednesday, July 10.

Included in the presentations are perspectives from the Facility 450 Consortium (F450C) including Ovivo, Edwards and M+W Group.  A holistic Site Resource Model that provides semiconductor manufacturers visibility into effective reduction of total energy and water demands for individual systems, as well as for the entire facility will be reviewed by CH2M Hill. The model is an integrated analytical approach to assess and optimize a semiconductor facility’s thermal energy, electrical energy, and water demand, as well as the cost associated with these resources.

Also, the bigger, heavier and taller equipment envisioned for 450 entails new considerations for installation, movement and maintenance.  Making sure these issues don’t detract from the other cost saving achievements is a key consideration for facilities planning.  G450C representatives will review the status of component lift analysis currently underway. The solutions potentially alter fab facilities dimensions, tool engineering and service regimes.

450 TechXPOT

The SEMICON West 450mm Transition Forum covers the latest updates from those closest to the action.  The event occurs on Thursday, July 11 at the South Hall TechXPOT located in Moscone Center.  Paul Farrar, general manager of Global 450mm Consortium will provide an update and status on G450C. Hamid Zarringhalam, executive vice president, Nikon Precision, will review the challenges and status of 450mm lithography — which is shaping up to be one of the most uncertain yet critical 450mm planning considerations. Chris Richard, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC will talk about “Improving Semiconductor Equipment Vendor Profitability during the 450mm Transition.”

Then, SEMI will host a discussion among the world’s foremost 450mm tool experts from leading equipment companies.  The discussion panel will include: Kirk Hasserjian, corporate vice president, Silicon Systems Group, Applied Materials, Inc., Brian Trafas, Ph.D., chief marketing officer, KLA-Tencor; Mark Fissel, vice president, 450mm Program, Lam Research Corporation; and Akihisa Sekiguchi, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of SPE Marketing, Tokyo Electron Limited.  We have a few provocative topics to review with panel members.  If you have questions or topics you want addressed by those at the front line of the 450mm transformation, feel free to send us your suggestions.

In summary, a transformation will occur in IC manufacturing with the introduction of larger wafers, but it begins with serious engineering that is occurring now.  Attend SEMICON West to learn more about wafer specifications, EHS and facilities— considerations and business strategies for success and be better prepared for the numerous implications of 450mm era.

Learn more about it here: www.semiconwest.org. Register now at www.semiconwest.org/registration.