Category Archives: 3D Integration

IC Insights will release its 200+ page Mid-Year Update to the 2018 McClean Report later this month. The Mid-Year Update revises IC Insights’ worldwide economic and IC industry forecasts through 2022 that were originally published in The 2018 McClean Report issued in January of this year.

Figure 1 compares the estimated required capex needed to increase NAND flash bit volume shipments 40% per year, sourced from a chart from Micron’s 2018 Analyst and Investor Event in May of this year, versus the annual capex targeting the NAND flash market segment using IC Insights’ data. As shown, Micron believes that the industry capex needed to increase NAND flash bit volume production by 40% more than doubled from $9 billion in 2015 to $22 billion only two years later in 2017! This tremendous surge in required capital was driven by the move to 3D NAND from planar NAND since 3D NAND requires much more fab equipment and additional cleanroom space to process the additional layers of the device as compared to planar NAND.

Most of the five major NAND flash suppliers have stated that they believe that NAND bit volume demand growth will average about 40% per year over the next few years. Figure 1 shows that the capex needed to support a 40% increase in NAND bit volume shipments was exceeded by 27% last year and is forecast to exceed the amount needed by another 41% this year (NAND bit volume shipments increased 41% in 2017 but 1H18/1H17 bit volume shipments were up only 30%). As a result, it is no surprise that NAND flash prices have already softened in early 2018. Moreover, the pace of the softening is expected to pick up in the second half of this year and continue into 2019.

Historical precedent in the memory market shows that too much spending usually leads to overcapacity and subsequent pricing weakness. With Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, Intel, Toshiba/Western Digital/SanDisk, and XMC/Yangtze River Storage Technology all planning to significantly ramp up 3D NAND flash capacity over the next couple of years (with additional new Chinese producers possibly entering the market), IC Insights believes that the risk for significantly overshooting 3D NAND flash market demand is very high and growing.

Figure 1

By Ed Korczynski

As the commercial IC fabrication industry continues to shrink field-effect transistor (FET) sizes, 2D planar structures evolved into 3D fins which are now evolving into 3D stacks of 2D nano-sheets. While some researchers continue to work on integrating non-silicon “alternate channel” materials into finFETs for next generation logic ICs, published results from labs around the world now show that nano-wires or nano-sheets of silicon will likely follow silicon finFETs in high-volume manufacturing (HVM) fabs. 

Today’s finFETs are formed using self-aligned multi-patterning (SAMP) process flows with argon-fluoride immersion (ArFi) deep ultra-violet (DUV) steppers to provide arrays of equal-width lines. A block-mask can then pattern sets of lines into different numbers of fins per transistor to allow for different maximum current flows across the chip. When considering the next CMOS device structure to replace finFETs in commercial HVM we must anticipate the need to retain different current flows (ION) across the IC.

Gate-all-around (GAA) FETs can provide outstanding ION/IOFFratios, and future logic ICs could be built using either horizontal or vertical GAA devices. While vertical-GAA transistors have been explored for memory chips, their manufacturing process flows are significantly different from  those used to form finFETs. In contrast, horizontal-GAA FETs processing can be seen as a logical extension of flows already developed and refined for fin structuring.

“With a number of scaling boosters, the industry will be able to extend finFET technology to the 7 or even 5nm node,” said An Steegen, EVP at imec’s Semiconductor Technology and Systems division. “Beyond, the gate-all-around (GAA) architecture appears as a practical solution since it reuses most of the finFET process steps.”

The figure shows simplified cross-sections of a finFET with fin height (FH) of 50 nm along with two different stacks of lateral nano-sheets (LNS, also known as horizontal nano-sheets or HNS), where the current flows would be normal to the cross-section. HNS are variations of horizontal nano-wires (HNW) with the wires widened, shown as 11nm and 21nm in the figure. The HNS are epitaxial-silicon grown separated by sacrificial sacrificial silicon-germanium (SiGe) spacer layers.

Cross-sectional schematics of idealized (left) 50nm high finFET, (center) 5nm high by 11nm wide lateral-nano-sheets at 12-18nm vertical pitch, and (right) lateral-nano-sheets 21nm wide. (Source: imec)

In an exclusive interview with Solid State Technology, Steegen discussed a few details of the process extensions needed to convert finFETs into HNS-FETs. The same work-function ALD metals can be used to tune threshold voltages such that one epi-stack process can grow silicon for both n-type and p-type FETs. Happily, no new epitaxial reactors nor precursor materials are needed. Isotropic etch of the SiGe vertical spacers, and then filling the spaces with a dielectric deposition may be the only new unit-processes needed.

Alternate channel wires and sheets

At the 2018 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits, imec presented two papers on germanium as an alternate channel material for nanowire pFET devices. In the first paper they studied the electrical properties of strained germanium nanowire pFETs as high-end analog and high-performance digital solutions. The second paper demonstrated vertically-stacked GAA highly-strained germanium nanowire pFETs.

The commercial IC fab industry has considered use of alternate channels for planar devices and for finFETs, yet so far has found extensions of silicon to work well-enough for pFETs. Likewise, the first generation of HNS will likely use silicon channels for both nFETs and pFETs. Germanium GAA pFETs thus represent the ability to shrink HNS devices for future nodes.

BY PAUL VAN DER HEIDE, director of materials and components analysis, imec, Leuven, Belgium

To keep up with Moore’s Law, the semiconductor industry continues to push the envelope in developing new device architectures containing novel materials. This in turn pushes the need for new solid-state analytical capabilities, whether for materials characterization or inline metrology. Aside from basic R&D, these capabilities are established at critical points of the semiconductor device manufacturing line, to measure, for example, the thickness and composition of a thin film, dopant profiles of transistor’s source/drain regions, the nature of defects on a wafer’s surface, etc. This approach is used to reduce “time to data”. We cannot wait until the end of the manufacturing line to know if a device will be functional or not. Every process step costs money and a fully functional device can take months to fabricate. Recent advances in instrumentation and computational power have opened the door to many new, exciting analytical possibilities.

One example that comes to mind concerns the development of coherent sources. So far, coherent photon sources have been used for probing the atomic and electronic structure of materials, but only within large, dedicated synchrotron radiation facilities. Through recent developments, table top coherent photon sources have been introduced that could soon see demand in the semiconductor lab/fab environment.

The increased computational power now at our finger tips is also allowing us to make the most of these and other sources through imaging techniques such as ptychography. Ptychog- raphy allows for the complex patterns resulting from coherent electron or photon interaction with a sample to be processed into recognizable images to a resolution close to the sources wavelength without the requirement of lenses (lenses tend to introduce aberrations). Potential application areas extend from non-destructive imaging of surface and subsurface structures, to probing chemical reactions at sub femto-second timescales.

Detector developments are also benefiting many analytical techniques presently used. As an example, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) can now image, with atomic resolution, heavy as well as light elements. Combining this with increased computational power, allows for further devel- opment of imaging approaches such as tomography, holography, ptychography, differential phase contrast imaging, etc. All of which allow TEM/STEM to not only look at atoms in e.g. 2D materials such as MoS2 in far greater detail, but also opens the possibility to map electric fields and magnetic domains to unprecedented resolution.

The semiconductor industry is evolving at a very rapid pace. Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen numerous disruptive technologies emerge; technologies that need to serve is an increasingly fragmented applications space. It’s no longer solely about ‘the central processing unit (CPU)’. Other applications ranging from the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, wearable human-electronics interface, etc., are being pursued, each coming with unique requirements and analytical needs.

Looking ten to fifteen years ahead, we will witness a different landscape. Although I’m sure that existing techniques such as TEM/STEM will still be heavily used – probably more so than we realize now (we are already seeing TEM/STEM being extended into the fab). We will also see developments that will push the boundaries of what is possible. This would range from the increased use of hybrid metrology (combining results from multiple different analytical techniques and process steps) to the development of new innovative approaches.

To illustrate the latter, I take the example of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). With SIMS, an energetic ion beam is directed at the solid sample of interest, causing atoms in the near surface region to leave this surface. A small percentage of them are ionized, and pass through a mass spectrometer which separates the ions from one another according to their mass to charge ratio. When this is done in the dynamic-SIMS mode, a depth profile of the sample’s composition can be derived. Today, with this technique, we can’t focus the incoming energetic ion beam into a confined volume, i.e. onto a spot that approaches the size of a transistor. But at imec, novel concepts were intro- duced, resulting in what are called 1.5D SIMS and self-focusing SIMS (SF-SIMS). These approaches are based on the detection of constituents within repeatable array structures, giving averaged and statistically significant information. This way, the spatial resolution limit of SIMS was overcome.

And there are exciting developments occurring here at imec in other analytical fields such as atom probe tomography (APT), photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford back scattering (RBS), scanning probe microscopy (SPM), etc. One important milestone has been the development of Fast Fourier Transform-SSRM (FFT-SSRM) at imec. This allows one to measure carrier distributions in FinFETs to unparalleled sensitivity.

Yet, probably the biggest challenge materials characterization and inline metrology face over the next ten to fifteen years will be how to keep costs down. Today, we make use of highly specialized techniques developed on mutually exclusive and costly platforms. But why not make use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) that could simultaneously perform analysis in a highly parallel fashion, and perhaps even in situ? One can imagine scenarios in which an army of such units could scan an entire wafer in the fraction of the time it takes now, or alternatively, the incorporation of such units into wafer test structure regions.

By Pete Singer

Increasingly complicated 3D structures such finFETs and 3D NAND require very high aspect ratio etches. This, in turn, calls for higher gas flow rates to improve selectivity and profile control. Higher gas flow rates also mean higher etch rates, which help throughput, and  higher rates of removal for etch byproducts.

“Gas flow rates are now approaching the limit of the turbopump,” said Dawn Stephenson, Business Development Manager – Chamber Solutions at Edwards Vacuum. “No longer is it only the process pressure that’s defining the size of the turbopump, it’s now also about how much gas you can put through the turbopump.”

Turbopumps operate by spinning rotors at very high rates of speed (Figure 1). These rotors propel gases and process byproducts down and out of the pump. The rotors are magnetically levitated (maglev) to reduce friction and increase rotor speed.

Figure 1. Spinning rotors propel gases and process byproducts out of the pump.

The challenge starts with processes that have high gas flow rates, over a thousand sccm, and lower chamber pressures, below 100 mTorr.  Such processes include chamber clean steps where high flows of oxygen-containing gases are used to remove and flush the process byproducts from inside the chamber, through Silicon via (TSV) in which SF6is widely used at high gas flowrates for deep silicon reactive ion etch (RIE) and more recently, gaseous chemical oxide removal (COR) which typically uses HF and NH3to remove oxide hard masks.

However, the challenge is intensified with the more general trend to higher aspect ratio etch across all technologies.

Stephenson said the maximum amount of gas you can put through a maglev turbo is determined by two things: the motor power and the rotor temperature. Both of these are affected adversely by the molecular weight of the gas. “The heavier the molecule, the lower the limit. For motor power, if the gas flow rate is increased, the load on the rotor is increased, and then you need more power. Eventually you reach a gas flow at which you exceed the amount of power you have to keep the rotor spinning and it will slow down,” she said.

The rotor temperature is an even bigger limiting factor. “As gas flow rates increase, the number of molecules hitting the rotor are increased. The amount of energy transferred into the rotors is also increased which elevates the temperature of the rotor. Because the rotor is suspended in a vacuum and because it’s levitated, it’s not very easy to remove that heat from the rotor because its primary thermal transfer is through radiation,” she explained.

Pumping heavier gases, particularly ones that have poor thermal conductivity, cause the rotor temperature to rise, leading to what is known as “rotor creep.”Rotor creep is material growth due to high temperature and centrifugal force (stress).  Rotor creep deformation over time narrows clearances between rotor and stator and can eventually lead to contact and catastrophic failure (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Edwards pumps have the highest benchmark for rotor creep life temperature in the industry, due to the use of a premium aluminum alloy as the base material for its mag-lev rotors, combined with a low stress design.

Where it gets even worse are in applications where the turbopump is externally heated to reduce byproduct deposition inside the pump. Such a heated pump will have a higher baseline rotor temperature and significantly lower allowable gas flowrates than an unheated one. This becomes a challenge particularly for the heated turbopumps on semiconductor etch and flat panel display processes using typical reactant gases such as HBr and SF6.  “Those are very heavy gases with low thermal conductivity and the maximum limit of the turbopump is actually quite low,” Stephenson said.

The good news is that Edwards has been diligently working to overcome these challenges. “What we have done to maximize the amount of gas you can put into our turbopumps is to  ensure our rotors can withstand the highest possible temperature design limit for a 10 year creep lifetime.   We use a premium alloy for the base rotor material and then beyond that we have done a lot of work with our proprietary modeling techniques to design a very low stress rotor because the creep is due to two factors: the temperature and the centrifugal stress. Because of those two things combined, we’re able to achieve the highest benchmark for rotor creep life temperature in the industry,” she said.

Furthermore, the company has worked on thermal optimization of the turbopump platform. “That means putting in thermal isolation where needed to try to help keep the rotor and motor cool. At the same time, we also need to keep the gas path hot to stop byproducts from depositing. We have also released a high emissivity rotor coating that helps keep the rotor cool,” Stephenson said. A corrosion resistant, black ceramic rotor coating is used to maximize heat radiation, which helps keep the rotor cool and gives more headroom on gas flowrate before the creep life temperature is reached.

Edwards has also developed a unique real-time rotor temperature sensor: Direct, dynamic rotor temperature reporting eliminates over-conservative estimated max gas flow limits and allows pump operation at real maximum gas flow in real duty cycle while maintaining safety and lifetime reliability.

In summary, enabling higher flows at lower process pressures is becoming a critical capability for advanced Etch applications, and Edwards have addressed this need with several innovations, including optimized rotor design to minimize creep, high emissivity coating, and real time temperature monitoring.

Optimized stepping, based on parallel analysis of die placement errors and prediction of overlay errors, can increase lithography throughput by more than an order of magnitude and deliver commensurate reductions in cost of ownership. The productivity benefits of optimized stepping are demonstrated using a test reticle with known die placement errors.

KEITH BEST, Director of Lithography Applications Engineering, Rudolph Technologies, Inc., Wilmington, Mass.

Fan out wafer and panel level packaging (FOWLP/ FOPLP) processes place individual known good die on reconstituted wafer (round) or panel (rectangular) substrates, providing more space between die than the original wafer. The additional space is used to expand (fanout) the die’s I/O connections in order to create a pad array large enough to accommodate solder balls that will connect the die to the end-use substrate.The processes used to create these redistribution layers (RDL) are similar to wafer fabrication processes, using patterns defined by photolithography, with feature sizes typically ranging from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers. The placement and reconstitution molding processes introduce significant die placement errors that must be corrected in the photolithography process to ensure accurate overlay registration among the multiple vias and distribution layers that are built up to form the RDL. The errors can be measured on the lithography tool, but this significantly impacts throughput as the measurement process for each die may take as much or more time than the exposure itself.

Current best-practice methods employ an external metrology system to measure the displacement of each die. This metrology data is converted into a stepper correction file that is sent to the lithography stepper tool, eliminating the need to measure displacement on the stepper and more than doubling stepper throughput. An important enhancement to this method, optimized stepping, varies the number of die per exposure based on a predictive yield analysis of the displacement measurements, potentially multiplying throughput 20X or more. Results obtained using a test reticle that includes intentionally displaced die pads, vias, and RDL features typical of an FOWLP/FOPLP process confirm the validity of the approach.

Introduction

Die placements on reconstituted wafer or panel substrates include translational and rotational placement errors. The pick and place process itself introduces initial error. Additional error is created in the mold process and by instability of the mold compound through repeated processing cycles. As a result, the position of the die must be measured before each exposure in the lithog- raphy system to ensure sufficient registration with the underlying layer.

Displacement errors can be measured in the lithography tool, but the measurements are slow, typically taking as much time as the exposure. Moving the measurement to a separate system and feeding corrections to the stepper can double throughput.

Optimized stepping adds predictive yield analysis to the external measurement and correction procedures and increases the number of die included in the exposure field up to a user-specified yield threshold. FIGURE 1 illustrates the exposure/measurement loop. The measurement and analysis are repeated after each layer is exposed, calculating a new set of corrections. In addition to corrections, the software engine analyzes the displacement errors to predict yield (based on a user desig- nated limit for acceptable registration error) for multiple die exposure fields of varying sizes. The method requires tight integration of the stepper and measurement system with the controlling software.

With RDL features currently reaching sizes as small as 2μm, die placement measurements and pattern overlay registration requirements are also continuing to tighten. The speed of the measurement/correction/prediction calculation for each wafer/panel is also an important consideration. It must be faster than the exposure time to avoid becoming the throughput limiting step. Note that this requirement refers to the total exposure for multiple die per field which can be much less than the time needed to expose each die individually. The metrology system used in this work (Firefly system, Rudolph Technologies) can meet these challenges and measure placement errors for >5,000 die on a 510mm x 515mm panel in less than 10 minutes.

The stepper must be able to accept externally generated corrections for translation, rotation, and magnification.

It must also have a large exposure field and the ability to automatically select different images from the reticle (masking blades), changing the size of the field for each exposure. The stepper used in this work was the JetStep system from Rudolph Technologies.

The third critical piece of the optimized stepping loop is the software engine (Discover software, Rudolph Technol- ogies) which calculates displacement corrections and predicts yield for various multi-die exposure configura- tions. It also enables statistical process control (SPC) and controls genealogy.

Balancing yield and throughput

Optimized stepping uses a reticle that includes multiple exposure fields each comprising die arrays of different sizes. In FIGURE 2 the arrays range from a single die to an 8 X 8 array of 64 die. On a wafer containing random displacement errors, the smallest overlay error will be achieved by aligning the exposure pattern for each die individually. However, this accuracy comes at a high cost of reduced throughput. Optimized stepping analyzes the measured displacement errors and calculates the number of die that will meet a designated overlay error limit for various field sizes. It then selects the combination of fields that maximizes throughput. In operation, the stepper automatically selects the correct reticle image and adjusts the field size to expose the selected array.

The yield prediction algorithm (FIGURE 3) uses a recursive splitting procedure that initially predicts yield for the largest available field. If the prediction does not meet user-defined yield requirements, it splits the field and re-evaluates the prediction, repeating this cycle for decreasing field sizes until all exposures yield satisfactory results. The user designates an aggressiveness factor (larger values mean more aggressive splits) and specifies yield requirements in an exposure shot pyramid that determines the number of failures allowed for each available field size.

Results

Optimized stepping was evaluated using a test reticle with multiple field sizes containing die that included pads, vias and RDL structures typical of FOWLP/FOPLP. The patterns included predefined offsets in some of the structures for feed forward measurement testing. Application of the corrections calculated from the die placement error measurements yielded overlay errors of < +/-3μm (FIGURE 4).

Productivity vs. yield

FIGURE 5 illustrates the potential benefits of optimized stepping applied to a panel process. In the example the panel contains approximately 4,500 die. A conventional serial process, with placement errors measured on the stepper, takes a little over six hours, including three hours for measurement and three hours for exposure. Making the measurements outside the stepper in parallel with the exposure halves the cycle time per panel to three hours, and the exposure time becomes the throughput limiting step. The third case is optimized for productivity, using larger field sizes and more relaxed yield requirements. It reduces cycle time to less than 10 minutes. The final case balances throughput against more stringent yield require- ments and results slightly higher cycle times that are still nearly an order of magnitude shorter than the conventional serial process of the first case.

Conclusion

Optimized stepping can increase lithography throughput by more than an order of magnitude and deliver commensurate reductions in cost of ownership. The method also provides a means to balance productivity (throughput) against yield, adding an extra dimension of flexibility for optimizing profitability. Optimized stepping requires a stepper that can use externally calculated corrections and automatically change field size and reticle position. The metrology system must have sufficient accuracy and speed (faster than the accelerated exposure time). The control software must be able to predict yields based on measured displacement errors and control the stepper. Using a test reticle with known displacement errors, we have verified the accuracy of the metrology system and correction procedures and demonstrated the productivity benefits of optimized stepping.

KEITH BEST is Director of Lithography Applications Engineering, Rudolph Technologies, Inc., Wilmington, Mass.

Market shares of semiconductor equipment manufacturers shifted significantly in Q1 2018 as Applied Materials, the top supplier dropped, according to the report “Global Semiconductor Equipment: Markets, Market Shares, Market Forecasts,” recently published by The Information Network, a New Tripoli-based market research company.

The chart below shows shares for the first quarter (Q1) of calendar year 2017 and 2018. Market shares are for equipment only, excluding service and spare parts, and have been converted for revenues of foreign companies to U.S. dollars on a quarterly exchange rate.

Applied Materials lost significant market share YoY, from 18.4% of the $13.1 billion Q1 2017 market to 17.7% of the $17.0 billion Q1 2018 market. This drop follows a 1.8 share-point loss by Applied Materials for CY 2017 compared to 2016. The company competes with Lam Research and TEL in the deposition and etch market, and both gained share at the expense of Applied Materials.

At the other end of the spectrum, smaller semiconductor companies making up the “other” category lost 2.4 share points as a whole.

Much of the equipment revenue growth was attributed to strong growth in the DRAM and NAND sectors, as equipment was installed in memory manufacturers Intel, Micron Technology, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Toshiba, and Western Digital. The memory sector, which grew grown 61.5% in 2017, is forecast to add another 28.5% in 2018 according to industry consortium WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Statistics).

TEL recorded growth of 120.3% YoY in Korea, much of it on NAND and DRAM sales to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and 69.5% YoY in Japan, much of it on NAND sales to Toshiba at its Fab 6 in Kitakami, Japan. Lam Research gained 42.2% and 70.5% YoY, respectively, in Korea and Japan.

Following the strong growth in the semiconductor equipment market, The Information Network projects another 11.5% growth in 2018 for semiconductor equipment.

Today at its Imec Technology Forum USA in San Francisco, imec, the research and innovation hub in nano-electronics and digital technology, announced that it has demonstrated ultra-low power, high-bandwidth optical transceivers through hybrid integration of Silicon Photonics and FinFET CMOS technologies. With a dynamic power consumption of only 230fJ/bit and a footprint of just 0.025mm2, the 40Gb/s non-return-to-zero optical transceivers mark an important milestone in realizing ultra-dense, multi-Tb/s optical I/O solutions for next-generation high-performance computing applications.

The exponentially growing demand for I/O bandwidth in datacenter switches and high-performance computing nodes is driving the need for tight co-integration of optical interconnects with advanced CMOS logic, covering a wide range of interconnect distances (1m-500m+). In the presented work, a differential FinFET driver was co-designed with a Silicon Photonics ring modulator, and achieved 40Gb/s NRZ optical modulation at 154fJ/bit dynamic power consumption. The receiver included a FinFET trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) optimized for operation with a Ge waveguide photodiode, enabling 40Gb/s NRZ photodetection with an estimated sensitivity of -10dBm at 75fJ/bit power consumption. High-quality data transmission and reception was also demonstrated in a loop-back experiment at 1330nm wavelength over standard single mode fiber (SMF) with 2dB link margin. Finally, a 4x40Gb/s, 0.1mm2wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transmitter with integrated thermal control was demonstrated, enabling bandwidth scaling beyond 100Gb/s per fiber.

“The demonstrated hybrid FinFET-Silicon Photonics platform integrates high-performance 14nm FinFET CMOS circuits with imec’s 300mm Silicon Photonics technology through dense, low-capacitance Cu micro-bumps. Careful co-design in this combined platform has enabled us to demonstrate 40Gb/s NRZ optical transceivers with extremely low power consumption and high bandwidth density,” says Joris Van Campenhout, director of the Optical I/O R&D program at imec. “Through design optimizations, we expect to further improve the single-channel data rates to 56Gb/s NRZ. Combined with wavelength-division multiplexing, these transceivers provide a scaling path to ultra-compact, multi-Tb/s optical interconnects, which are essential for next-generation high-performance systems.”

This work has been carried out as part of imec’s industrial affiliation R&D program on Optical I/O and was presented at the 2018 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits (June 2018) in a “late news” paper. Imec’s 200mm and 300mm Silicon Photonics technologies are available for evaluation by companies and academia through imec’s prototyping service and the iSiPP50G multi-project wafer (MPW) service.

ROHM today announced the availability of a CMOS op-amp featuring the lowest noise in the industry optimized for industrial applications requiring high-accuracy sensing, such as accelerometers used in sonar systems, and optical sensors that handle ultra-small signals.

In recent years, in addition to IoT devices, sensors are being adopted in a variety of applications from portables and vehicle systems to industrial equipment, to improve functionality and provide advanced control. Used to detect and convert various environmental and physical changes into signals, sensors demand high accuracy, but at the same time peripheral sensor circuitry is trending towards lower voltages to achieve greater power savings.

Op-amps are configured at the rear stage to amplify the analog sensor output, but because sensor signals are so weak it is necessary to implement noise countermeasures to ensure high-accuracy transmission. In response, ROHM developed a high noise tolerant op-amp for the automotive market utilizing a vertically integrated production system that leverages original analog design technologies and processes. ROHM has introduced an op-amp that delivers the industry’s best performance against external noise optimized for consumer devices and industrial equipment.

The LMR1802G-LB, developed utilizing ROHM’s analog technology covering circuit design, processes, and layout, reduces input equivalent noise voltage density by half (2.9nV/√Hz at 1kHz, 7.8nV/√Hz at 10Hz) compared to conventional products, significantly improving the detection performance of sensor signals. In addition, best-in-class phase margin (68°) and capacitive load tolerance (500pF) provide excellent stability (difficult to oscillate, easy to handle). This enables accurate amplification of voltages in the order of µV, ensuring support for industrial and consumer applications requiring high-precision sensing.

TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry, today announced details on its 13th annual Technical Global Symposium (TGS) being held in China, Japan, and the United States. This year, TowerJazz TGS will focus on the Company’s leading analog technology offerings, advanced manufacturing solutions and commitment to customer partnerships. All TGS events will commence with a keynote from TowerJazz CEO, Mr. Russell Ellwanger focusing on the Company’s performance, business strategy and industry leadership through alignment with customer roadmaps, innovative and superior technology, and worldwide manufacturing capabilities.

During TGS, speakers will discuss market directions and the latest TowerJazz plans, developments and activities for strategic growth in its specialty process technologies such as Radio Frequency (RF) & High Performance Analog (HPA), power management, and CMOS image sensors (CIS), as well as its process transfer offering (TOPS) for the rising markets of automotive, sensors, the IoT, and 5G, among others. In addition, TowerJazz will present the latest design enablement tools and solutions jointly developed with its EDA partners as well as the Company’s expanded manufacturing capacity and multi-sourcing capabilities.

The global TGS events facilitate customer and partner interaction with TowerJazz team members and industry executives to exchange information on the latest unique and advanced solutions for next-generation analog ICs. TowerJazz focuses on strong roadmap alignment and long-term partnerships with its customers to meet their current and future needs with the most innovative process platforms, addressing the requirements of the fastest growing markets.

As the leading analog pure play foundry, TowerJazz continues to be committed and passionate toward creating value for its customers. The Company offers the most advanced analog technology and best-in-class design enablement while providing global capacity assurance and flexibility to enable customers with competitive advantage and fast time to market.

This year, TowerJazz TGS events will be hosted in the following locations:

Sponsors at TowerJazz TGS events include the industry’s leading EDA vendors and tool providers who will share the latest design capabilities offered in collaboration with TowerJazz: Cadence, HES, Integra Tech, Keysight Technologies, Magwel, Mentor, PacTech, Photronics, Presto, Silvaco, Synkom and Synopsis.

For more information about TowerJazz TGS and registration please visit:
http://www.towerjazz.com/events.html#tgs

According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Global Organic CMOS Image Sensor Market by Image Processing, Array Type, Industry Vertical and Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2025, the global organic CMOS image sensor market is expected to value at $696.0 million in 2020, and is projected to reach $1,750.0 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 20.9% from 2021 to 2025.

At present, North America dominates the market, followed by Europe. In 2020, U.S dominated the North America market and rest of Europe led the overall market in Europe. However, in North America, the U.S. currently dominates the market.

The high photoelectric conversion property, better low-light performance and richer colors & textures drive of the organic CMOS image sensor make way for the growth of the market. In addition, introduction of technologies such as 8K resolution and global shutter technology also contribute to the market growth. However, excessive generation of heat in the organic sensor technology hampers this stated growth.

Key Findings of the Organic CMOS Image Sensor Market:

  • The linear image sensors segment generated the highest revenue in the global organic CMOS image sensor market in 2020.
  • In 2020, the 2D Sensors segment was the highest revenue contributor in the image processing segment.
  • Asia Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
  • In 2020, North America contributed the highest market share, followed by Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA.

The key players profiled in the report include are Fujifilm Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Sony Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Siemens AG, NikkoIA SAS, Xenics NV, AMS AG, Canon, and OmniVision Technologies, Inc.