Category Archives: Device Architecture

Semiconductors lie at the heart of many of the electronic devices that govern our daily lives. The proper functioning of semiconductor devices relies on their internally generated electric fields. Being able to measure these fields on the nanoscale is crucial for the development of next-generation electronics, but present techniques have been restricted to measurements of the electric field at a semiconductor’s surface. A group of Takayuki Iwasaki, Mutsuko Hatano and colleagues at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Toshiharu Makino at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has reported a new method for sensing internal electric fields at the interior of operating semiconductor devices. The technique exploits the response of an artificially introduced single electron spin to variations in its surrounding electric field, and enabled the researchers to study a semiconductor diode subject to bias voltages of up to 150 V.

Left: Schematic of the structure of the NV center. Middle: Confocal fluorescence image of a single NV center in the device. Right: Schematic of the measurement configuration. Credit: Tokyo Institute of Technology

Left: Schematic of the structure of the NV center. Middle: Confocal fluorescence image of a single NV center in the device. Right: Schematic of the measurement configuration. Credit: Tokyo Institute of Technology

Iwasaki and co-workers applied their method to diamond, a so-called wide-band-gap semiconductor in which the electric fields can become very strong — a property important for low-loss electronic applications. Diamond has the advantage that it easily accommodates nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, a type of point defect that arises when two neighboring carbon atoms are removed from the diamond lattice and one of them is replaced by a nitrogen atom. NV centers can be routinely created in diamond by means of ion implantation. A nearby electric field affects an NV center’s energy state, which in turn can be probed by a method called optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR).

The researchers first fabricated a diamond p-i-n diode (an intrinsic diamond layer sandwiched between an electron- and a hole-doped layer) embedded with NV centers. They then localized an NV center in the bulk of the i-layer, several hundreds of nanometers away from the interface, and recorded its ODMR spectrum for increasing bias voltages. From these spectra, values for the electric field could be obtained using theoretical formulas. The experimental values were then compared with numerical results obtained with a device simulator and found to be in good agreement — confirming the potential of NV centers as local electric-field sensors.

Iwasaki and colleagues explain that the experimentally determined value for the electric field around a given NV center is essentially the field’s component perpendicular to the direction of the NV center — aligned along one of four possible directions in the diamond lattice. They reason that a regular matrix of implanted NV centers should enable reconstructing the electric field with a spatial resolution of about 10nm by combining with super-resolution techniques, which is promising for studying more complex devices in further studies.

The researchers also point out that electric-field sensing is not only relevant for electronic devices, but also for electrochemical applications: the efficiency of electrochemical reactions taking place between a semiconductor and a solution depends on the former’s internal electric field. In addition, Iwasaki and co-workers note that their approach need not be restricted to NV centers in diamond: similar single-electron-spin structures exist in other semiconductors like e.g. silicon carbide.

Background: Wide-band-gap semiconductors

Semiconducting materials feature a so-called band gap: an energy range wherein no accessible energy levels exist. In order for a semiconductor to conduct, electrons must acquire sufficient energy to overcome the band gap; controlling electronic transitions across the band gap forms the basis of semiconducting device action. Typical semiconductors like silicon or gallium arsenide have a band gap of the order of 1 electron volt (eV). Wide-band-gap semiconductors, like diamond or silicon carbide, have a larger band gap — values as high as 3-5 eV are not uncommon.

Due to their large band gap, wide-band-gap semiconductors can operate at temperatures over 300 °C. In addition, they can sustain high voltages and currents. Because of these properties, wide-band-gap semiconductors have many applications, including light-emitting diodes, transducers, alternative-energy devices and high-power components. For further development of these and other future applications, it is essential to be able to characterize wide-band-gap devices in operation. The technique proposed by Iwasaki and colleagues for measuring the electric field generated in a wide-band-gap semiconductor subject to large bias voltages is therefore a crucial step forward.

Nitrogen-vacancy centers

Diamond consists of carbon atoms arranged on a lattice where each atom has four neighbors forming a tetrahedron. The diamond lattice is prone to defects; one such defect is the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, which can be thought of as resulting from replacing a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom and removing one neighboring carbon atom. The energy level of an NV center lies in the band gap of diamond but is sensitive to its local environment. In particular, the so-called nuclear hyperfine structure of an NV center depends on its surrounding electric field. This dependence is well understood theoretically, and was exploited by Iwasaki and co-workers: detecting changes in an NV center’s hyperfine structure enabled them to obtain values for the local electric field. A major advantage of this approach is that it allows monitoring the field within the material — not just at the surface, for which methods had already been developed.

Optically-detected magnetic resonance

For probing the nuclear hyperfine structure of an NV center in the bulk of the diamond-based device, Iwasaki and colleagues employed optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR): by irradiating the sample with laser light, the NV center was optically excited, after which the magnetic resonance spectrum could be recorded. An electric field makes the ODMR resonance split; the experimentally detected split width provides a measure for the electric field.

Samsung Electronics and Apple remained the top two semiconductor chip buyers in 2016, representing 18.2 percent of the total worldwide market, according to Gartner, Inc. (see Table 1). Samsung and Apple together consumed $61.7 billion of semiconductors in 2016, an increase of $0.4 billion from 2015.

“This is the sixth consecutive year that Samsung Electronics and Apple have topped the semiconductor consumption table,” said Masatsune Yamaji, principal research analyst at Gartner. “While both companies continue to exert considerable influence on technology and price trends for the wider semiconductor industry, their impact has lessened due to falling expectations for future growth.”

Although Samsung Electronics experienced intense competition from Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in various markets including smartphones, LCD TV and LCD panel through 2016, the company increased its design total available market (TAM) and came back as the global top design TAM company in 2016 with 9.3 percent share. Apple decreased its design TAM in 2016 for the first time since Gartner started design TAM research in 2007, ending the year with 8.8 percent share of the market. The iPad did not sell well through 2016 and Apple also lost market share in the PC market.

Table 1. Preliminary Ranking of Top 10 Companies by Semiconductor Design TAM, Worldwide, 2016 (Millions of Dollars)

2015 Ranking

2016Ranking

Company

 2015

 2016

Growth (%) 2015-2016

2016 Market Share (%)

2

1

Samsung Electronics

30,343

31,667

4.4

9.3

1

2

Apple

30,885

29,989

-2.9

8.8

4

3

Dell

10,606

13,308

25.5

3.9

3

4

Lenovo

13,535

12,847

-5.1

3.8

6

5

Huawei

7,597

9,886

30.1

2.9

5

6

HP Inc.

8,673

8,481

-2.2

2.5

8

7

Hewlett Packard Enterprises

6,485

6,206

-4.3

1.8

7

8

Sony

6,892

6,071

-11.9

1.8

21

9

BBK Electronics

2,515

5,818

131.4

1.7

9

10

LG Electronics

5,502

5,172

-6.0

1.5

Others

211,736

210,238

-0.7

61.9

Total

334,768

339,684

1.5

100.0

Note: Numbers may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Source: Gartner (February 2017)

Nine of the top 10 companies in 2015 remained in the top 10 in 2016. Cisco Systems dropped out of the top 10 in 2016 to be replaced by Chinese smartphone OEM, BBK Electronics, which grew rapidly in 2016. The top 10 now consists of four companies from the U.S., three companies from China, two from South Korea and one from Japan. This is the first time that three Chinese companies have ranked in the top 10, proving that even with the slowing macroeconomic situation in China, the importance of the Chinese electronics market is increasing.

“Even though the influence on the semiconductor industry of the top two strongest OEMs is weakening, the combined design TAM of the top 10 companies outperformed the average growth rate of the total semiconductor market in 2016,” said Mr. Yamaji. “However, semiconductor chip vendors can no longer secure their businesses by relying on a few strong customers because market share changes much faster these days. BBK Electronics grew very fast in 2016 and increased its design TAM, but this extraordinarily fast growth also underlines how volatile the businesses in China can be. Technology product marketing leaders at semiconductor chip vendors need to take the risks of their major customers into account, and always try to diversify their customer base.”

As the demand for smaller, faster, and more functional electronics continues to grow, so does the challenge of reliability. DfR Solutions, a leader in quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) solutions for the electronics industry, and Ops A La Carte, a professional reliability engineering firm, today announced that they have joined forces to host a free symposium on design reliability for the electronics industry. The Silicon Valley Reliability Symposium will be held on Thursday, February 9th, 2017 at the Biltmore Hotel and Suites in Santa Clara, CA from 8:00 AM until noon. Attendees will hear from leading reliability experts on product design and testing topics that can improve performance, productivity, and profit, not to mention customer satisfaction.

DfR Solutions is the creator of Sherlock Automated Design Analysis software, an innovative design reliability analysis tool that streamlines new product development by providing greater insights earlier, eliminating test failures due to design flaws, and accelerating product qualification. Ops A La Carte offers end-to-end reliability solutions that help companies around the world meet their product reliability goals. Together, their insightful presentations will empower the design of better, more reliable products in Internet of Things (IoT), Wearables, Consumer, and other innovative markets.

“In today’s competitive marketplace, you can’t afford to deliver an unreliable product,” said DfR Solutions CEO Craig Hillman. “We’re excited to show electronics developers how to use Reliability Physics to decrease product development time and increase product integrity and profitability.”

According to Jay Muns, Owner & Managing Director at Ops A La Carte, “Product reliability is a critical part of the product development process.  The ROI is confirmed again and again by assigning resources up front in the design of a reliable product.”  “Our goal with this symposium is to demonstrate how sound reliability design practices, from conception to product introduction, have a dramatic effect on decreasing the costs associated with warranty, customer service, and customer satisfaction/retention,” stated Muns.

Scheduled symposium topics and speakers include:

Physics of Failure Based Reliability Simulation
Dr. Gil Sharon, Senior Application Engineer
DfR Solutions

Design for Reliability
Fred Schenkelberg, Senior Reliability/Quality Consultant
Ops A La Carte

Test Plan Development
Dr. Craig Hillman, CEO
DfR Solutions

Reliability Test Methods and Applications 
Fred Schenkelberg, Senior Reliability/Quality Consultant
Ops A La Carte

The Biltmore Hotel and Suites is located at 2151 Laurelwood Rd. in Santa Clara, CA. Attendance is free. Breakfast will be served.

To register for the Silicon Valley Reliability Symposium, visit: http://www.dfrsolutions.com/upcoming-events/2017-silicon-valley-reliability-symposium

(Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part article; Part 1 is here)

By Denny McGuirk, president and CEO, SEMI

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail,” was how I started last week’s article.  In that article we looked back on 2016 and the incredible progress of the industry and how it continually cuts new trail and keeps moving at the speed of Moore’s Law.  In this week’s follow up, I would like to talk about where the industry is going and how SEMI is changing to keep up with it.  As not everyone is aware of all SEMI does, the following is a quick reminder on how SEMI works to represent the industry before looking ahead to 2017, specifically, and beyond.

SEMI, the global non-profit association connecting and representing the worldwide electronics manufacturing supply chain, has been growing with the industry for 47 years.  SEMI has evolved over the years, but it has remained as the central point to connect.  Whether connecting for business, connecting for collective action, or connecting to synchronize technology, SEMI connects for member growth and prosperity.

Our industry is in the midst of a vast change.  To deal with the escalating complexity (making a semiconductor chip now uses the great majority of the periodic table of the elements) and capital cost, many companies have had to combine, consolidate, and increasingly collaborate along the length of the electronics manufacturing supply chain.

Some companies have broadened their businesses by investing in adjacent segments such as Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE), MEMS, Sensors, LEDs, PV, and Display.  Lines are blurring between segments – PCBs have morphed into flexible substrates, SiP is both a device and a system.  Electronics integrators are rapidly innovating and driving new form factors, new requirements, and new technologies which require wide cooperation across the length of the electronics manufacturing supply chain and across a breadth of segments.

The business is changing and SEMI’s members are changing.  When SEMI’s members change, SEMI must change, too – and SEMI has, and is.  SEMI developed a transformation plan, SEMI 2020, which I wrote about at the beginning of 2016.  We’re well on our way on this path and I’d like to update you on what we’ve accomplished and what’s to come.

SEMI 2020: “The Only Time You Should Look Back is to See How Far You’ve Come”

SEMI organized its SEMI 2020 transformation into three basic pillars of the SEMI 2020 strategy.  First, “reenergizing the base,” where SEMI focuses on enriching delivered value for the present day needs of its traditionally engaged membership base.  Second, “building communities and collaboration,” where SEMI works to develop specific forums and groups to meet specific needs and focus on specific technologies and products.  Third, “evolving SEMI value propositions for 2020,” which is the work of changing and innovating SEMI products and services for the needs of the industry in the future.

To date, SEMI has made great progress on these three pillars, here are a few examples:

1. Reenergize Base

  • Grew membership to ~2,000 global SEMI member companies
  • Growth in SEMICON expositions:
    • 248,738 global exhibition visitors in 2016 (up 8 percent year-over-year)
    • 4,410 global exhibitors in 2016 (up 5 percent in m2 of exhibition space sold)
  • Realignment of SEMI with organization changes in Americas, China, Europe, and HQ

2. Build Communities and Collaboration

 

  • FlexTech joined SEMI as Strategic Association Partner: SEMI FLEX conferences and programs are now in America, Europe, Korea, SEA and Japan
  • MEMS and Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) joined SEMI as Strategic Association Partner
  • SEMI Special Interest Groups developed and globalized — Chemical and Gases Manufacturers Group (CGMG), SEMI integrated Packaging and Test (SiPAT), Semiconductor Components, Instruments & Subsystems (SCIS), etc. — integrating broad areas of the supply chain
  • Development of SEMI Collaborative Technology Platforms with initial activities in Interconnect, Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap (partnered with IEEE CPMT, EDS, & Photonics Societies), etc.
  • Introduction and co-sponsoring of special interest programs such as FUTURECAR and regional SMC conferences

 

3. Evolve SEMI Value Propositions for 2020

  • SEMI (automation) Standards adapted for Smart Manufacturing (Industry 4.0)
  • Improved channels: new SEMI Global Update, new website, social media (follow SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter), infographics
  • New data products such as 200mm report, packaging report, mobile version of fab database (FabView)
  • New programs such as SEMI European MEMS conference
  • SEMI Foundation widening scope on Workforce Development
  • Advocacy activities leveraging collective action on trade, industry funding, export control, taxation, and sustainable manufacturing (including regulation of safety, materials, and environmental impact).

 

SEMI 2020: “The Road to Success is Always Under Construction”

 

SEMI continues to conduct surveys, uses multiple means of gathering the voice of the customer, and constantly aligns with guidance from its various committees, regional advisory boards, and International Board of Directors.  Despite its name, SEMI 2020 is a journey and not a destination.  SEMI will continue to evolve, develop, and add critical communities, services, products, and industry advocacy as SEMI’s members evolve.

While many of the SEMI activities captured above will continue, the following provides a sampling of activities more specific to SEMI’s work in 2017.

1. Reenergize Base

  • Increase frequency and depth of SEMI outreach and grow SEMI’s global membership and engagement
  • Launch SEMICON Europa 2017 co-location with productronica in Munich to connect to electronics manufacturing supply chain while preserving SEMI’s core community within its own show
  • Launch new engagement and experiential components at SEMICON West and SEMICON Japan
  • Move HQ headquarters to more member-suited, collaborative, efficient, and smaller building in Milpitas

 

2. Build Communities and Collaboration

 

  • Develop four vertical application collaborative forums:  World of IoT, Smart Automobile, Smart Manufacturing, and Smart MedTech
  • Fully integrate FlexTech and MSIG into SEMI’s global infrastructure and develop regional communities and events for these distinct adjacent communities
  • Provide association services to the Fab Owners Association as a SEMI Strategic Association Partnership
  • Continue to develop and increase global participation in SEMI Special Interest Groups such as SCIS, CGMG, and SiPAT to provide the specific and current needs of SEMI’s members

 

3. Evolve SEMI Value Propositions for 2020

  • Provide greater inbound and outbound member visibility and member services for fast-developing China region
  • Further develop SEMI Standards for Smart Manufacturing including a focus on big data and security
  • Advocate for funding for SEMI member pre-competitive projects in all global regions
  • Develop and improve industry training and education capabilities in all regions
  • Raise visibility for SEMI in securing unrestricted trade for semiconductor manufacturing and extended supply chain

“Roads Were Made for Journeys, Not Destinations”  

This quotation, generally attributed to Confucius, ties the themes of the road of this year’s annual update to my personal journey.  As you may know, at the end of 2016, I announced my intention to retire and while I’ll remain until a successor is identified, this will be my last SEMI update.

My personal journey has definitely not been a straight line and that’s made it all the more interesting – and, I hope, made me a “more skillful driver.”  Instead of the road, the sky used to be my home (although, with trips to Asia and Europe, sometimes it still feels like I’m still there!), with many years flying with the United States Air Force.  After that, my path led to the world of non-profit leadership and eventually, prior to SEMI, leading IPC, the interconnect trade association.  As the industry has blurred the borders of PC boards and substrates and semiconductor packages, maybe it was natural that I would also shift from IPC to SEMI.

I’ve been at SEMI for over five years and have constantly been amazed by the speed of the industry, the exceptional professionals and their astounding innovations, and the tight global cooperation and support.  When I started, there was a flashpoint in the potential jump to pursue the 450mm wafer size.  I got to know our industry and our members very quickly!  But, I almost immediately learned, this is a unique industry where collaboration across the electronics manufacturing supply chain is critical, where global stakeholders are well connected, and where – with Moore’s Law as precedent – industry leaders are used to working together, no matter if collaborators or competitors, for the good of the industry.

I am grateful to call many in our industry friends.  It is with regret that I won’t be seeing these friends as frequently as before, certainly.  However, I am pleased to be leaving behind a sound a valued SEMI organization with the professionals and plans in place to carry SEMI 2020 forward and deliver more valued services, products, and above all connections for its members.  I am happy for my time at SEMI and am grateful to the SEMI staff, SEMI International Board of Directors, and SEMI Members for the opportunity to serve the amazing association

The newly released 2017 20th anniversary edition of The McClean Report contains an analysis of the three phases of China’s attempt to gain a stronger presence in the IC industry (Figure 1).  The analysis of Phase 3 includes a long list of the successes and setbacks that the Chinese have faced since initiating this strategy in 2014.

China’s government has a long-term goal to become self-sufficient with regards to IC devices.  Its “Made in China 2025” (MIC 2025) plan was published by the China State Council in May of 2015. The milestones in MIC 2025 are for China to be 40% self-sufficient in IC devices in 2020 and 70% in 2025.  In reality, it is naive to believe that being 40%, 70%, or whatever percentage less than 100%, is even close to being self-sufficient in the IC industry. In just about every case, the lack of just one low-value IC (e.g., a mixed-signal analog device), process material (e.g., a specific chemical or gas used in fabricating ICs), or package type will stop the entire electronic system from being produced and shipped.

Figure 1

Figure 1

As an example, in the early 1980s, the U.S. government attempted to make sure that every wafer processing and packaging material as well as every piece of semiconductor processing equipment that was used to make military ICs have at least one U.S. source. Even more than 30 years ago, when IC processing was much less complex than it is now, this program had to be abandoned due to the impossible task of making sure there was a U.S. source for literally thousands of items. The bottom line is that anything less than 100% self-sufficiency in the IC industry is not self-sufficient.

The success of MIC 2025 is fundamentally dependent upon two things—funding and technology. The goals of MIC 2025 have almost no chance of success without strong results in both of these areas. IC Insights considers each one to have equal weight on the potential final outcome.

There is near-unanimous consensus that funding will not be a hindrance for the potential success of MIC 2025. China’s National Government has approved approximately $20 billion of funding support for its IC industry programs with almost another $100 billion of possible support coming from local Chinese governments, provinces, and private investors. In total, the tens of billions of dollars of funding now targeting the IC industry is probably sufficient to construct at least 10 high-volume 300mm IC production fabrication facilities. It should be noted that regardless of what happens with China-based IC production in the long run, IC equipment companies are in prime position to benefit from this massive spending spree over the next few years.

IC Insights believes that the huge roadblock standing in the way of the success of MIC 2025 is the ability of the Chinese to acquire the IC technology to be used in the newly funded fabs. Beginning in 2014, the Chinese sought to acquire technology by acquiring existing IC suppliers. The Chinese had some early success in acquiring companies like ISSI and OmniVision, but most governments are now on “high alert” with regard to China’s IC industry ambitions and future foreign IC company acquisitions will be very difficult to complete. Essentially, the window of opportunity for the Chinese to attain IC technology through foreign company acquisitions is now closed.

Although the amount of money reported to be allocated toward constructing the new indigenous Chinese company IC fabs has been massive, the technology announced to be used in these fabs has in every case been at least two generations behind what the market leaders in that segment are currently using or will be using when the fab opens. Some examples are shown below.

  • XMC (purchased by Tsinghua Unigroup in July 2016 and put in a holding company called Yangtze
  • River Storage Technology)—32-layer 3D NAND technology.
  • Fujian Jin Hua Integrated Circuit—32nm DRAM technology.
  • Shanghai Huali (HLMC)—28nm foundry logic capability.

While all of the currently announced China IC fabs seem to be more than adequately funded, none of them appear to possess the IC technology needed to compete with the leaders in their respective product segments.

There have recently been reports that the Chinese companies building the new fabs discussed above are hiring IC engineers from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Intel’s China-based IC facilities. This method has been mentioned as one way for Chinese companies to “develop their own” IC technology as these engineers bring IC process knowledge/experience acquired at their former employer with them. In IC Insights’ opinion, this is a very dangerous way to “develop” IC process technology.

In 2003, in China-based pure-play foundry SMIC’s second year of production, TSMC filed a lawsuit alleging that SMIC hired more than 100 former TSMC employees and asked them to provide SMIC with TSMC trade secrets. Moreover, TSMC alleged that SMIC infringed on five of TSMC’s IC process technology patents (later expanded to eight patents). In early 2005, SMIC and TSMC settled the lawsuit with SMIC paying TSMC $175 million and TSMC gaining an 8% stake in SMIC. Prior to the settlement, a California jury returned a verdict against SMIC in a U.S. lawsuit filed by TSMC.

With the stakes so high, once the newly opened Chinese-owned memory fabs begin production, expect the reverse engineering teams at Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, Intel, Toshiba, and Western Digital (SanDisk) to shift into high gear by taking apart the new Chinese DRAM and 3D NAND devices to determine which of their patents are being infringed upon by these new memory players. IC Insights believes that with the decades of high-volume DRAM and NAND flash production history of the major memory suppliers, it will be almost impossible to develop new DRAM and NAND flash technology without infringing on numerous patents within these companies’ extensive portfolios.

In 2016, IC production in China (including foreign companies) represented 11.6% of its $112 billion IC market, up less than two percentage points from 9.8% five years earlier in 2011. Moreover, China-based IC production is forecast to exhibit a very strong 2016-2021 CAGR of 18%. However, considering that China-based IC production was only $13.0 billion in 2016, this growth will start from a relatively small base.

Given the sheer size of the expected expenditures for new Chinese IC facilities, as well as an expanding presence of foreign IC producers (e.g., Intel, Samsung, etc.), IC Insights believes there will be a significant improvement in the share percentage of China-based IC production through 2025 (Figure 2), but nowhere near the levels forecast in the MIC 2025 plan. As shown, IC Insights forecasts that this share will increase to 17.0% in 2020 and to 25.0% in 2025, each less than half of the original MIC 2025 goals.

Figure 2

Figure 2

 

“We are the first in the world to present a logic circuit, in this case a transistor, that is controlled by a heat signal instead of an electrical signal,” states Professor Xavier Crispin of the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University.

This is the heat driven transistor on Laboratory of organic electronics, Linköping University. Credit: Thor Balkhed

This is the heat driven transistor on Laboratory of organic electronics, Linköping University. Credit: Thor Balkhed

The heat-driven transistor opens the possibility of many new applications such as detecting small temperature differences, and using functional medical dressings in which the healing process can be monitored.

It is also possible to produce circuits controlled by the heat present in infrared light, for use in heat cameras and other applications. The high sensitivity to heat, 100 times greater than traditional thermoelectric materials, means that a single connector from the heat-sensitive electrolyte, which acts as sensor, to the transistor circuit is sufficient. One sensor can be combined with one transistor to create a “smart pixel”.

A matrix of smart pixels can then be used, for example, instead of the sensors that are currently used to detect infrared radiation in heat cameras. With more developments, the new technology can potentially enable a new heat camera in your mobile phone at a low cost, since the materials required are neither expensive, rare nor hazardous.

The heat-driven transistor builds on research that led to a supercapacitor being produced a year ago, charged by the sun’s rays. In the capacitor, heat is converted to electricity, which can then be stored in the capacitor until it is needed.

The researchers at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics had searched among conducting polymers and produced a liquid electrolyte with a 100 times greater ability to convert a temperature gradient to electric voltage than the electrolytes previously used. The liquid electrolyte consists of ions and conducting polymer molecules. The positively charged ions are small and move rapidly, while the negatively charged polymer molecules are large and heavy. When one side is heated, the small ions move rapidly towards the cold side and a voltage difference arises.

“When we had shown that the capacitor worked, we started to look for other applications of the new electrolyte,” says Xavier Crispin.

Dan Zhao, principal research engineer, and Simone Fabiano, senior lecturer, have shown, after many hours in the laboratory, that it is fully possible to build electronic circuits that are controlled by a heat signal.

LTE for IoT chip maker Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) today announced the opening of a new development site in Sophia Antipolis, on the Côte d’Azur, in the south of France. The new team currently includes ten engineers who will support Sequans’ core development of LTE semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT).

“By establishing this facility in Sophia Antipolis, where there is a vibrant community of software and embedded systems engineering talent, we were able to efficiently strengthen our development capabilities to meet the requirements of our growing list of customers in the worldwide market phenomenon known as the Internet of Things,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “Establishing ourselves in Sophia Antipolis quickly with a proven team is an important step in implementing our long-term global R&D strategy. This choice has been made thanks to the personalized support of Team Côte d’Azur, the official investment promotion agency of the Côte d’Azur, which streamlined the process.”

“Our territory is already a welcoming land for companies who appreciate the quality of tech talent Côte d’Azur has to offer,” said Jean-François Chapperon, head of International Networks, Team Côte d’Azur.

Sequans recently released its newest LTE for IoT chip, an LTE-M / NB-IoT chip called Monarch, based on the latest LTE standard and highly optimized for IoT. In less than one year, Monarch has gone from introduction, to operator certification, to deployment, and has already been designed into numerous LTE for IoT devices.

The new facility in the south of France is Sequans’ eleventh site among its worldwide locations. The new team will work closely with Sequans main R&D engineering team at the company’s Paris headquarters.

Sequans Communications S.A. is a provider of single-mode 4G LTE semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and a wide range of broadband data devices.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:  ACLS), a supplier of innovative, high-productivity solutions for the semiconductor industry, announced today that it has received orders for the Purion H high current implanter from two leading manufacturers of memory devices in the Asia Pacific region. One of the orders is a follow-on order and the second order is a new customer placement. The systems will be used to support capacity ramps for next generation memory products. The systems will ship in the first quarter.

“The Purion H continues to gain ground as the high current tool of choice due to its ability to provide exceptional doping precision for enhanced device performance and yields,” said John Aldeborgh, executive vice president, customer operations. “We’re excited about the potential at this new customer placement, and remain focused on expanding our market share through both new and established customers by providing innovative, enabling technology to ensure their success.”

The power of Purion

The Purion platform redefines the ion implanter application space, delivering unmatched purity, precision and productivity to enhance customers’ device performance and yield.   On this platform, Axcelis has built the industry’s first complete implant product solution designed specifically for advanced planar and 3D devices while providing the most flexible and productive manufacturing capability for our customers. The systems’ common cross-product platform architecture is designed to drive manufacturing flexibility and lower the total cost of fab operations. All Purion implanters incorporate Axcelis’ industry leading Purion Contamination Shield Defense System, for unsurpassed implant quality, so even the most sensitive devices can realize optimized device performance.  The platform’s proprietary Purion Vector dose and angle control system, and constant focal length scanning deliver the most precise and repeatable dopant placement available today.   The platform’s superior beam current performance combined with the Purion 500wph end station provides the industry’s highest productivity. The Purion platform includes the Purion M medium current implanter, the Purion H high current implanter, and the Purion XE and Purion VXE high energy implanters.

MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI), a supplier of high-performance RF, microwave, millimeterwave, and lightwave semiconductor products, today announced that it has successfully completed its previously announced acquisition of Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (NASDAQ: AMCC).

John Croteau, MACOM’s President and Chief Executive Officer stated, “I am pleased to announce the completion of this transaction. AppliedMicro’s leadership in MACsec and 100G to 400G single-Lambda PAM4 positions MACOM as a preferred supplier to major Enterprise and Cloud Data Center providers, many of whom are adopting the technologies this year. MACOM will now be able to support customers with all of the requisite semiconductor content for optical networks—analog, photonic and mixed signal PHY—from the switch to fiber for long haul, metro, access, backhaul and data centers.”

Commenting further Mr. Croteau noted, “With the transaction now closed, MACOM plans to promptly engage with previously identified potential buyers toward a near-term divestment of AppliedMicro’s well-positioned Compute business. As previously stated, this portion of the business does not strategically align with our long-term product focus, but we feel confident a successful transaction can be consummated.”

By Denny McGuirk, SEMI president and CEO

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”  Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, this could be the credo of our industry.  Moore’s Law has created $13 trillion of market value and we’ve been pioneering the way forward – since even before Gordon Moore made the famous “observation” that became Moore’s Law more than 50 years ago.  Our industry paved the road forward with advancements in design, materials, processing, equipment, and integration, traveling at the speed of exponential growth number in transistors per chip (doubling approximately every two years).

Today, globally, we’re shipping more than one trillion ICs per year!  Leading-edge chips boast more than 10 billion transistors at the advanced 10nm (gate length) technology node and are made with 3D FinFET architectures formed by 193nm wavelength immersion multi-patterning lithography.  It’s become a very challenging – and very expensive – road (a single lithography tool alone costs in the tens of millions of dollars).  The companies building the road ahead are bigger and fewer as massive bets now need to be placed on new fabs costing more than $5 billion and even $10 billion and where a new single chip design alone costs more than $150 million to bring into production.

What follows, in Part 1 of this two-part article, is a quick look back at the industry in 2016 and the road ahead in 2017 followed by what SEMI achieved in 2016 and where SEMI’s road will lead in 2017 to keep pace our industry charging forward where there is no path. Part 2 (next week’s Global Update) will focus on SEMI 2020 initiatives.

A look back at 2016: “Straight roads do not make skillful drivers”

2016 was definitely not a straight road; truly it was a wild ride – so, SEMI members have become extremely skilled drivers. The semiconductor manufacturing industry had a slow first half with pessimism building throughout the first quarter, but by April semiconductors bottomed and NAND investment and a slate of new China projects drove a strong second half.  For semiconductor equipment, SEMI’s statistics indicate global sales in 2015 were $36.5 billion and 2016 came in at $39.7 billion, ultimately ending up about 9 percent.  For reference semiconductor materials in 2015 was $24.0 billion and 2016 came in at $24.6 billion, up nearly 2.6 percent year-over year (YoY).

But, it turns out, that’s not half the story.  2016 was full of surprises.  At the geopolitical level, Brexit, an impeachment in South Korea, and a Trump win were wholly unanticipated and leave a lot of questions as to how that road ahead might look.  In technology, the Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone became an airline hazard announcement and stalwarts like Yahoo! faded into the background (now part of Verizon).  In part due to challenges of the road ahead (and because the cost of capital remained low) M&A fever continued in semiconductors with more than $100B in deals announced in 2016.

It was an astonishing year for combinations with huge deal announcements such as Qualcomm buying NXP for $47 billion and SoftBank buying ARM for $32 billion.  Meanwhile, mergers in the equipment and materials space continued, to name a few notables ASML’s acquisition of Hermes Microvision, DuPont and Dow announcing the intent to merge (announced December 2015, but still in the works), and Lam Research and KLA-Tencor ultimately calling off their deal due to complications of regulatory pushback.  The extended supply chain was mixing things up, too, with acquisitions like the announcement by Siemens to acquire Mentor Graphics.  It has been very active, overall.  This was the second year of semiconductor M&A deals valued at more than $100 billion, a signal that size and scale is critical to build the road ahead.

A look ahead: “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”

With all the talk about roads, it’s no surprise that the automotive segment is gathering momentum as a strong growth driver for the electronics supply chain.  Not only is there increasing electronics content in cars for comfort and infotainment, but also for assisted and autonomous driving and electric vehicles which are ushering in a new era of electronics consumption.

Along with automotive, IoT (Internet of Things), 5G, AR/VR (Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) round out a set of powerful IC and electronics applications drivers (see figure).  Per an IHS Study, 5G alone may enable as much as $12.3 trillion in goods and services in 2035. Gartner’s most recent forecast is cause for optimism further down the electronics manufacturing supply chain.  Gartner see IC revenue growing from 2016’s $339.7 billion to 2017’s $364.1 billion up 7.2 percent and growing further in 2018 at $377.9 billion up 3.8 percent.  For semiconductor equipment, SEMI’s forecast indicates 2015 was $36.5 billion, 2016 will come in at $39.7 billion, and 2017 is projected to be $43.4 billion, pointing to both 2016 and 2017 experiencing approximately 9 percent YoY growth.

In 2017, China investment is projected to continue as a major driver, likely consuming over 16 percent of the total global equipment investment (second only to South Korea).  SEMI is currently tracking 20 new fab projects.  Investments come from both multinationals and local Chinese ventures.  A sign of the rise of China is China’s upward production share trend of its own IC consumption market (IC Insights): 8 percent in 2009, 13 percent in 2015, and 21 percent in 2020. Further down in the electronics supply chain, fab equipment related spending in China will rise to more than $10 billion per year by 2018 and remain at that level or above for subsequent years.

NAND will continue to be a major driver with 3D NAND investment leading the way.  Silicon in Package (SiP) and heterogeneous integration will increasingly be solutions to augment traditional feature scaling to fit more transistors into less space at lower costs.  Materials innovations will be relied upon to solve front-end and packaging challenges while standard materials will be the focus of increased efficiencies and cost reduction. 200mm fab capacity will grow and stimulate new 200mm investment with upside driven by power devices and MEMS segments.  Investment in foundry MEMS will grow by an estimated 285 percent (2015 to 2017).

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind”

SEMI, the global non-profit association connecting and representing the worldwide electronics manufacturing supply chain, has been growing with the industry for 47 years.  SEMI has evolved over the years, but it has remained as the central point to connect.  Whether connecting for business, connecting for collective action, or connecting to synchronize technology, SEMI connects for member growth and prosperity.

As a reminder, here are SEMI’s mission, vision, and 2020 strategic focus areas.

  • Mission — our focus for the next five years
    • SEMI provides industry stewardship and engages our members to advance the interests of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain.
  • Vision — what we stand for
    • SEMI promotes the development of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain and positively influences the growth and prosperity of its members.  SEMI advances the mutual business interests of its membership and promotes a free and open global marketplace.
  • Members’ Growth — 2020 strategic focus
    • SEMI enables member growth opportunities by evolving SEMI communities and building new communities across the global electronics manufacturing supply chain via cooperation, partnerships, and integration.
  • Members’ Prosperity — 2020 strategic focus
    • SEMI enables members to prosper by building extended supply chain collaboration forums providing opportunities to increase value while optimizing the supply chain for SEMI members.

Our industry is in the midst of a vast change.  To deal with the escalating complexity (making a semiconductor chip now uses the great majority of the periodic table of the elements) and capital cost, many companies have had to combine, consolidate, and increasingly collaborate along the length of the electronics manufacturing supply chain.

Some companies have broadened their businesses by investing in adjacent segments such as Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE), MEMS, Sensors, LEDs, PV, and Display.  Lines are blurring between segments – PCBs have morphed into flexible substrates, SiP is both a device and a system.  Electronics integrators are rapidly innovating and driving new form factors, new requirements, and new technologies which require wide cooperation across the length of the electronics manufacturing supply chain and across a breadth of segments.

The business is changing and SEMI’s members are changing.  When SEMI’s members change, SEMI must change, too – and SEMI has, and is.  SEMI developed a transformation plan, SEMI 2020, which I wrote about at the beginning of 2016.  We’re well on our way on this path and in next week’s e-newsletter Global Update, I’d like to update you on what we’ve accomplished and what’s to come.