Category Archives: Lithography

IC Insights will release its May Update to the 2018 McClean Report later this month.  This Update includes a discussion of the 1Q18 IC industry market results, an update of the 2018 capital spending forecast by company, and a look at the top-25 1Q18 semiconductor suppliers (the top-15 1Q18 semiconductor suppliers are covered in this research bulletin).

The top-15 worldwide semiconductor (IC and O-S-D—optoelectronic, sensor, and discrete) sales ranking for 1Q18 is shown in Figure 1.  It includes eight suppliers headquartered in the U.S., three in Europe, two in South Korea, and one each in Taiwan and Japan.  After announcing in early April 2018 that it had successfully moved its headquarters location from Singapore to the U.S. IC Insights now classifies Broadcom as a U.S. company.

The top-15 ranking includes one pure-play foundry (TSMC) and four fabless companies.  If TSMC were excluded from the top-15 ranking, Taiwan-based fabless supplier MediaTek ($1,696 million) would have been ranked in the 15th position.

IC Insights includes foundries in the top-15 semiconductor supplier ranking since it has always viewed the ranking as a top supplier list, not a marketshare ranking, and realizes that in some cases the semiconductor sales are double counted.  With many of our clients being vendors to the semiconductor industry (supplying equipment, chemicals, gases, etc.), excluding large IC manufacturers like the foundries would leave significant “holes” in the list of top semiconductor suppliers.  As shown in the listing, the foundries and fabless companies are identified.  In the April Update to The McClean Report, marketshare rankings of IC suppliers by product type were presented and foundries were excluded from these listings.

Overall, the top-15 list shown in Figure 1 is provided as a guideline to identify which companies are the leading semiconductor suppliers, whether they are IDMs, fabless companies, or foundries.

Figure 1

Figure 1

In total, the top-15 semiconductor companies’ sales surged by 26% in 1Q18 compared to 1Q17, six points higher than the total worldwide semiconductor industry 1Q18/1Q17 increase of 20%.  Amazingly, the Big 3 memory suppliers—Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, each registered greater than 40% year-over-year growth in 1Q18. Fourteen of the top-15 companies had sales of at least $2.0 billion in 1Q18, four companies more than in 1Q17. As shown, it took just over $1.8 billion in quarterly sales just to make it into the 1Q18 top-15 semiconductor supplier list.

Intel was the number one ranked semiconductor supplier in 1Q17 but lost its lead spot to Samsung in 2Q17 as well as in the full-year 2017 ranking, a position it had held since 1993.  With the continuation of the strong surge in the DRAM and NAND flash markets over the past year, Samsung went from having 5% less total semiconductor sales than Intel in 1Q17 to having 23% more semiconductor sales than Intel in 1Q18!

It is interesting to note that memory devices represented 83% of Samsung’s semiconductor sales in 1Q18, up six points from 77% in 1Q17 and up 12 points from 71% just two years earlier in 1Q16.  Moreover, the company’s non-memory sales in 1Q18 were only $3,300 million, up 6% from 1Q17’s non-memory sales level of $3,125 million.

As would be expected, given the possible acquisitions and mergers that could occur this year (e.g., Qualcomm/NXP), as well as any memory market volatility that may develop, the top-15 ranking is likely to undergo a significant amount of upheaval over the next few years as the semiconductor industry continues along its path to maturity.

EV Group (EVG), a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today announced that it has received an order for its EVG®120 automated resist processing system from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). An existing customer of EVG’s wafer bonding and alignment systems, VTT is among the first to place an order for the newest version of the EVG120 system, which has been enhanced to provide even greater reliability, throughput and process performance compared to the previous-generation platform. VTT will use the new EVG120 system to increase capacity for supporting parallel R&D projects involving new and different coating materials, as well as to enable new research applications in “More than Moore” technology areas such as MEMS, optoelectronics, photonics and compound semiconductors.

“Lithography plays a vital role in the production process for devices that power our digital society,” stated Heini Saloniemi, manager, process engineering, at VTT. “After a thorough product evaluation of lithography coating systems, VTT selected the EVG120 in a competitive tender, with coating uniformity and repeatability of coating thickness among the key evaluation criteria. We look forward to receiving the new EVG120 system, which will enhance our lithography process capabilities and allow us to explore new avenues of research.”

The EVG120 automated resist processing system provides reliable and high-quality coating and developing processes in a universal platform. Its versatility and flexibility, as well as its low cost of ownership, makes it an ideal system for research environments where many development projects may be running in parallel, while its high throughput rates enable its use in volume production.

The updated EVG120 platform maintains all industry-leading capabilities of the previous-generation platform, including: compact design for minimal footprint; customizable module configurations for spin and spray coating, developing, bake and chill; EVG’s CoverSpin™ technology, which provides optimized coating uniformity of odd-shaped and square substrates; EVG’s proprietary OmniSpray® technology for conformal coating of extreme topographies; and wafer-edge handling.

The EVG®120 automated resist processing system from EV Group provides reliable and high-quality coating and developing processes in a universal platform.

The EVG®120 automated resist processing system from EV Group provides reliable and high-quality coating and developing processes in a universal platform.

New features on the updated platform include:

  • Separation of wet processing modules to enable constant conditions chamber to chamber
  • Integrated chemistry cabinet for resist pumps and bottles (including support for high-viscosity resists), for improved process control and short dispense cycles
  • New robot handling system that provides the highest reliability and increased throughput
  • Optional humidity and temperature control for constant environmental conditions

“As the leading research institute in Finland, VTT has a strong global network of industry partners throughout the world to transform breakthrough research into new products and services in renewable energy, health care, smart industry and smart city, as well as beyond. EVG is working tirelessly to support our key customers such as VTT in these endeavors,” stated Thomas Wagenleitner, product management director at EV Group. “As part of that effort, we have leveraged more than 20 years of experience in resist processing to drive continuous improvements to our industry benchmark EVG120 platform. This allows us to enable even greater levels of coating performance for our customers at a lower cost of ownership, which is critical for both production fabs and research labs at the cutting edge of technology like VTT.”

Reaching their highest recorded quarterly level ever, worldwide silicon wafer area shipments jumped to 3,084 million square inches during the first quarter 2018, a 3.6 percent increase over fourth quarter 2017 area shipments of 2,977 million square inches and a 7.9 percent rise over first quarter 2017 shipments, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

“Global silicon wafer shipment volumes started the year at historic levels,” said Neil Weaver, chairman SEMI SMG and Director, Product Development and Applications Engineering of Shin-Etsu Handotai America. “As a result, silicon shipments, like device shipments, are positioned to be strong this year.”

Silicon* Area Shipment Trends

Millions of Square Inches
1Q 2017
2Q 2017
3Q 2017
4Q 2017
1Q 2018
Total
2,858
2,978
2,997
2,977
3,084

Source: SEMI, May 2018

*Semiconductor applications only

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which, in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or “chips” are fabricated.

All data cited in this release includes polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers and epitaxial silicon wafers, as well as non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to end users.

The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.

 

By Lung Chu

Lung ChuThe growth of China’s semiconductor industry outstripped sector expansion in many other regions in 2017 thanks in part to heavy government investments and supportive state policies. But China’s chip industry also struggled under the weight of overheated investment, inconsistent project quality, insufficient investment in research and development, a poor ability to innovate, and barriers to international cooperation. To overcome these headwinds to growth, China must identify global trends in the development of global semiconductor industry and better understand the forces it needs to mobilize to further expand its own semiconductor sector.

AI and 5G fuel global semiconductor industry growth

In 2017, global semiconductor industry revenue reached a seven-year peak, expanding 22 percent to nearly USD 420 billion, and entered a new growth phase with artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and other new technologies leading the surge with greater market segmentation, diversification and decentralization. The emergence of smart automobiles, smart cities, smart medicine, AR/VR and other new markets headed the list of new applications. In the next three to five years, semiconductor industry growth is expected to remain stable, with no marked declines. In 2018, the growth rate is expected to fall to between 5 percent and 8 percent, with the expansion more comprehensive and balanced.

The memory market, in particular, will find it hard to match its 2017 blistering growth rate. The market’s expected growth of 10 percent to 20 percent will be chiefly driven by DRAM and 3D NAND Flash. In 2019, NAND growth will continue but DRAM shipments could decline.

Emphasis on both innovation and investment key to sustainable growth of Chinese IC

Under the China government’s Guidelines to Promote National IC Industry Development, designed to provide key policy guidance and capital support for the development of China’s IC industry, the Chinese semiconductor industry is seeing particularly rapid growth that is expected to be a key contributor to continuing global industry expansion. In IC design, HiSilicon and Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA ranked among the top 10 in the world. In wafer fabrication, Chinese IC manufacturing accounted for 13 percent to 15 percent of global market capacity despite SMIC and Huahong Group lagging international competition in advanced processing. In packaging and testing – China’s strongest segment – JCET, NFME and Huatian Technology also ranked in the global top 10.

The Guidelines to Promote National IC Industry Development has fueled a boom in capital investments. However, investments must go well beyond fab construction to add new capacity for China’s semiconductor industry to flourish. A strategy for sustainable, long-term chip industry growth must focus more on technology innovation while continuing heavy capital investments, though it takes time for innovation to lead to higher capacity demand and GPD growth and more jobs.

Despite large investments by the 02 Special Project in semiconductor equipment and materials, China trails other regions of the world in advanced technologies. Global spending on semiconductor equipment reached a record-breaking USD 56 billion in 2017, with Korea a major driver. In 2017, Samsung alone invested USD 25 billion in semiconductor equipment, followed by TSMC (USD 10.8 billion), Intel (USD 11.5 billion), Hynix (USD 8.5 billion), Micron (USD 0.5 billion), SMIC (USD 2.3 billion) and YMTC (USD 2 billion). In 2018, Samsung’s equipment spending is expected to drop slightly, to USD 24 billion, while investments by Intel and TSMC will be remain roughly equal.

China’s equipment spending will continue to grow in 2018, with SMIC and YMTC maintaining investment levels similar to last year’s and other China semiconductor manufacturers starting to ramp up investments. In 2018, China is expected to surpass Taiwan in equipment spending to claim the number two position after Korea.

SIIP China dedicated to international connection and cooperation

The huge investments in China’s semiconductor industry need to be supported by robust business strategies, greater international cooperation, deeper expertise in advanced technologies, and more skilled workers. China lags the global industry in all of these areas. The rapid rise of China’s semiconductor industry has raised concerns among many countries over China’s growing influence, with some, most notably the United States, going so far as to implement containment measures. Other regions including Japan, Korea and Taiwan followed suit.

The continued growth of China’s semiconductor industry hinges on technological innovation enabled by international cooperation, as well as strong international communication to allay concerns and misunderstandings over the rising prominence of China’s chip sector. China must overcome these obstacles. One partial solution is for China to convince the rest of the world that its need a thriving semiconductor industry if only to meet enormous demand for electronics products within its own borders.

As the largest international semiconductor industry association, SEMI enjoys a unique ability to strengthen the connection between China’s semiconductor sector and its international counterparts. SEMI is well-known for its vital support of the traditional semiconductor equipment and materials markets, but SEMI’s work also spans IC design, manufacturing, packaging and testing. What’s more, SEMI has expanded into innovative market vertical applications such as AI, smart manufacturing, smart transportation and smart automotive as it aims to bring together supply chains across these growth areas.

For its part, SEMI China remains dedicated to improving communications and cooperation between the Chinese and global semiconductor industries. SEMI China will also continue to encourage deeper collaboration among individual enterprises and government institutions in the interest of industry growth while making full use of SEMI’s international, professional and localization platform to promote the development of China’s semiconductor industry.

Last year, we established SEMI Innovation Investment Platform (SIIP) China to help grow China’s pool of skilled workers, promote advanced technology, generate industry capital, and expand China’s semiconductor industry while developing stronger connections with chip sectors in other regions. SIIP China is focused on the following:

  • Promoting sustainable development of the Chinese semiconductor industry
  • Establishing stronger connections to help take advantage of global technology and investment opportunities
  • Providing a platform for open communications between the Chinese and global semiconductor industries
  • Promoting greater coordination between China and its global partners
  • Helping newly enterprises secure funds for expansion

Encouraging greater cooperation with foreign semiconductor manufacturers in the interest of openness and mutual benefit will be the best way for China to overcome obstacles to the development of its semiconductor industry. Meanwhile, China will continue to strive to merge into the global semiconductor industry and become a key partner.

SEMICON China has witnessed the development of Chinese semiconductor industry

SEMICON China-1

SEMICON China marked its 30th anniversary this year. Over the past three decades, China’s semiconductor industry has seen remarkable growth. This year’s SEMICON China was the largest ever. SEMICON China and FPD China 2018 numbered 3,628 booths, covered 74,000 square meters of exhibition space and attracted 1,116 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions and 91,252 professional attendees from 58 countries and regions.

Most of China’s top device makers and global leading packaging houses, together with their equipment and materials suppliers, exhibited at SEMICON China and FPD China 2018, representing the global IC manufacturing ecosystem. The number of SEMICON China and FPD China 2018 visitors jumped 32.3 percent from last year, with representation by professionals from the design, manufacturing, assembly and test, equipment and materials sectors.

Lung Chu is President of SEMI China.

Originally published on the SEMI blog.

EV Group (EVG), a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today announced that it has started construction work for the next expansion phase of its corporate headquarters. The new building will house EVG’s “Manufacturing III” facility, which will more than double the floor space for the final assembly of EVG’s systems.

“With our innovative manufacturing solutions for the high-tech industry as well as new biomedical applications, we operate in very dynamic markets with great future prospects,” stated Dr. Werner Thallner, executive operations and financial director at EV Group. “In light of the high capacity utilization in all areas of our existing facilities, as well as the positive market outlook, we decided to implement our plans for building our Manufacturing III facility this year. This will support our long-term growth targets at our corporate headquarters in St. Florian am Inn.”

EVG Manufacturing III Photo 1

The new Manufacturing III building, adjacent to the new test room site that was opened just a few months ago, will be built next to the river Inn. The ultramodern building will provide approximately 4,800 square meters of additional space in total, which will benefit not only manufacturing but other departments as well. In addition to an expansion of warehouse space, a new delivery area with a dedicated packaging site designed for cleanroom equipment will be created, along with an airfreight security zone and new truck loading docks for the shipment of the completed systems to EVG’s worldwide customers.

The construction of the new Manufacturing III building is set to be completed in early 2019.

The top 10 IC suppliers in the $54.5 billion analog market last year accounted for 59% of the category’s worldwide sales in 2017, according to a recent monthly update to IC Insights’ 2018 McClean Report. Collectively, the top 10 companies generated $32.3 billion in analog IC sales last year compared to $28.4 billion in 2016, which was a 14% increase and a gain of two percentage points in marketshare during 2017, said the 50-page April Update to The McClean Report.  Eight of the top-10 suppliers exceeded the 10% growth rate of the total analog market in 2017, according to the update.

With analog sales of $9.9 billion and 18% marketshare, Texas Instruments was again the leading supplier of analog integrated circuits in 2017.  In 2016, TI’s marketshare was 17% in analog ICs.  The company’s analog sales increased by about $1.4 billion last year—rising 16%—compared to 2016 and were more than twice that of second-ranked Analog Devices (ADI). TI’s 2017 analog revenue represented 76% of its $13.0 billion in total IC sales and 71% of its $13.9 billion total semiconductor revenue, based on IC Insights’ estimates.

3fed36cb-49c2-4a3f-a24c-a5fd1acf60c4

Figure 1

TI was among the first companies to manufacture analog semiconductors on 300mm wafers.  TI has claimed that manufacturing analog ICs on 300mm wafers gives it a 40% cost advantage per unpackaged chip compared to using 200mm wafers.  In 2017, about half of TI’s analog revenue was generated on devices built using 300mm wafers.

Second-place ADI registered a 14% increase in analog IC sales in 2017 to $4.3 billion, according to IC Insights’ supplier ranking. The 2016 and 2017 revenue numbers shown for ADI include sales from Linear Technology, which was acquired by the company in 1Q17 for $15.8 billion.

NXP was the only supplier in the top-10 ranking that experienced a decline (-1%) in its analog sales last year.  Some of NXP’s analog revenue decline can be attributed to the sale of its Standard Products business to a consortium of Chinese investors consisting of JAC Capital and Wise Road Capital.  The $2.75 billion transaction was completed in February 2017.  The Standard Products business was renamed Nexperia and headquartered in the Netherlands.

Among the top 10, ON Semiconductor showed the largest analog sales gain in 2017, with revenues increasing 35% to $1.8 billion, which represented a 3% share of the market.  This follows a 16% rise in its analog sales in 2016. Some of the strong increases in sales during the last two years were a result of ON Semi’s acquisition of Fairchild Semiconductor in September 2016 for $2.4 billion.  ON’s analog business was also boosted in 2017 by record sales of its power management products to the automotive market, specifically for active safety, powertrain, body electronics, and lighting applications.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $111.1 billion during the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 20 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017, but 2.5 percent less than the fourth quarter of 2017. Sales for the month of March 2018 came in at $37.0 billion, an increase of 20 percent compared to the March 2017 total of $30.8 billion and 0.7 percent more than the February 2018 total of $36.8 billion. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“The global semiconductor market has demonstrated impressive growth through the first quarter of 2018, far exceeding sales through the same point in 2017, which was a record year for semiconductor revenues,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Sales in March increased year-to-year for the 20th consecutive month. All regional markets experienced double-digit growth compared to last year, and all major semiconductor product categories experienced year-to-year growth, with memory products continuing to lead the way.”

Year-to-year sales increased across all regions in March: the Americas (35.7 percent), Europe (20.6 percent), China (18.8 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (13.3 percent), and Japan (12.4 percent). Month-to-month sales increased in Europe (3.9 percent), China (2.2 percent), Japan (0.5 percent), and Asia Pacific/All Other (0.2 percent), but decreased slightly in the Americas (-2.0 percent).

For comprehensive monthly semiconductor sales data and detailed WSTS Forecasts, consider purchasing the WSTS Subscription Package. For detailed data on the global and U.S. semiconductor industry and market, consider purchasing the 2017 SIA Databook.

Mar 2018

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                              

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

8.26

8.09

-2.0%

Europe

3.43

3.57

3.9%

Japan

3.18

3.19

0.5%

China

11.70

11.95

2.2%

Asia Pacific/All Other

10.19

10.22

0.2%

Total

36.76

37.02

0.7%

Year-to-Year Sales                         

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.96

8.09

35.7%

Europe

2.96

3.57

20.6%

Japan

2.84

3.19

12.4%

China

10.06

11.95

18.8%

Asia Pacific/All Other

9.02

10.22

13.3%

Total

30.84

37.02

20.0%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

Oct/Nov/Dec

Jan/Feb/Mar

% Change

Americas

8.95

8.09

-9.6%

Europe

3.37

3.57

5.8%

Japan

3.24

3.19

-1.5%

China

12.01

11.95

-0.5%

Asia Pacific/All Other

10.41

10.22

-1.8%

Total

37.99

37.02

-2.5%

By Jamie Girard, Sr. Director, Public Policy, SEMI

Just as the annual Cherry Blossom festival wraps up, international trade has flowered as a top concern for SEMI members, requiring immediate action as 20 SEMI member executives carried the torch for the industry in recent meetings with lawmakers at the annual SEMI Washington Forum. The business leaders quickly zeroed in on the proposed Sec. 301 tariffs of 25 percent on China imports to the U.S. and their potential to drive sharp increases in the cost of doing business.

In the meetings at the two-day event in Washington, D.C., the executives expressed deep concern that the tariffs, aimed at protecting the interests of U.S. companies, would instead harm the intended beneficiaries including SEMI members around the globe. The executives also focused on the proposed 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum that would compound the damage to their businesses, spiking costs of materials that lie at the heart of their manufacturing operations.

Also crucial to their business interests, the SEMI members educated lawmakers on the talent shortage and the intense competition to fill open positions across the supply chain. With fully 77 percent of industry executives seeing talent shortfalls as a pressing business issue, the business leaders pushed for legislation that would bring more domestic talent into the STEM education pipeline – such as S. 1518, The CHANCE in Tech Act to support more apprenticeships in technology, and H.R. 4023, the Developing Tomorrow’s Engineering and Technical Workforce Act to get more students involved in engineering. The group also encouraged support of the “Immigration Innovation” or “I-Squared” bill to strengthen and expand the H1-B visa program and STEM Greencards.

The SEMI Washington Forum, a venue for SEMI members to educate lawmakers about the industry, also addressed concerns over restrictions on foreign investment in the U.S. Passage of S. 2098, the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), would usher in new operating efficiencies for the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) by adding much-needed resources to the overburdened body. However, the bill would also subject many ordinary business transactions to a lengthy and costly national security review that would hamper the ability of many companies to do business in the global marketplace.

All told, attendees at the forum held more than 30 meetings with lawmakers, reflecting the great impact of public policy on SEMI members companies. In a time when the stakes for the industry have risen to new levels, direct engagement with lawmakers in the nation’s capital by SEMI and its members is critical. The SEMI Washington Forum is a terrific way for members to more clearly understand the impact of key pieces of legislation and gain firsthand experience in influencing policy and helping lawmakers better understand the industry. If you are interested in learning more about the SEMI Washington Forum or SEMI’s public policy program, please contact Jamie Girard by email at [email protected].

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) today announced certification of the Synopsys Design Platform with TSMC’s latest Design Rule Manual (DRM) for advanced 7-nanometer (nm) FinFET Plus process technology. With several test chips taped out and production designs currently under development by multiple customers, this certification by TSMC enables a wide range of designs from high-performance computing and high-density to low-power mobile applications using the Synopsys Design Platform.

This certification is a milestone for TSMC’s extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) process that enables significant area savings while maintaining high performance when compared to non-EUV process nodes.

The Synopsys Design Platform, anchored by Design Compiler Graphical synthesis and IC Compiler™ II place-and-route tools, has been enhanced to take full advantage of TSMC’s 7-nm FinFET Plus for high-performance designs. Design Compiler Graphical is capable of automatically inserting via pillar structures to boost performance and prevent signal electromigration (EM) violations, and can pass the information to IC Compiler II for further optimization. It also automatically applies non-default rules (NDR) during synthesis and performs layer-aware optimization to improve design performance. These optimizations, including IC Compiler II bus routing, continue throughout the place-and-route flow to meet stringent delay-matching requirements of high-speed network.

PrimeTime® timing analysis advanced waveform propagation (AWP) and parametric on-chip variation (POCV) technologies have been optimized to address increased waveform distortion and non-Gaussian variation effects of higher performance and lower voltage operation. In addition, PrimeTime’s physically-aware signoff has been expanded to support via-pillars.

Synopsys has enhanced the Design Platform to perform physical implementation, parasitic extraction, physical verification, and timing analysis to support TSMC’s WoW technology. The physical implementation flow with IC Compiler II provides full support for wafer staking designs, from initial die floorplan preparation to placement and assignment of bumps to implementation of die routing. Verification is done by IC Validator for DRC/LVS checks, and Synopsys’ StarRC tool performs parasitic extraction.

“Ongoing collaboration with Synopsys and early customer engagements on TSMC’s 7-nanometer FinFET Plus process technology are delivering differentiated platform solutions that help our mutual customers bring innovative new products to market faster,” said Suk Lee, senior director of the Design Infrastructure Marketing Division at TSMC. “Certification of the Synopsys Design Platform enables our mutual customers’ designs in our first mass-production, EUV-enabled technology.”

“Our collaboration with TSMC on their mass-production 7-nanometer FinFET Plus process allows companies to confidently begin designing their increasingly large SoC and multi-die chips with the highly-differentiated Synopsys Design Platform,” said Michael Jackson, corporate vice president of marketing and business development for the Design Group at Synopsys. “Certification on TSMC’s 7-nanometer FinFET Plus process enables our customers to benefit from significant power, performance, and area improvements of an advanced EUV process, while accelerating time-to-market for their differentiated products.”

Technavio’s latest market research report on the global lithography systems market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2018-2022. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

According to Technavio market research analysts, the CAGR for the global lithography systems market is projected to be over 5% during the forecast period. However, the growth momentum of the market is expected to decelerate due to a decrease in the year-over-year growth.

One of the major drivers for the growth of the global lithography systems market is the increasing investments toward construction of new fabs and expanding older facilities. Growing investments in autonomous technologies (for cars) and increasing interest in robotics is creating a demand for semiconductor chips, which form a core component for the working of these devices. To meet this production of ICs, there will be an increasing demand for more number of fabs.

In this report, Technavio highlights the increasing sizes of wafers as one of the key emerging trends driving the global lithography systems market:

Increasing sizes of wafers

Increasing investments toward introducing a 400-mm wafer size is a major trend. A 450-mm wafer (18 inches) will have a larger surface area, which indicates that a high number of chips can be produced, at low manufacturing costs. Increasing the size of wafers reduces the manufacturing costs by almost 30%. Firms are showing an increasing interest in the production of 450-mm sized wafers. For example, Intel has invested in R&D for 450 mm and is building a production facility for the same.

According to a senior analyst at semiconductor equipment research, “One of the major undertakings to develop 450-mm wafers is the G450C, a consortium that includes major firms such as IBM, Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and GLOBALFOUNDRIES. The consortium aims to develop the 450-mm wafer and manufacture the required equipment to process 450-mm wafers.”

Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Global lithography systems market segmentation

This market research report segments the global lithography systems market by technology (ArF immersion lithography systems, EUV lithography systems, KrF lithography systems, ArF dry lithography systems, and i-line lithography systems), by end-user (IDMs and pureplay foundries), and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA).

The IDMs segment dominated the market in 2017, accounting for a share of over 68%, followed by the pureplay foundries segment. Firms that have dedicated logic and dedicated memory foundries are considered under this segment. Memory chips such as DRAM and NAND chips are made in dedicated memory chip factories, while logic chips process information in electronic devices.

APAC dominated the global lithography systems market in 2017, accounting for a share of close to 71%, followed by the Americas and EMEA. APAC is expected to witness an increase of close to 1% in its market share while the other two regions are expected to witness a decline by 2022.