Category Archives: Materials and Equipment

(July 29, 2010) — Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY) has completed the acquisition of Intelek plc (AIM: ITK.L). Teledyne was the beneficial owner of, or had received valid acceptances in respect of approximately 93% of Intelek’s ordinary shares.

Teledyne declared its offer to Intelek shareholders wholly unconditional, as all closing conditions of its offer had been satisfied or waived. Under the terms of the Offer, Intelek’s ordinary shareholders will receive 32 pence in cash for each Intelek Share valuing the entire existing issued ordinary share capital of Intelek at approximately £28 million.

Intelek is a group of companies that primarily design and manufacture electronic systems for satellite and microwave communication. Through its Paradise Datacom division, Intelek designs and manufactures satellite modems, transceivers, block up-converters, solid state power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers and associated equipment for the terrestrial segment of the satellite communications market. Intelek’s Labtech division is a manufacturer of microwave circuits and components primarily for the defense electronics, global telecommunications, space and satellite communications markets. Intelek’s CML Group division manufactures precision machined and composite aerostructures for military and commercial aircraft. Following the acquisition, the three divisions will change their names to Teledyne Paradise Datacom, Teledyne Labtech and Teledyne CML Group.

The aggregate value for the transaction will be approximately £35 million (or approximately $52 million) taking into account Intelek’s stock options, net debt and pension deficit as of March 31, 2010. For the year ended March 31, 2010, Intelek had sales of approximately £38 million.

On July 29, Teledyne reported second quarter 2010 sales of $442.5 million, compared with sales of $441.1 million for the same period of 2009. Net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $28.6 million ($0.78 per diluted share), compared with net income of $25.2 million ($0.69 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2009.

“Our commercial businesses continued to recover nicely in the quarter,” said Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our Electronics and Communications segment performed well as a result of double-digit sales growth and margin improvement in our commercial electronic instrumentation businesses. Our commercial aerospace businesses also performed strongly with increased sales and improved margins."

Teledyne Technologies provides sophisticated electronic subsystems, instrumentation and communication products, engineered systems, aerospace engines, and energy and power generation systems. Teledyne Technologies’ operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico. For more information, visit Teledyne Technologies’ website at www.teledyne.com.

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(July 28, 2010) — Disposable razor blades could become a thing of the past if scientists at GFD have their way. The German high-tech company has developed a super-sharp razor blade made of industrial diamonds that could last more than 1,000 times longer than today’s conventional blade. Because GFD only produces the razor blade but not the finished razor, the company is currently exploring possible strategic alliances to develop this product for the consumer market.

Click to EnlargeThe technological breakthrough achieved by GFD employs two specialized processes: the nanocrystalline diamond coating of a carbide blade followed by the plasma sharpening of the blade. To manufacture such a razor blade, a nanocrystalline diamond coating is first applied to a carbide blade, then the minute, jewelled layers are polished by an innovative plasma sharpening process developed by the GFD researchers. The blade is polished until the cutting edge is sharpened to only a few nanometers, therefore consisting of merely a few atoms. This process manages, for the first time, to combine the hardest material in the world with the sharpest possible cutting edge. Read more about nano production equipment here: http://www.electroiq.com/index/nanotech-mems/tools-equipment.html

"This simple-sounding procedure is the result of years of research and development," explains André Flöter, doctor of physics and the managing director of Ulm-based GFD, short for Gesellschaft für Diamantprodukte mbH. In spite of the diamond’s extreme hardness, they have in the past played a subordinate role as a manufacturing material. Reasons include the rarity of diamonds’ natural occurrence in the world and until recently, the high cost of manufacturing diamonds artificially. It was not until the early 1980s that researchers began using a new procedure to manufacture diamonds artificially as a thin layer and at a reasonable price. GFD is one of the first companies in the world to master the industrial plasma sharpening of diamond coatings on a scale relevant to production.

In cooperation with Professor Hans-Jörg Fecht, a renowned expert on nanomaterials from the University of Ulm, and with the aid of public research funding, GFD has for many years been developing products in the area of cutting technology based on artificially manufactured nanocrystalline diamond coatings, which can be used in industrial manufacturing. Industrial diamond razor blades demonstrate a product life of up to 1,000 times longer than steel blades. The diamond material ensures that the blade remains ultrasharp.

Flöter and his colleagues now plan to industrialize this new technology with the addition of business partners who specialize in wet shaving. "Potential partners should be well versed in marketing in the middle to upper price segment," Flöter says. "Initial talks are underway. Thankfully one does not have to be a millionaire to be able to enjoy the new razor. If one adds together the costs of disposable razors over the period of one year, then our diamond blade could certainly be a reasonably priced alternative."

GFD develops and produces diamond-based products and belongs to the leading suppliers of diamond blades worldwide.

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See more research initiatives in our R&D center: http://www.electroiq.com/index/nanotech-mems/research-development.html

(July 27, 2010) — Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. released two DXR Nanocarbon Analysis Packages for the characterization and microcharacterization of carbon nanomaterials. Both packages offer large-scale chemical and materials producers complete systems for carbon nanotube analysis. Incorporating the Thermo Scientific DXR Raman platform, the packages provide information on the molecular structure and morphology of carbon nanomaterials.

Click to EnlargeDesigned to simplify the Raman technique for non-specialist instrument users, the packages are said to enhance productivity and provide accurate, rapid and reproducible results. Thermo Fisher packages contain hardware, software and sampling accessories. The DXR Nanocarbon Microanalysis Package, featuring the DXR Raman Microscope, is a complete system configured for microcharacterization. The DXR Nanocarbon Analysis Package, which leverages the Thermo Scientific SmartRaman, is a full system for bulk materials characterization.

The new packages are designed to produce accurate and reproducible results by incorporating rigorous automated calibration and alignment routines, control of laser power and sophisticated quality checks to every spectrum collected. High reproducibility and control of critical measurement parameters provides confidence in results so that analysts know that unexpected occurrences are due to the sample rather than user error. In addition, the packages are designed to guide users through data collection as quickly as possible, allowing more time to focus on results and enhance productivity. The system also includes intelligent software to optimize many measurement parameters, as well as hardware designed so that users can simply load a sample and then return later. Experiments that may take hours to set up on other instruments can often be completed in just minutes.

The packages have an advanced targeting mechanism, offering the spatial resolution and sensitivity needed to handle the weak signals often generated by carbon nanomaterials. The analysis packages are also highly flexible and can be customized to accommodate a wide variety of applications and sample forms covering important areas of carbon nanomaterials such as fundamental research, nanomaterial production, functionalization, applied research on end-applications and end-application production.

Carbon nanomaterials offer a range of useful properties, including electrical conductance, thermal resistance and exceptional strength. They have applications ranging from nanotechnology and electronics to optics. Raman spectroscopy characterizes carbon nanomaterials during processing and modifications.

For more information about the Thermo Scientific DXR Nanocarbon Analysis and Microanalysis Packages, visit www.thermoscientific.com/raman.

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(July 27, 2010) — Rogers Corporation has developed a match for the RO4360 laminate: RO4460 prepreg. Both materials feature dielectric constant (Dk) of 6.15 ±0.15 and low dielectric loss of 0.003 at 2.5GHz. Together, they form an ideal system for fabricating compact, cost-sensitive multilayer high-frequency (HF) circuits in limited space.

As with RO4360 laminates, RO4460 prepregs are ceramic-filled, thermoset materials reinforced by woven glass for excellent mechanical stability. The laminate and prepreg supports smaller size circuits with excellent thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/m-K for effective thermal management.

RoHS-compliant RO4360 laminate and RO4460 bondply materials offer low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 30 ppm/°C in the z-axis for reliable plated through holes (PTHs) in multilayer circuits.

With its high +280°C glass transition temperature (Tg), the RO4360/RO4460 laminate system is processed like FR-4 circuit board materials. RO4360 laminate and RO4460 prepreg can be used with epoxy-based materials for hybrid multilayer circuits that take advantage of the smaller circuit features possible with 6.15 Dk materials. RO4360 laminate and RO4460 prepreg materials support automated manufacturing techniques and standard processing approaches for miniature, high-performance multilayer circuits without the high costs and processing complexity associated with PTFE circuit-board materials.

Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG), is a global technology leader in the development and manufacture of high performance, specialty-material-based products for a variety of applications in diverse markets. Rogers RO4460 prepregs are ceramic filled, thermoset materials reinforced by woven glass for excellent mechanical stability. To learn more, visit www.rogerscorp.com/acm. Read articles from Rogers Corporation, such as Embedded Passives in Device Packaging: What is Limiting Widespread Adoption  and Creating Wireless SiP Solutions

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(July 27, 2010) — Stanford University placed an order for two Plasma-Therm deposition systems: a VERSALINE HDPCVD system and a Shuttlelock PECVD system. The tools will be installed at Stanford’s Nanofabrication Facility.

Click to EnlargePlasma-Therm’s VERSALINE HDPCVD system, with its high density ICP plasma and temperature-controlled environment, expands research capabilities by providing critical Click to Enlargetechnology to deposit high quality dielectric films at low temperatures. The Shuttlelock PECVD system uses a more traditional configuration of parallel plate electrodes that contributes fundamental and important deposition processes such as controllable low-stress silicon nitride. Together, the systems will be used to assist in the Nanofabrication Facility’s research efforts in areas such as nanoelectronic devices, MEMS/NEMS and photonics.

“Stanford University has long since established itself as a leading R&D facility. The deposition processes from industry proven systems like VERSALINE and Shuttlelock will give researchers at the Nanofabrication Facility the tools necessary to make advances in nanoscience applications,” stated Ed Ostan, Plasma-Therm’s EVP of sales & marketing. “Plasma-Therm’s worldwide presence at nanofabrication facilities with processing equipment that spans decades is a reflection of equipment durability, reliability and technological relevance. Our continuous involvement and collaboration with these advanced laboratories is what stimulates process and equipment development.”

The Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF) serves academic, industrial and governmental researchers across the U.S. in areas ranging from optics, MEMS, biology, and chemistry, to traditional electronics device fabrication and process characterization. The SNF is a 10,000 sq.ft. class 100 cleanroom facility that provides researchers with effective and efficient access to advanced nanofabrication equipment and expertise. The SNF is one of 14 universities that make up the NSF’s National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN). NNIN is committed to providing nanofabrication resources to researchers across the country in both industry and academia. Read more about Stanford’s recent electronics manufacturing research in IME, Stanford partner on Si nanowire-based circuits, IITC Day 1: 3D/TSV, Cu barrier films, critical collaboration, IITC Day 0: Short course reflects interconnects’ maturity, MRS Day 5: Flexible electronics, Ge-Si integration, CNTs, OPV…, IEDM 2009: Stanford’s CNT transistors, Carbon nanotubes turn paper/ink into batteries

Plasma-Therm supplies advanced plasma process equipment for etch and deposition technologies. For more information, visit www.PlasmaTherm.com

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(July 26, 2010) — Henkel’s non-conductive paste (NCP) development will enable next-generation, high I/O fine-pitch technologies including new copper pillar (Cu Pillar) interconnects. Henkel’s Hysol FP5201 NCP offers the underfill protection required for Cu Pillar technology, effectively mitigating the stress between the substrate and the die.

Driven by the need to increase functionality while simultaneously maintaining or decreasing device footprints, Cu Pillar technology offers a structure conducive to such demands. The architecture of Cu Pillar, as compared to conventional solder bumps or solder balls, is forgiving of much finer pitches and, therefore, allows higher I/O counts per die. With Cu Pillar, for example, a die can accommodate 40µm pitch, whereas traditional soldered flip chip pitches are generally in the range of 150 to 200µm.

The tighter pitches of Cu Pillar interconnect technology are not highly compatible with traditional capillary underfill processes, as flow time can be a drain on throughput and UPH and complete coverage is uncertain at best. Hysol FP5201 resolves these issues; the material is applied to the substrate prior to die placement and thermal compression, providing more robust coverage and improved device protection.

Hysol FP5201 is also compatible with overmolding, which is an emerging requirement for some advanced Cu Pillar processes. Not only does the material have to provide a physically reliable and stable bonded package, it must also maintain its integrity and reliability following the molding process. This, in fact, was one of the more challenging aspects of the development process as older-generation NCPs have been unable to deliver robust post-molding performance.

“Working with a beta-site customer, Henkel’s top materials scientists embarked on a year-long development process to formulate an NCP that could meet some stringent performance demands,” said Henkel Senior Development Scientist, Donald Frye. “The new material had to cure very quickly to accommodate a very fast bonding process, provide a high level of reliability and be compatible with the overmolding process — all in a high volume production environment. In each instance, Hysol FP5201 was able to deliver.”

Other benefits of Hysol FP5201 include its fast cure of between one and four seconds at a bonding temperature range of 220°-300°C, little to no voiding and its outstanding reliability performance of MSL3, TCT1000 and HAST168.

Related video:

Doug Dixon, Henkel Corporation, talks about Henkel’s new wafer backside coating technology for stacked die packages. In 2011, Henkel foresees a 5 um bondline thickness. Dixon also discusses copper pillar technology for chip stacking.

 

For more information, visit www.henkel.com/electronics

More on copper pillar technology can be found in the TSV section of Advanced Packaging.

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(July 23, 2010) — A new paper from the lab of Rice University chemist James Tour demonstrates an environmentally friendly way to make bulk quantities of graphene oxide (GO), an insulating version of single-atom-thick graphene expected to find use in all kinds of material and electronic applications.

A second paper from Tour and Andreas Lüttge, a Rice professor of Earth science and chemistry, shows how GO is broken down by common bacteria that leave behind only harmless, natural graphite.

The paper appears online this week in the journal ACS Nano.

"These are the pillars that make graphene oxide production practical," said Tour, Rice’s T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science. The GO manufacturing process was developed as part of a research project with M-I SWACO, a Houston-based producer of drilling fluids for the petrochemical industry that hopes to use graphene to improve the productivity of wells. 

View a webcast on Nanotechnology Safety from Small Times, on-demand at http://www.electroiq.com/index/webcasts/webcast-display/1960675815/webcasts/small-times/live-events/understanding-nanotechnology.html

Scientists have been making GO since the 19th century, but the new process eliminates a significant stumbling block to bulk production, Tour said. "People were using potassium chlorate or sodium nitrates that release toxic gases – one of which, chlorine dioxide, is explosive," he said. "Manufacturers are always reluctant to go to a large scale with any process that generates explosive intermediates."

Tour and his colleagues used a process similar to the one they employed to unzip multiwalled nanotubes into graphene nanoribbons, as described in a Nature paper last year. They process flakes of graphite (common pencil lead) with potassium permanganate, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid, all common, inexpensive chemicals.

"Many companies have started to make graphene and graphene oxide, and I think they’re going to be very hard pressed to come up with a cheaper procedure that’s this efficient and as safe and environmentally friendly," Tour said.

The researchers suggested the water-soluble product could find use in polymers, ceramics and metals, as thin films for electronics, as drug-delivery devices and for hydrogen storage, as well as for oil and gas recovery. 

Though GO is a natural insulator, it could be chemically reduced to a conductor or semiconductor, though not without defects, Tour said.

With so many potential paths into the environment, the fate of GO nanomaterials concerned Tour, who sought the advice of Rice colleague Lüttge.

Lüttge and Everett Salas, a postdoctoral researcher in his lab and primary author of the second paper, had already been studying the effects of bacteria on carbon, so it was simple to shift their attention to GO. They found bacteria from the genus Shewanella easily convert GO to harmless graphene. The graphene then stacks itself into graphite.

"That’s a big plus for green nano, because these ubiquitous bacteria are quickly converting GO into an environmentally benign mineral," Tour said.

Essentially, Salas said, Shewanella have figured out how to "breathe" solid metal oxides. "These bacteria have turned themselves inside out. When we breathe oxygen, the reactions happen inside our cells. These microbes have taken those components and put them on the outside of their cells."

It is this capability that allows them to reduce GO to graphene. "It’s a mechanism we don’t understand completely because we didn’t know it was possible until a few months ago," he said of the process as it relates to GO.

The best news of all, Lüttge said, is that these metal-reducing bacteria "are found pretty much everywhere, so there will be no need to ‘inoculate’ the environment with them," he said. "These bacteria have been isolated from every imaginable environment – lakes, the sea floor, river mud, the open ocean, oil brines and even uranium mines."

He said the microbes also turn iron, chromium, uranium and arsenic compounds into "mostly benign" minerals. "Because of this, they’re playing a major role in efforts to develop bacteria-based bioremediation technologies."

Lüttge expects the discovery will lead to other practical technologies. His lab is investigating the interaction between bacteria and graphite electrodes to develop microbe-powered fuel cells, in collaboration with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI).

Co-authors of the first paper, "Improved Synthesis of Graphene Oxide," include postdoctoral research associates Dmitry Kosynkin, Jacob Berlin and Alexander Sinitskii; senior research scientist Lawrence Alemany; graduate students Daniela Marcano, Zhengzong Sun and Wei Lu and visiting research student Alexander Slesarev, all of Rice.

Salas, Tour, Lüttge and Sun are co-authors of the second paper, "Reduction of Graphene Oxide via Bacterial Respiration."

Funding for the projects came from the Alliance for NanoHealth, M-I SWACO, the Air Force Research Laboratory through the University Technology Corporation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy within the Hydrogen Sorption Center of Excellence, the Office of Naval Research MURI program on graphene, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Read the abstract for "Improved Synthesis of Graphene Oxide" at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn1006368.

Read the abstract for "Reduction of Graphene Oxide via Bacterial Respiration" at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn101081t.

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(July 23, 2010) — Shin-Etsu Silicones of America Inc., U.S. subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., Japan, launched the TC-CA Series, comprised of Shin-Etsu’s advanced polymer and thermally conductive filler 

Figure 1. Heat dissipation for semiconductor devices.

composite material technologies. The low-hardness silicone soft pad series of products have both high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical insulation properties for package cooling.

The TC-CA Series also offers excellent cost-performance that meets the growing need for thinner and lighter weight electronic device applications such as those mounted in notebook PCs, LED lighting, hybrid cars and electric cars, etc. Additionally, the “soft pad” materials allow better line-to-line contact between the heat sink and the heat generating component which means more heat transfer−which equates to longer life parts.

Compared to conventional products, the new silicone soft pad product series offer a combination of advanced polymer and thermally conductive filler composite material properties including:

  • Low-hardness that makes for good compressibility;
  • Stress-relaxation property that can reduce stress to heat modules;
  • Excellent workability and processibility;
  • Low specific gravity

These heat-dissipating thermal interface materials (TIM) are thermally conductive compounds fitted between the heat-generating unit; such as a computer’s CPU, and the heat sink. Depending on the application, it is possible to meet diverse heat-dissipation requirements as each product in the series offers a combination of unique properties from which customers can choose the most appropriate product based on specific application or usage conditions.

Figure 2. Low-hardness thermally conductive silicone soft-pad TC-CA Series.

According to Shin-Etsu’s North America marketing manager Eric Bishop, “The TC-CA series meets the expanding demand for a thermally conductive solution for heat-dissipation applications in the growing number of electronic components in automobiles and LEDs−as well as in PCs, home appliances, and electronic game units. Moreover, due to the increasing miniaturization and higher performance of electronic devices, the need for more effective heat-dissipation materials is further increasing.”

A U.S. subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., Japan, Shin-Etsu Silicones of America Inc. is a major supplier of silicone materials to North America’s medical, automotive, electronics, aerospace, and manufacturing industries.

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by James Montgomery, news editor

July 22, 2010 – Building on what has become a repetitive, if welcome theme, North America-based chip tool suppliers posted $1.68B in orders in June, up 10.5% from May — officially surpassing their levels before anyone worried about a macroeconomically-induced meltdown. Billings also grew strongly, up 5.7% month/month to $1.42B. (Both metrics still have absurdly high triple-digit Y/Y growth, as much reflective of 2009’s lousiness.) The bigger surge in bookings also pushed the B:B ratio up to 1.19, meaning $119 worth of orders was received for every $100 of product billed during the month.

Click to Enlarge

The numbers "indicate the consistent customer demand that SEMI members are working hard to fulfill," said Stan Myers, president/CEO of SEMI, in a statement.

More inside the June stats:

  • Bookings are at their highest levels since August 2006 (was June 2007), after SEMI once again tacked on an extra bump ($42M) to its previous preliminary monthly tally. The >10% M/M jump in bookings is the biggest since February. Billings are still on a roll, with their highest level since October 2007 (was April 2008).
  • The B:B has stayed above the 1.0 parity mark for 12 consecutive months — the past six of them above 1.13 — indicating that still more business continues to come in (orders) vs. go out (sales).
  • For those tracking the industry’s recovery, here’s the kicker: Bookings are now officially above their peak before the economy-induced crisis ($1641.0M in May 2007), and have risen for 14 out of 15 months (one month was flat). Billings have risen sequentially for 14 straight months. Bookings are closing in on the overall cyclical peak from four summers ago ($1782.3M, June 2006), and billings aren’t far away ($1742.8M, August 2006).

 

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Things in Japan, though, are a bit mixed. Semiconductor equipment bookings rose another 6% in June to ¥112.51B (US $1.29B) — but billings sunk nearly 15% to ¥80.29B ($922.1M), according to the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ). That shoved the B:B ratio up to an eye-popping 1.40.

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Gartner analyst Bob Johnson, speaking at a market summary at last week’s SEMICON West, offered maybe the best analogy to the industry’s sentiment we’ve heard so far: it’s like we’re approaching the top of a mountain peak, seeing nothing but blue sky and a few clouds ahead and around — and no real visibility as to what’s just on the other side of the peak ahead, be it a plateau or steep dropoff. Anyone want to place a bet?

(July 21, 2010) — Multitest designed differential contactors that are customized for each semiconductor test application. The selection of the contactor materials and probes are optimized for the desired impedance.

Contactors for differential signal devices must provide the most transparent interconnect possible to minimize the degradation of high-speed signals between the test system and the DUT. The test interface of a DUT with differential signals requires careful contactor design to accommodate the special requirements of differential signals. This is accomplished by matching the characteristic impedance of the board and contactor as closely as possible to the tester electronics and the device.

Multitest determined that the best configurations are derived from 3D electromagnetic simulation software and lab-correlated data. These tools allow experimentation and optimization of the contactor properties to aid in the selection of optimum contactor configuration. This is how Multitest responds to the ever-increasing data rates of semiconductor devices, which require that the test interface from the tester to the DUT be carefully designed to maintain signal integrity. 

Many of today’s semiconductors transfer large amounts of data from one device to another in a serial format at very high data rates. Differential signals reduce signal amplitudes, increase speeds, reduce I/O counts, and provide improved immunity to external noise. These features lead to the reduction in size and power for consumer products such as cell phones and laptops.

Multitest markets test handlers, contactors, and ATE printed circuit boards under the brands Multitest, ECT Interface Products, and Harbor Electronics. Read more at www.multitest.com