Category Archives: Materials and Equipment

by Ed Korczynski, senior technical editor, Solid State Technology

During SEMICON West 2006, a group of the industry’s top senior technologists came together to discuss the limits and possibilities for semiconductor material development. The technical seminar and panel discussion, sponsored by DuPont Semiconductor Materials, and moderated by this author, addressed material issues in the major International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) initiatives.

In last week’s WaferNEWS, Part One of this report discussed the atomic limits of semiconductors materials engineering. But dealing with atomic layers, and delivering very small amounts of material, may also require fundamental changes in business models. Materials development costs are expensive (basic materials research, as well as process integration into manufacturing lines), and if suppliers are still paid per gram of material when critical amounts delivered are now sub-gram, materials providers may need to somehow be subsidized.

Part of the problem is that suppliers haven’t had a long-term R&D focus beyond a few generations, according to Larry Thompson, president of Intellectual Property Services & Solutions LP (IPSS), and former director of advanced lithography and chemical engineering at Bell Labs. Equipment and materials suppliers have borne the cost of development for several decades, focusing on a few technology generations at a time, but very long-range research has relied on groups such as IBM, Bell Labs, and other laboratories. “I think the equipment and materials companies have never had to look at three or four generations out. They look, at most, one generation out,” he said.

Part of the problem is that the industry is now pushing for an accelerated development roadmap of ~18 months, noted Robert Havemann, VP of process integration, Novellus Systems. “Nobody has time to really look ahead down the road,” he said. “We’re just looking for what we need to do to get to the next node.” Places like Bell Labs could afford to dedicate their work toward longer-range visions and revolutionary technologies, he said. But suppliers dealing with shrinking margins in an era of commoditization find there’s not enough money to spend on long-range research projects. “It’s kind of a vicious cycle,” he said.

Another problem is the market’s push toward supply commoditization, observed Havemann. “IDMs want a level playing field, so they can go to supplier A or B or C, get exactly the same products and drive competition and price,” he said. The consortia formed from IDMs now dominate our industry, and “their choices have huge effects on the market,” he said. “If your material wins, then you may have the world market or the majority, while if you lose then maybe you go out of business.” Thompson invoked the painful reminder of 157nm lithography as an example of the potential consequences of pursuing such a business model at the behest — and whims — of IDM customers. “They spent hundreds of millions, if not a billion dollars, between the materials for the optics and the machine,” he said. “To have it in a two-month period jerked out from under them is a totally unrealistic way to do business. If that happens again, you may not have even a commodity lithography tool company left. So, don’t eat your own lunch as an industry.”

So how can suppliers convince IDM customers that their complex engineered substrates with atomic-level precision are anything but commodities? Getting engaged early with a particular consortium to develop critical materials that can be integrated into the production line is one avenue, negotiating deals on IP exclusivity for materials, processes, or a new tool concept, pointed out Havemann. But eventually the same tools and processes will be used by chipmakers worldwide, often in a matter of months. “You can’t run a business just with one customer, even with one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world. So, you’re going to have to sell to more than one customer, and when it hits the worldwide market this commoditization starts to occur,” he said.

Raj Jammy, director for front end processes at SEMATECH, suggested that chipmakers have a better vision of what the problem set is than materials and tools suppliers, although toolmakers are participating a little more nowadays (citing his experience as a SEMATECH assignee from IBM). “Today an IDM would typically say, ‘Oh, you have a tool that does ALD high-k? Well, have you checked the electrical properties, and what is the history of the CV?'” Havemann agreed that equipment suppliers are getting involved earlier in the development process with consortia, supplying data that used to be provided by customers in early phases of development. — E.K.

[Editor’s Note: Multimedia presentations from the DuPont-sponsored panel are available online — click here.

August 28, 2006 – Nanophase Technologies Corp. and Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials’ CMP technologies unit have extended a partnership for use of new nanomaterials and nanomaterial dispersions for semiconductor polishing (chemical mechanical planarization) applications through 2019, to develop nanomaterial-based slurries for current and future semiconductor fabrication technology nodes. Rohm and Haas also has purchased roughly $5 million worth of shares in Nanophase in an all-cash transaction, giving it a 4.5% ownership stake.

Joseph Cross, Nanophase’s president and CEO, noted the two companies have worked together for four years, and he hopes to continue to support Rohm and Haas’ market offerings of pads, conditioners, and slurries.

“We believe that this long-term deal with Nanophase is instrumental in growing our CMP slurry business,” stated Nick Gutwein, president of Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies. “Over the past few years we have developed a solid relationship that resulted in innovative slurry products for the STI market. So we are enthusiastic about continuing this alliance for years to come.”

NanoCon Newswire

Aug. 28, 2006 (Emeryville, Calif.) — Nanomix Inc., a leading nanoelectronic detection company commercializing high-value diagnostic and monitoring applications, today announced the appointment of Scott Schroeder as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer to lead the company’s financial and administrative activities. In this position, Mr. Schroeder will report to David Macdonald, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Schroeder has over 15 years experience providing financial and administrative support to both private and public companies across a broad range of hardware and software products. After earning a BBA in Banking and Finance at Hofstra University, Mr. Schroeder obtained his MBA from Hofstra University with a focus in Accounting. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in California and several other states.

Prior to joining Nanomix, Mr. Schroeder was Vice President Finance at Luminous Networks, a privately held communications equipment company. He was Vice President Finance and Corporate Secretary at Brokat Technologies resulting from the acquisition of Blaze Software, where he supported a successful NASDAQ Initial Public Offering. Mr. Schroeder has also served in roles of increasing responsibility at Accugraph Corporation, Coopers and Lybrand L.L.P., and Dreyfus Corporation.

“We are excited about the addition of Scott to our management team,” said Nanomix CEO David Macdonald, “He will continue our progress related to building infrastructure to support our rapid expansion and growth plans.”

About Nanomix

Nanomix is a leading nanoelectronic detection company launching a portfolio of devices based on Sensation™ technology. These scaleable devices use ultra-sensitive carbon nanotube detection elements combined with proprietary chemistries. They can be deployed across a broad range of industrial and medical applications where valuable attributes – low power consumption, small size, and high sensitivity offer significant performance advantages and enable unprecedented access to critical information. Nanomix is located in Emeryville, California. For additional information, please visit the Nanomix web site at www.nano.com

August 25, 2006 – As part of ongoing work to improve electrophysiological measurements of brain activity — not to mention demonstrate the potential of hybrid bioelectronics — researchers at Harvard U. have developed artificial synapses between nanoelectronic devices and individual mammalian neurons, and linked a solid-state device (a nanowire transistor) to neuronal projections that interconnect and carry information in the brain.

Previous work from the group, headed up by Harvard chemist Charles Lieber and colleagues, showed how nanowires can precisely detect molecular markers that indicate the presence of cancer and single viruses in the body. In their current research, they gently touched ultrafine silicon nanowire transistors to a neuronal projection to form a hybrid synapse, able to detect, stimulate, and inhibit propagation of nerve signals along the axons and dendrites of live mammalian neurons. Contact with the neuron is no more than 20µm in length, allowing measurement and manipulation of electrical conductance at as many as 50 locations along a single axon.

The nanowire filaments are “a good match for intercepting nerve signals” due to size similarities to the axons and dendrites projecting from nerve cells (tens of nanometers in width). The devices also are thousands of times smaller and far more effective than current electronic methods to measure brain activity — e.g., micropipette electrodes invasively poked into cells, or microfabricated electrode arrays that are too bulky to detect activity at the axon/dendrite level, the scientists claim.

Current work involves measurement of signals only within single mammalian neurons, but the researchers are exploring how to monitor signaling among larger networks of nerve cells. The devices could also eventually be configured to measure or detect neurotransmitters, the chemicals that leap between synapses to carry electrical impulses from one neuron to another, according to Lieber.

Calling the work “revolutionary,” Lieber cited possible end-uses for the work: new ways to study and manipulate signal propagation in neuronal networks, sophisticated interfaces for external neural prosthetics, real-time cellular assays for drug discovery. “And it opens the possibility for hybrid circuits that couple the strengths of digital nanoelectronic and biological computing components,” he said.

August 25, 2006 – SemiSouth Laboratories, Starkville, MI, a privately held company formed in 2000 to commercialize silicon carbide (SiC) electronic materials and device technologies developed at Mississippi State U., has officially opened a new multimillion-dollar silicon carbide manufacturing facility, and completed “a large portion” of equipment installation.

The company teamed up with II-VI Inc., Saxonburg, Pa., which also is opening a SiC wafer processing cleanroom inside the facility. Jeff Casady, president and CEO of SemiSouth, stated that the new facility “marks the debut of the first major semiconductor (microchip) manufacturing facility in the state.”

SemiSouth provides discrete power devices, simple ICs, and thin-film SiC epitaxy wafers to commercial and government entities, as an alternative to silicon, GaAs, and other materials for power-based electronic applications.

August 25, 2006 – Bede X-ray Metrology and European research consortium IMEC have entered into a collaboration to investigate the use of X-ray metrology for process control and characterization of new semiconductor materials used at the 45nm node and below.

Under the agreement, Bede’s X-ray metrology system will be installed at IMEC’s 300mm research facility, to measure critical process control parameters needed in the use of advanced semiconductor materials for device fabrication, according to Luc Van den hove, IMEC’s VP of silicon process and device technology. Specifically, IMEC will be using the BedeMetrix-L, which uses a combination of high-resolution X-ray diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray reflectivity techniques, targeting front- and backend process control applications including strained silicon, high-k gate dielectrics, metal gates, barrier metals, interconnects, and porous low-k ILD. The system’s optics capabilities enable measurement of strain silicon parameters in scribe lines and metrology pads used in 45nm processing, according to the company.

For Bede, the collaboration “will enable us to benefit from [IMEC’s] expertise in the latest process technologies and advanced materials,” enabling both companies to jointly “offer solutions for the various IMEC partners on critical process control,” stated Frank Hochstenbach, director of sales and marketing, and responsible for customer partnerships.

August 25, 2006 – BASF says it is investing a “double-digit million euro” sum in a new plant for producing process chemicals used in the semiconductor industry. The new Electronic Material Center in Ludwigshafen, scheduled to open by the end of 2007, will include new purification facilities as well as cleanroom filling stations.

“The Verbund structures in Ludwigshafen give us access to a variety of chemicals and allows us to offer our customers a wide range of standard products as well as tailor-made solutions,” stated Ulrich Kalck, project manager in BASF’s electronic materials global business unit, referring to BASF’s “Verbund” strategy that integrates production plants, energy and waste flows, logistics, and site infrastructure.

BASF has committed to invest about 6 billion euros (about US $7.67 billion) through 2009 in capital expenditures and maintenance for its Ludwigshafen operations, the company’s largest production site, as well as an additional 800 million euros ($982 million) for R&D. A new cleanroom laboratory and application center is scheduled to open later this year.

When new facility comes online next year, a contract manufacturing arrangement with facilities in Darmstadt will cease, according to the company. In Jan. 2005, Merck KGaA sold its electronic chemicals to BASF for 270 million euros ($352 million); Merck KGaA employees in Darmstadt already worked under a toll manufacturing agreement for Merck Electronic Chemicals, and were to continue to manufacture for BASF through at least 2007.

August 24, 2006 – Evans Analytical Group LLC, Sunnyvale, CA, a provider of microanalytical surface analysis and materials characterization services, has acquired the operations and assets of Applied Microanalysis Labs Inc. (AML), an independent lab specializing in static and dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) techniques, for an undisclosed amount.

AML’s founder Yumin Gao is a recognized expert in characterization of III-V compound semiconductor materials, particularly GaN-based LED structures, the company noted. The acquisition enables Evans “to continue offering improved technical capability and insights to customers in support of both production control and materials development activities,” stated Mike Edgell, EVP of operations. “SIMS continues to be a powerful technique for providing high sensitivity quantitative analysis of silicon and compound semiconductor materials.”

Evans offers microanalytical surface analysis and materials characterization services for identifying the overall atomic and physical structure of materials, including chemical composition and chemical bonding, as well as the level and type of trace impurities. It counts customers in markets ranging from semiconductors and semiconductor equipment to electronics, medical, and biotech, with facilities in the US and Taiwan.

August 24, 2006 – Researchers at the U. of Washington have built a prototype of a cooling device that uses an ion pump to create a cooling air jet directly on a chip’s surface. Trial runs of the device, which uses an electrical field to accelerate air to speeds comparable to those from traditional blowers, show “significantly cooling” on just 0.6W of power.

Future computing applications will require more dense circuitry to boost computing power, which generates more heat, necessitating more advanced cooling systems beyond bulky, noisy, and inefficient fans and heat sinks, the scientists noted. New methods such as liquid-circulated cooling are one alternative but are complex and costly to fix.

In the new air-cooled chip, an emitter with a tip radius of about 1-micron creates air ions, which travel to a collector creating an air jet that blows across the chip. Varying the voltage between the emitter and collector controls the airflow volume.

The next steps in development include developing mathematical models to control multiple chips with built-in coolers, managing the complex processes of micro-scale flow, electrohydrodynamic forces, electrical fields, and moving charges, stated Alexander Mamishev, associate professor of electrical engineering and principal investigator on the project. Another challenge is to identify materials with sufficient high-performance and durability characteristics, with an eye toward nanotubes and other nanostructures, added doctoral student Nels Jewell-Larsen.

The UW researchers, who are collaborating with Kronos Advanced Technologies and Intel Corp., have been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Seattle-based Washington Technology Center for the second phase of their project.

[CAPTION: Infrared images show how a new UW micro-pump cools a heated surface. (Top) The air pump is off; (Bottom) The air pump is on. SOURCE: U. of Washington]

Aug. 22, 2006 – NanoInk Inc., a company specializing in nanometer-scale manufacturing and applications development in the life sciences and semiconductor industries, announced that it has been awarded a $735,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health.

The grant will be used to develop novel, biologically functional nanostructures that dramatically enhance the reproducibility, sensitivity, and spatial density of chip-based assays. To accomplish this objective, NanoInk said it will develop a patterning methodology based on its dip pen nanolithography technology to generate sub-micron sized features on solid surfaces.