Category Archives: Materials and Equipment

Alliance Memory today extended its 128M and 256M lines of high-speed CMOS synchronous DRAMs (SDRAM) with new devices in a 54-ball 8 mm by 8mm by 1.2mm TFBGA package. These 8M x 16 and 16M x 16 SDRAMs feature fast access time from clock down to 4.5 ns at a 5-ns clock and clock rates of 143MHz.

The devices released today are optimized for medical, industrial, automotive, and telecom applications requiring high memory bandwidth, and are particularly well-suited to high-performance PC applications. The SDRAMs operate from a single +3.3-V (0.3 V) power supply and are lead (Pb)- and halogen-free.

The AS4C8M16S-7BCN and AS4C16M16S-7BCN provide programmable read or write burst lengths of 1, 2, 4, 8, or full page, with a burst termination option. An auto pre-charge function provides a self-timed row pre-charge initiated at the end of the burst sequence. Easy-to-use refresh functions include auto- or self-refresh while a programmable mode register allows the system to choose the most suitable modes to maximize performance.

Alliance Memory’s legacy ICs provide reliable drop-in, pin-for-pin-compatible replacements for a number of similar solutions. The AS4C8M16S-7BCN and AS4C16M16S-7BCN are the latest in the company’s full line of high-speed SDRAMs, which includes devices with densities of 16 Mb, 64 Mb, 128 Mb, 256 Mb, and 512 Mb in the 54-pin TSOP II, 54-ball TFBGA, 86-pin TSOP II, and 90-ball BGA packages.

Silex Microsystems, the world’s largest pure-play MEMS foundry, and BroadPak, a provider of ultra-high performance 2.5D silicon interposer and 3D integration technologies, today announced the immediate availability of their jointly developed silicon interposer solution in high-volume manufacturing. Leveraging the advanced interposer co-design methodology and system integration expertise of BroadPak with the proven interposer manufacturing capabilities of Silex, this new solution delivers a cost-effective, ultra-high performance, reliable and high-yield silicon interposer that will enable a broader market to realize the benefits of 2.5D packaging. 

 While market analyst firm Yole Dévelopement expects the market for interposers to grow by 88 percent annually through 2017, Silex and BroadPak believe their partnership can accelerate this market adoption by overcoming the cost, engineering, reliability and supply chain bottlenecks.  3D-IC designs are widely recognized as the next step towards meeting the growing performance requirements such as increased bandwidth, reduced latency, and lower power.  2.5D silicon interposers, which are double-sided die used to stack chips side-by-side, have emerged as the most effective way to accelerate the adoption of 3D-IC, but these solutions are costly and complex, which presents significant design, integration, reliability and supply chain challenges. Recognizing these bottlenecks, Silex and BroadPak believe their new 2.5D silicon interposer product solves these hurdles that have prevented many companies from participating in this space.

“This partnership is a critical step in enabling companies to benefit from silicon interposers because most companies don’t have the integration techniques and methodologies to even start a 2.5D IC design and the current solutions have been too costly and high-risk to implement,” said Peter Himes, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances for Silex Microsystems.  “The combined Silex/BroadPak solution opens up this market to a very large portion of customers that have been unable to compete in this space due to overwhelming cost, engineering and integration challenges.”

“BroadPak and Silex have created a technical solution and the supply chain infrastructure that the industry has been waiting for,” said Farhang Yazdani, President and CEO of BroadPak. “To date, silicon interposer technology has been limited to a very small number of companies. We are now enabling the mass adoption of silicon interposer by lowering the cost and providing the co-design, heterogeneous integration and the required supply chain infrastructure in a complete package.”

 The Silex/Broadpak finished product consists of a robust interposer for 2.5D packaging, which has been designed and characterized for thermal-stress and signal integrity performance by BroadPak and also optimized for manufacturing by Silex. The unique challenges of 2.5D/3D-IC packaging require special engineering expertise to deliver cost effective solutions to meet the reliability, warpage and signal/power integrity requirements of the packaged components as well as an optimized and robust manufacturing process.

In 2012, global PCB industry saw a jump in terms of output value, benefitting in a large part from the rapid growth in the shipment of Apple and Samsung, up 7.0% over 2011 to $62.4 billion, according to Research and Markets’ report Global and Chinese Advanced Rigid PCB Industry Report, 2012-2013. It was not always the truth for the full-blown PCB industry. However, there is no such possibility of a huge jump in 2013, as the report states the expected growth rate will slow down to 2.7%. For most rigid PCB vendors, it was doomed for them to face revenue dive in 2012 unless both Samsung and Apple were included in their client lists, while in 2013 their revenue is likely to drop even if Apple is among the clients.

The big acquisition event in 2012 was Viasystems’ takeover of America-based PCB producer DDI at a cost of $267 million in June. In 2011, DDI’s revenue reached $263 million, and its net income hit USD25 million.

In 2012, two massive fire accidents took place in PCB industry. One happened in April to the Changshu plant under Gold Circuit Electronics, the other was in September, with the sufferer coming to the Guangzhou plant under Viasystems. In Feb.2013, South Korean SIMMTECH was also on fire. PCB industry is vulnerable to fire accidents which break out twice annually at least. This leads to the natural reduction of capacity, balancing out the supply and demand.

In 2012, ZDT under Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd. performed better, due to sizeable orders from Apple, the largest client. As a result, the revenue of ZDT witnessed huge jump, especially its revenue from flexible PCB. Hannstar PCB, as the world’s largest notebook PCB vendor, saw a substantial surge in revenue following the fire accident inflicting Gold Circuit Electronics, its largest rival.

SEMCO saw big rise in orders thanks to its parent company Samsung which won considerable orders, and COMPEQ also did a good job due to the growing orders from the big client Apple. However, Nanya PCB dwarfed in this regard, since its failure to get orders from the big client Intel for one quarter long. And it was the same story for LG INNOTEK, the mobile phone shipment of whose big client LG presented a steep drop. As for counterparts in Mainland China, they leveled out in this regard.

Signetics Corporation today introduced their new MapBGA package to the industry. This alternative to standard PBGA packaging has improved reliability and design flexibility due to its unique assembly process. A one shot side gate map molding process is used to cover the entire substrate area, protecting the active traces and vias. This process allows for more efficient use of the substrate panels and strips with as much as 55% more units per panel verses a typical PBGA package. The process is very robust as it uses proven transfer molding equipment and the mold clamps only touch the non-active area of each strip. Also, the assembled devices are saw singulated, eliminating mechanical stress on the package from traditional punch methods of singulation. Finally, the map molding process allows the package to have a larger mold cap and in turn, accommodate a larger die.

"Mature packages such as the PBGA must continue to evolve to meet the changing demands of applications", stated YS Kim, vice president of engineering at Signetics. "The MapBGA package is able to provide that extra amount of design flexibility and reliability using proven assembly technologies and equipment to make it a cost effective alternative to standard PBGA," continued Kim.

 Signetics offers a broad range of ball grid array (BGA) packaging including flip chip, stacked die, multi-chip and thermally enhanced variations. Assembly partnerships with Tier 1 device manufacturers has helped drive Signetics to continue to develop these next generation BGA packages to create a dynamic portfolio of semiconductor assembly solutions.

Tokyo-based Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. and nMode Solutions Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, have invested $2.1 million to co-found a subsidiary business, Triton Micro Technologies , to develop via-fill technology for interposers, enabling next-generation semiconductor packaging solutions using ultra-thin glass. The new company, headquartered in Tucson with a manufacturing facility planned in California, will combine nMode’s interposer technology for electrically connecting semiconductor devices with AGC’s materials technology and micro-hole drilling techniques to produce 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) and three-dimensional (3D) through-glass-via (TGV) interposers needed for advanced semiconductor devices.

To achieve the next generation in high-density semiconductor packaging, interposer technologies are needed to form the high number of electrical connections between a silicon chip and a printed circuit board. Interposers allow high packaging integration in the smallest available form factors.

Triton Micro Technologies will manufacture ultra-thin glass interposers using a high-efficiency continuous process that lowers costs and helps to commercialize the widespread use of interposers. The company will draw upon nMode’s intellectual property and AGC’s proven carrier-glass technology and via-hole drilling methodologies to fabricate its interposers. Triton then will apply its proprietary technology to fill the high-aspect-ratio via holes with a copper paste that has the same coefficient of thermal expansion as glass. This reduces the potentially damaging effects of thermal stress during manufacturing and long-term use. Triton’s process creates high-quality electrodes within the interposer to provide the electrical interface capable of accommodating advanced, high-density ICs.

Triton’s interposers are compatible with wafers having diameters from 100mm to 300mm and thicknesses of 0.7mm and below. The company also can design and manufacture customized solutions for unique applications.

“The global semiconductor industry recognizes that silicon is approaching its performance limits as an interposer material, but the need remains to create smaller, more efficient packages for today’s and tomorrow’s high-performance ICs,” said Tim Mobley, CEO at Triton. “Our technology allows us to achieve known-good-die testing at the highest levels of packaging integration, faster cycle times and the lowest cost per unit in the market.”

Fab equipment spending for Front End facilities is expected to be flat in 2013, remaining around $31.7 billion, increasing to $39.3 billion in 2014 — a 24% increase. The SEMI World Fab Forecast also reveals that in 2013 increases for fab equipment spending will vary by technology node and that fab construction spending will increase an overall 6.7% with major spending in China. The report tracks equipment spending at over 180 facilities in 2013. 

More than 262 updates have been made since the last publication of the SEMI World Fab Forecast. Updates are based on announced spending plans, including major changes for TSMC, Samsung, Intel, SK Hynix, Globalfoundries, UMC, and for some Japanese facilities and LED facilities.  Despite these adjustments, the overall forecast for equipment spending for 2013 has remained about the same. Depending on macro-economic risk factors, possible scenarios project a range of -3% to +3% change rate for fab equipment spending in 2013; in other words, hovering around flat.

Though the overall outlook has improved some, fewer players in the market can afford the rising costs for research and development and upgrading facilities as the amount of money needed to upgrade facilities at the leading edge technologies is immense.  The World Fab Forecast report shows increases for fab equipment spending, varying by technology node.  Fab equipment spending for 17nm and below is expected to kick off in 2013 and increase by a factor of 2.4 to about $25 billion from 2013 to 2014.

Fab construction spending is now expected to increase 6.7% with construction spending to reach almost $6 billion. In 2014, however, construction project spending is expected to contract by about 18%. Construction spending is led by TSMC, with seven different projects for the year; followed by Intel. Fab construction spending in China will increase by a factor of four due to Samsung’s Mega fab in Xian.

Capacity is now forecasted to expand by just 2.8% for this year and to improve to 5.4% growth in 2014.  Excluding 2009, the years 2012 and 2013 show the lowest growth rate for new capacity over the past ten years.   However, pent-up demand is expected for some product types because capacity additions have been cut to minimum levels while chip demand keeps increasing. Capacity additions and equipment spending are expected to pick up in the second half of 2013. In 2014, at least 5% in new capacity will be added and fab equipment spending will increase by 2%. The World Fab Forecast gives detailed capacity information by industry segment and by individual company and fab.

Since the last fab database publication at the end November 2012 SEMI’s worldwide dedicated analysis team has made 262 updates to more than 210 facilities (including Opto/LED fabs) in the database. The latest edition of the World Fab Forecast lists 1,146 facilities (including 310 Opto/LED facilities), with 58 facilities starting production this year and in the near future.

The SEMI World Fab Forecast uses a bottom-up approach methodology, providing high-level summaries and graphs; and in-depth analyses of capital expenditures, capacities, technology and products by fab. Additionally, the database provides forecasts for the next 18 months by quarter. These tools are invaluable for understanding how the semiconductor manufacturing will look in 2013 and 2014, and learning more about capex for construction projects, fab equipping, technology levels, and products.

SEMI’s Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Subscription (WWSEMS) data tracks only new equipment for fabs and test and assembly and packaging houses.  The SEMI World Fab Forecast and its related Fab Database reports track any equipment needed to ramp fabs, upgrade technology nodes, and expand or change wafer size, including new equipment, used equipment, or in-house equipment.

This week, India’s Finance Minister P Chidambaram offered incentives to chip makers to set up headquarters in India, in an effort to encourage local electronics manufacturing. However, the response from the industry has been less than positive. Many believe that it is a good start, but far from sufficient.

While presenting the Union Budget for 2013-14, Chidambaram said the Indian government will waive customs duty for plants and machinery in the semiconductor sector.

"We recognize the pivotal role of semiconductor wafer fabs in the ecosystem of manufacture of electronics. I propose to provide appropriate incentives to semiconductor wafer fab manufacturing facilities, including zero customs duty for plant and machinery," Chidambaram said, while presenting the budget.

"A company investing Rs.100 crore or more in plant and machinery during the (next fiscal) period will be entitled to deduct an allowance of 15 percent of the investment," he continued. "This will be in addition to the current rates of depreciation. There will be enormous spill-over benefits to small and medium enterprises."

While India has held its own in terms of semiconductor design, very little manufacturing is currently done in the country. Today, India has close to 4,000 electronics manufacturing units and about 300,000 units directly or indirectly supporting the electronics manufacturing industry. The Indian semiconductor design market is anticipated to grow to $14.5 billion by 2015, according to a report, but India’s electronic products manufacturing sector could shrink by as much as 7% in revenue during that same time, indicating that government efforts may not succeed.

As many in the industry know, the semiconductor industry lives and dies by Moore’s law, making fab-launching business ventures a risky move for any start-up.  With the need for constant equipment upgrades, many companies have turned to “fabless” business models, farming out their chip-making to established foundries.

“Building and running a fab is a complex business that is very sensitive to utilization and improvements in technology,” says Satya Gupta, chairman of the Indian Semiconductor Association. “Somebody who knows the fab business has to run it, not the government.”

Many experts point to India’s rising middle class as the main reason to consider India as a potential location for fabs. Much of India’s electronics are imported, meaning India is currently footing a huge import bill to meet the growing demand. As much as 65% of electronic products demand is currently met by imports, which is estimated to grow from $28 billion in 2011 to $42 billion in 2015, according to industry body Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association, which also report that local manufacturers could lose out on nearly $200 billion of potential revenue by 2015.

But the import bill isn’t the only factor discouraging potential fab-owners.

"I wish it was as simple as offering an import duty exemption. What about availability of land, power and all other government clearances?" said a senior executive at one of the large computer manufacturers told the India Times, requesting anonymity.

What do you think of India’s efforts to encourage fabs? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

brooks instruments mass flow controllerBrooks Instrument, a provider of flow measurement and control instrumentation to the microelectronics industry, will launch the GF135 pressure transient insensitive (PTI) mass flow controller at SEMICON China, March 19-21 at Shanghai New International Expo Center. In its first year at SEMICON China, Brooks will showcase the GF135 and its high-performance digital solutions for flow, vacuum and pressure measurement with partner SCH Electronics at booth 5505.

The GF135 improves yield and uptime with real-time integral rate-of-decay flow measurement and advanced diagnostic capabilities to verify accuracy, check valve leak-by and monitor sensor drift without stopping production. It provides market-leading actual process gas accuracy and ultra-fast flow settling time for reduced process cycle time. Onboard diagnostic data logging, zero stability trending and correction, and early detection of valve corrosion or clogging allow semiconductor manufacturers to achieve tighter tolerances and maintain uniformity in etch profiles and critical dimensions. The combination of these features allows the GF135 to deliver accuracy and cost savings to the semiconductor industry.

Additionally, Brooks will demo its GF81 mass flow controller, the new high-flow version of the GF80. The GF81 is the mass flow controller of choice for process engineers in solar, coatings and industrial thin-film applications. The GF81 offers flow rates up to 300 slpm, as well as a high-purity flow path. Unlike other high-flow mass flow controllers, it has a smaller footprint and offers the broadest range of communication protocols.

Based in Pennsylvania, Brooks Instrument is a multi-technology instrumentation company serving a range of markets. Brooks also owns Key Instruments, which offers precision machined acrylic flow meters, molded plastic flow meters, glass tube flow meters, and flow control valves. The company has manufacturing locations, sales, and service offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

advanced electronics packagingEngineered Material Systems, a global supplier of electronic materials for circuit assembly applications, debuts its DB-1568-1 low-temperature cure die attach adhesive for attaching semiconductor die in temperature-sensitive devices. Applications include smart cards, camera modules, flex circuits and more.

The DB-1568-1 is more than 90 percent cured after 30 minutes at 80°C, but has a dispensing work life greater than 48 hours (measured as a 25 percent increase in viscosity), while maintaining optimized rheology for stencil printing and excellent damp heat resistance and conductivity stability. DB-1568-1 features extreme flexibility that is ideal for flexible applications with high peel strength to withstand the stresses induced in flexible electronics and display applications. Also, this material can be fast cured at elevated temperatures (1 minute @ 180°C).

DB-1568-1 is the latest addition to Engineered Material Systems’ extensive line of electronic materials for semiconductor, circuit assembly, photovoltaic, printer head, camera module, disk drive and photonic applications.

The competitive landscape of the cellphone core integrated circuit (IC) business has completely transformed over the past five years, with Qualcomm Inc. and Samsung capitalizing on the rise of smartphones and 4G.

In the market for application-specific mobile handset core ICs like baseband and radio-frequency semiconductors, Qualcomm in 2012 reigned supreme with 31 percent market revenue share, according to the IHS iSuppli Wireless Competitive Landscape Tool from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

The San Diego-based chip maker has held the top position since 2007 and even enlarged its lead by 8 percentage points during the period. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics was the No. 2 vendor after Qualcomm, with a 21 percent share, after not even ranking in in the Top 10 in 2007, as presented in the attached figure.

Together the two companies accounted for more than half of the total market, with the next eight vendors in the Top 10 accounting for another 34 percentage points of share. The other vendors among the leaders were, in descending order, MediaTek, Intel, Skyworks, Texas Instruments, ST-Ericsson, Renesas, Spreadtrum and Broadcom. The Top 10 enjoyed a collective 86 percent share of the market.

“As smartphones and the next-generation wireless standard known as 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) have gained popularity, the corresponding influences from both forces have created paradigm shifts that transformed competition in the mobile handset core IC market,” said Brad Shaffer, analyst for consumer & communications at IHS. “The arrival of Apple Inc.’s iPhone five years ago changed the game and paved the way for the current market rankings. This change is dramatically illustrated by looking at the major differences in the cellphone core IC rankings from 2007 to 2012. The companies that benefited from the shift in market orientation rose to domination while others that were caught between changing market environments were left in limbo.”

Getting to the core

The cellphone core IC space encompasses semiconductors that provide mobile handsets with wireless wide-area-networking (WWAN) communication and application-processing capabilities.

The market segments here include handset core ICs for analog baseband, digital baseband, power amplifiers, radio and intermediate frequencies, high-level operating systems and software processors, and other multimedia or graphics coprocessors.

Changes sweep the industry

Of the companies that did not even rank back in 2007, Samsung has climbed the quickest, landing in the runner-up spot, driven by its presence in the applications processor space. Also among those making the jump from outside the Top 10 is Intel, in fourth position at the end of last year after acquiring Infineon’s wireless division. It remains to be seen how successful Intel will be in utilizing the acquisition, finalized in 2011, in order to increase the breadth of its mobile product offering and increase the likelihood of winning design slots for those mobile products. Intel is also starting to see some signs of life with the Atom processor and its inclusion in handsets from Motorola along with other original equipment manufacturers.

Two other vendors also broke into the ranks of the Top 10 in 2012.

In ninth place, Spreadtrum expanded its digital baseband IC revenue by more than 370 percent within the five-year period. Broadcom likewise expanded revenue by a similar dizzying magnitude to land at No. 10—thanks to baseband IC revenue finally gaining traction by ramping design wins since 2011 at Samsung.

Everything’s smaller for Texas Instruments

While Qualcomm increased its lead at the top from 2007 to 2012, Texas Instruments fell from second to sixth place—down from a 20 percent share to 4 percent. TI’s proprietary OMAP product line of chips for portable and mobile multimedia applications has not taken off as quickly as expected, and the company as a result could not offset its planned exit from baseband products.

Another vendor near the top in 2007 that experienced a decrease in market share was ST-Ericsson, shrinking 2 percent to a 4 percent market share.

More changes ahead

The structure of the mobile handset core IC market will continue to shift, particularly as LTE becomes more widespread.

Baseband chips, already accounting for more than half the revenue of the total handset core IC space, will maintain their pre-eminence in determining the market-share gains and losses of industry vendors moving forward, IHS believes. Nonetheless, the future will also be driven by the ability of any given IC supplier to provide platform solutions that optimize the system-level design of all of the ICs, making up the handset’s core chip architecture.

Attribution: By gillyberlin (Flickr: Motorola Milestone Test) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons