Category Archives: Metrology

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in collaboration with the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), today announced the winners of its 2018 University Research Awards: Dr. Judy Hoyt, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Dr. Naresh Shanbhag, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professors Hoyt and Shanbhag will receive the awards in conjunction with the SIA Annual Award Dinner on Nov. 29, 2018 in San Jose, Calif.

“Research is the lifeblood of innovation, spurring new technologies that drive growth in the semiconductor industry and throughout the U.S. economy,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO of SIA, which represents U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research. “Throughout their distinguished careers, Professors Hoyt and Shanbhag have advanced groundbreaking scientific research, driven breakthroughs in semiconductor technology, and helped strengthen America’s global technological leadership. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Hoyt and Dr. Shanbhag for their tremendous accomplishments.”

Neuffer also highlighted the importance of government investments in semiconductor research funded through agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He expressed SIA’s readiness to work with the Trump administration and Congress to prioritize these investments in scientific research.

“The University Research Award was established to recognize lifetime achievements in semiconductor research by university faculty,” said Ken Hansen, president & CEO of SRC. “Drs. Shanbhag and Hoyt have repeatedly advanced the state-of-the-art semiconductor design and technology in their respective fields. These esteemed professors’ influence on their students has produced new leaders and contributors in the semiconductor industry. The research output from universities tackling industry relevant challenges plays an integral role in next-generation innovations. It is with great appreciation and admiration that the entire SRC team congratulates Dr. Shanbhag and Dr. Hoyt.”

Dr. Hoyt will receive the honor for excellence in semiconductor technology research. She is being recognized for her contributions in pioneering development of strained Si MOSFET devices. Dr. Hoyt’s work helped to break the 10nm barrier and is broadly adopted by companies such as Intel, TSMC, IBM, and others. From 1988-1999, Dr. Hoyt was a senior research scientist in electrical engineering at Stanford University. In January 2000, she joined the faculty at MIT in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She currently serves as associate director within the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL). Dr. Hoyt received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University.

Dr. Shanbhag will receive the award for excellence in semiconductor design research. Specifically, he is being honored for pioneering an Information-Theoretic approach for computing by fusing Claude Shannon’s theory for communications with Turing machines. After designing DSL chip-sets at AT&T Bell Laboratories (1993-1995), he joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering where he now holds the Jack S. Kilby Professorship. He co-founded Intersymbol Communications, Inc., and served as CTO (2000-2007), bringing electronic dispersion compensation chip-sets for OC-192 ultra long-haul fiber optic links. In January 2013, Dr. Shanbhag became the founding director of the Systems On Nanoscale Information fabriCs (SONIC) Center, a five-year, multi-university center funded by DARPA and SRC. Dr. Shanbhag received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Electrical Engineering.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation (“MagnaChip”) (NYSE: MX), a designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, announced today that it will hold a Foundry Technology Symposium at the Shangri-La in Shenzhen, China, on November 27, 2018. After holding a successful Foundry Technology symposium in Shenzhen, China in 2015, this second technology symposium in Shenzhen is part of MagnaChip’s global foundry targeted geographic strategy to increase MagnaChip’s brand awareness in China.

Major topics to be discussed are MagnaChip’s current Foundry service offerings and future business roadmap, specialty technology processes, target applications and end-markets. This symposium is being conducted as a direct response to the increased interest and demand from current fabless customers in China for advanced analog and mixed-signal specialized foundry technologies.

During the symposium in Shenzhen, MagnaChip will highlight its technology portfolio along with discussions focused on mixed-signal, low-power technologies in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) for high-performance analog and power management applications, Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) and Non-Volatile Memory (NVM). In addition, MagnaChip will present technologies used in applications including smartphones, tablet PCs, automotive, LED lighting, consumer wearables and IoT.

“We hope that this Foundry Technology Symposium in Shenzhen will better position us to understand our customers’ needs in China,” said YJ Kim, Chief Executive Officer of MagnaChip. “With our technology symposiums held in United States, Taiwan and now in Shenzhen, China, we strongly believe that we will be able to better serve our global customers with our long history of providing successful foundry services and with our deep technological expertise.”

A multitude of fabless companies, IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers) and other semiconductor companies are expected to attend MagnaChip’s Shenzhen technology symposium.

To sign up for the event, and to receive more detailed information regarding the symposium, please visit www.magnachip.com or ifoundry.magnachip.com.

By Christian G. Dieseldorff and Eugenia Liu

SEMI FabView update for calendar year Q3 2018

Global fab construction investment shows continuing strength, with 19 new fab projects expected to begin construction in 2019 and 2020, based on the latest data published in SEMI’s World Fab Forecast.

Fab investment is just one indicator of how growing demand in areas such as high-performance computing, data storage, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and automotive are driving the fourth consecutive year of spending growth in the semiconductor industry. Below are a few highlights* from September’s SEMI FabView:

Memory: Not fading

  • Micron plans to invest $3 billion by 2030 in Manassas, Virginia – These investments, driven by strong demand for automotive applications, are contemplated in Micron’s long-term model. The production ramp is anticipated to be in the first half of 2020.
  • SK Hynix to build new DRAM fab in Icheon (Gyeonggi Province), Korea – The construction, to be completed by the end of 2020, will adopt 1znm node (probably EUV). Total investment is estimated to exceed $13 billion.
  • Nanya Technology doubles 2018 capex plan – The increase is for additional DRAM capacity and more 20nm DRAM conversion (from 30nm).

200mm and below: Not leading edge, but continues to draw investment

  • Vanguard changes fab investment strategy – Vanguard will focus on 200 mm and has scrapped its plan for 300mm expansion.
  • Murata to invest into 150mm expansion – Murata announced a 5 billion Yen investment (US$44.6 million) in a new fab extension in Vantaa, Finland.

Investment, M&A in Analog, Logic, Power and Opto Segments

  • Texas Instruments is looking to invest $3.2 billion in new fab construction in 2019 – Texas Instruments is eyeing Richardson, Texas and also considering sites outside Texas.
  • Bosch 300mm fab in Dresden, Germany – Bosch held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 24. Equipment installation is expected in 2H19.
  • Microchip completes acquisition of Microsemi – Microchip closed its $8.45 billion acquisition of Microsemi on May 29. Microsemi has five fabs in the U.S. with a wide range of semiconductor products and system solutions.

New fabs in China keep on coming

  • Shanghai Jita Semiconductor/Huada Semiconductor – Shanghai Jita Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Huada Semiconductor and China Electronics Corporation (CEC), announced plans earlier this month to build both 200 mm and 300 mm semiconductor fabs for analog and power semiconductors in Shanghai. The combined fab investment will total $5.18 billion.
  • Hamamatsu Photonics building 200 mm fab – Hamamatsu announced that it is building a new facility Investment of 2.8 billion Yen (US$25 million) to boost opto semiconductor capacity. Production is anticipated to start in late 2019.

*Actual FabView updates provide more detail

SEMI FabView, a mobile-friendly, interactive version of SEMI’s popular World Fab Forecast, delivers on-demand fab information such as fab spending and capacity for over 1,200 facilities, including over 60 planned facilities worldwide, across a wide range of product segments including Power, GPU, Memory, Foundry, MEMS and Sensors fabs. Fab data include region, start of construction, operation, construction and equipment spending, capacity, wafer sizes, product types and geometries. SEMI FabView subscribers receive forecast model updates through SEMI’s World Fab Database.  Click here for a trial if you want to experience SEMI FabView first hand.

Christian G. Dieseldorff is senior principal analyst and Eugenia Liu is senior product marketing manager, Industry Research and Statistics, SEMI, Milpitas, California. 

Originally published on the SEMI blog.

TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry, today provided further details on its 13th annual U.S. Technical Global Symposium (TGS) to be held on November 7, 2018 at the Hilton Santa Clara, CA. During TGS, the company will share its vision on industry megatrends: “Wireless Everything, Smart Everything, Green Everything” – and the means by which its analog specialty portfolio helps customers to differentiate their technology solutions.

The event will commence with TowerJazz CEO, Russell Ellwanger, who will share plans with respect to the Company’s focus on “full circle value creation,” including strategic growth, technology leadership, and capacity expansion. TowerJazz executives will then share the latest technology roadmap developments of the Company’s RF/high performance analog, CMOS image sensors, power management, and aerospace & defense offerings, in addition to its industry-leading design enablement capabilities.

To view the agenda, focus areas for the technical sessions, and/or register for the event, please visit here.

Global fab equipment spending will increase 14 percent this year to US$62.8 billion and is expected to rise 7.5 percent, to US$67.5 billion, in 2019, marking the fourth consecutive year of spending growth and the highest investment year for fab equipment in the history of the industry, according to the latest World Fab Forecast Report published today by SEMI. Investments in new fab construction are also nearing a record with a fourth consecutive year of growth predicted and capital outlays next year approaching US$17 billion.

Investments for fab technology and product upgrades, as well as for additional capacity, will grow as the emergence of numerous new fabs significantly increases equipment demand, the forecast shows. The World Fab Forecast Report currently tracks 78 new fabs and lines that have or will start construction between 2017 to 2020 (with various probabilities) and will eventually require more US$220 billion in fab equipment (Figure 1). Construction spending for these fabs and lines is expected to reach US$53 billion during this period.

Figure 1: Shows the investment potential of new fabs and lines starting construction between 2017 and 2020.

Korea is projected to lead other regions in fab equipment investments with US$63 billion, US$1 billion more than second-place China. Taiwan is expected to claim the third spot at US$40 billon, followed by Japan at US$22 billion and the Americas at US$15 billion. Europe and Southeast Asia will share sixth place, with investments totaling US$8 billion each. Fully 60 percent of these fabs will serve the Memory sector (the lion’s share will be 3D NAND), and a third will go to Foundry.

Of the 78 fab construction projects starting construction between 2017 and 2020, 59 began construction in the first two years (2017 and 2018), while 19 are expected to begin in the last two years (2019 and 2020) of the tracking period.

Equipping a new fab typically takes one to one and a half years, though some fabs take two years and others longer, depending on various factors as such the company, fab size, product type and region. Approximately half of the projected US$220 billion will be spent from 2017 and 2020, with less than 10 percent invested in 2017 and 2018, nearly 40 percent in 2019 and 2020, and the rest after 2020.

While the US$220 billion estimate is based on current insights of known and announced fab plans, total spending could exceed this level as many companies continue to announce plans for new fabs. Since the last quarterly publication of the report published last quarter, 18 new records – all new fabs – have been added to the forecast. Up-to-date and detailed analysis, with a bottoms-up approach, is available by subscribing to SEMI’s World Fab Forecast Report.

Since its June 1 publication, more than 340 updates have been made to the World Fab Forecast. The report now includes more than 1,200 records of current and future front-end semiconductor facilities from high-volume production to research and development. The report covers data and predictions through 2019, including milestones, detailed investments by quarter, product types, technology nodes and capacities down to fab and project level.

Learn more about the SEMI fab databases at www.semi.org/en/MarketInfo/FabDatabase and www.youtube.com/user/SEMImktstats.

By Walt Custer

Global economy

Manufacturing activity continues to expand – but at a slowing pace (Chart 1). The Global PMI was 52.5 in August, down from 52.8 in July and its recent high of 54.5 in December. PMI values >50 indicate an expansion.

World manufacturing growth has slowed but its growth rate varies significantly by region. Chart 2 compares the PMI values over time for the World, USA, Europe and China. Recently China and Europe have registered slower growth but U.S. growth is expanding (based on the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI). How long U.S. manufacturing will continue to accelerate remains to be seen. Geopolitical issues abound.

Semiconductor industry

In the semiconductor industry both semiconductors and SEMI capital equipment continued to register double-digit growth in July (Chart 3), but these growth rates are now moderating. In July, World semiconductor shipments were up 17.4 percent and SEMI capital equipment sales rose 13.9 percent on a 3-month growth basis.

However, SEMI equipment growth rates also vary widely by region. Per Chart 4, China growth is accelerating, Taiwan and South Korea are contracting, and Europe and the USA are still expanding but at slower rates.

Timely World and regional industry information is key to understanding present and future business conditions and this data requires careful watching in these fast-changing times.

Walt Custer of Custer Consulting Group is an analyst focused on the global electronics industry.

Originally published on the SEMI blog.

Japan is at the heart of the semiconductor industry as the era of artificial intelligence (AI) dawns. SEMICON Japan 2018 will highlight AI and SMART technologies in Japan’s industry-leading event. Registration is now open for SEMICON Japan, Japan’s largest global electronics supply chain event, December 12-14 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo.

Themed “Dreams Start Here,” SEMICON Japan 2018 reflects the promise of AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and other SMART technologies that are shaping the future. Japan is positioned to help power a semiconductor industry expansion that is enabling this new path ahead, supplying one-third of the world’s semiconductor equipment and half of its chip IC materials.

According to VLSI Research, seven of the world’s top 15 semiconductor equipment manufacturers in 2017 are headquartered in Japan. In the semiconductor materials market, Japanese companies dominate silicon wafers, photoresists, sputtering targets, bonding wires, lead frames, mold compounds and more. For SEMICON Japan visitors, the event is the ideal platform for connecting with Japan’s leading suppliers.

The SMART Application Zone at SEMICON Japan will once again connect SMART industries with the semiconductor supply chain to foster collaboration across the electronics ecosystem.

SEMICON Japan Keynotes

SEMICON Japan opening keynotes will feature two young leaders of Japan’s information and communications technology (ICT) industry sharing their vision for the industry:

Motoi Ishibashi, CTO of Rhizomatiks, will discuss the latest virtual and mixed reality technologies. Rhizomatiks, a Japanese media art company that staged the Rio Olympic Games closing ceremony, will orchestrate the opening performance at SEMICON Japan 2018. The company is dedicated to creating large-scale commercial projects combining technology with the arts.

Toru Nishikawa, president and CEO at Preferred Networks, will explore computer requirements for enabling deep learning applications. Preferred Networks, a deep-learning research startup, is conducting collaborative research with technology giants including Toyota Motors, Fanuc, NVIDIA, Intel and Microsoft.

Registration

For more information and to register for SEMICON Japan, visit www.semiconjapan.org/en/. Registration for the opening keynotes and other programs will open October 1.

Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$16.7 billion in the second quarter of 2018, 1 percent lower than the previous record quarter and 19 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago, SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing supply chain, reported today.

The data are gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from more than 95 global equipment companies that provide monthly data. The quarterly billings data by region in billions of U.S. dollars, quarter-over-quarter growth and year-over-year rates by region are as follows:
2Q2018
1Q2018
2Q2017
2Q18/1Q18
(Qtr-over-Qtr)
2Q18/2Q17
(Year-over-Year)
Korea
4.86
6.26
4.79
-22%
2%
China
3.79
2.64
2.51
44%
51%
Japan
2.28
2.13
1.55
7%
47%
Taiwan
2.19
2.27
2.76
-4%
-21%
North America
1.47
1.14
1.23
29%
20%
Europe
1.18
1.28
0.66
-7%
80%
Rest of World
0.96
1.27
0.62
-24%
56%
Total
16.74
16.99
14.11
-1%
19%

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org) and SEAJ, September 2018

The Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) from SEMI provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market.

Nova (NASDAQ : NVMI ) announced today that a major foundry recently placed an order for its VeraFlex advanced X-Ray metrology solution for 5nm technology node.

Nova’s solution utilizes X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to simultaneously measure composition and thickness of complex film stacks through the fabrication process. The integration of these film stacks is significantly more complicated than previous nodes both in terms of the materials used and their multi-layer composition, requiring sophisticated process control to minimize device variation. The VeraFlex product portfolio provides the requisite sensitivity and precision needed for these challenging measurements.

As a result of this selection, Nova expects more than $12 million in aggregate business from this customer across 2018 and 2019.

“We are excited about this selection which confirms the applicability of our technology for 5nm and emphasizes the growing need for advanced materials metrology solutions in advanced nodes,” said Adrian Wilson, General Manager of Nova’s Materials Metrology Division. “In order to achieve better performance in smaller devices, our Logic customers are required to modify their materials strategy beyond the traditional architectural changes. These innovative developments increase the need for Materials control and our available market accordingly. We look forward to additional orders as 5nm moves into volume production and further applications are qualified.”

Nova is a innovator and key provider of metrology solutions for advanced process control used in semiconductor manufacturing.

SEMI announced today the October 9 deadline for presenters to submit abstracts for the annual SEMI Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference(ASMC). ASMC, May 6-9, 2019, in Saratoga Springs, New York, will feature technical presentations of more than 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts covering critical process technologies and fab productivity.

ASMC 2019 will feature keynotes, a panel discussion, networking events, technical sessions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing, and tutorials. The conference will also feature a special student poster session to highlight student projects related to semiconductor manufacturing.

Selected speakers will present to IC manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, materials suppliers, chief technology officers, operations managers, process engineers, product managers and academia. All technical papers will be published by IEEE, and authors also may receive an invitation to publish their papers in a special section for ASMC 2019 to be featured in IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing. Technical abstracts are due October 9, 2018, and can be submitted here. 

ASMC 2019 will cover the following topics:

  • Advanced Equipment Processes and Materials
  • Advanced Metrology
  • Advanced Equipment Processes and Materials
  • Advanced Patterning / Design for Manufacturability
  • Advanced Process Control
  • Contamination Free Manufacturing
  • Big Data Management and Mining
  • Defect Inspection and Reduction
  • Discrete and Power Devices
  • Enabling Technologies and Innovative Devices
  • Equipment Reliability and Productivity Enhancements
  • Factory Automation
  • The Fabless Experience
  • Green Factory
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • MOL and Junction Interfaces
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Yield Enhancement/Learning
  • Yield Methodologies
  • 3D Packaging and Through Silicon Via

ASMC, in its 30th year, continues to fill a critical need for the industry, providing a venue for professionals to network, learn and share knowledge about semiconductor manufacturing best practices.

Details on how to upload abstracts can be found here. To learn more about the conference and the selection process, please contact Margaret Kindling at [email protected] or call 1.202.393.5552.   

Papers co-authored by device manufacturers, equipment or materials suppliers, and/or academic institutions that demonstrate innovative, practical solutions for advancing semiconductor manufacturing are highly encouraged.

ASMC is organized by SEMI Americas to connect more than 2,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing