Category Archives: Metrology

The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) is proud to announce the award recipients honored at the 2016 GSA Awards Dinner Celebration that took place in Santa Clara, California. Over the past 22 years the awards program has recognized the achievements of semiconductor companies in several categories ranging from outstanding leadership to financial accomplishments, as well as overall respect within the industry.

The GSA’s most prestigious award, the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award, was presented to Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, President and CEO of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. and Founder and Chairman of Walden International.

GSA members identified the Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Award winners by casting ballots for the industry’s most respected companies judging by their products, vision and future opportunities. Winners included the “Most Respected Emerging Public Semiconductor Company Achieving $100 Million to $500 Million in Annual Sales Award” presented to Nordic Semiconductor; “Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Achieving $500 Million to $1 Billion in Annual Sales Award” awarded to Silicon Labs; “Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Achieving $1 Billion to $5 Billion in Annual Sales Award” awarded to Analog Devices, Inc.; and “Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Achieving Greater than $5 Billion in Annual Sales Award” received by NVIDIA Corporation.

The “Most Respected Private Company Award” was voted on by GSA membership and presented to Quantenna Communications, Inc. Other winners include “Best Financially Managed Company Achieving up to $1 Billion in Annual Sales Award” presented to Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (Silicon Motion, Inc.) and “Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Achieving Greater than $1 Billion in Annual Sales Award” earned by NVIDIA Corporation. Both companies were recognized based on their continued demonstration of the best overall financial performance according to specific financial metrics.

GSA’s Private Awards Committee, comprised of venture capitalists and select industry entrepreneurs, chose the “Start-Up to Watch Award” winner by identifying a company that has demonstrated the potential to positively change its market or the industry through the innovative use of semiconductor technology or a new application for semiconductor technology. This year’s winner is Innovium, Inc.

As a global organization, the GSA recognizes outstanding companies headquartered in the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. Chosen by the leadership council of each respective region, award winners are semiconductor companies that demonstrate the most strength when measuring products, vision, leadership and success in the marketplace. The recipient of this year’s “Outstanding Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Company Award” is MediaTek Inc. and the recipient of this year’s “Outstanding EMEA Semiconductor Company Award” is Movidius.

Semiconductor financial analyst Quinn Bolton from Needham & Company presented this year’s “Favorite Analyst Semiconductor Company Award” to Microsemi Corporation. The criteria used in selecting this year’s winner included historical, as well as projected data, such as stock price, earnings per share, revenue forecasts and product performance.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $30.5 billion for the month of October 2016, an increase of 3.4 percent from last month’s total of $29.5 billion and 5.1 percent higher than the October 2015 total of $29.0 billion. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. Additionally, a new WSTS industry forecast projects roughly flat annual semiconductor sales in 2016, followed by slight market growth in 2017 and 2018.

“The global semiconductor market has rebounded in recent months, with October marking the largest year-to-year sales increase since March 2015,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Sales increased compared to last month across all regional markets and nearly every major semiconductor product category. Meanwhile, the latest industry forecast has been revised upward and now calls for flat annual sales in 2016 and small increases in 2017 and 2018. All told, the industry is well-positioned for a strong close to 2016.

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in China (14.0 percent), Japan (7.2 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (1.9 percent), and the Americas (0.1 percent), but decreased in Europe (-3.0 percent). Compared with last month, sales were up across all regional markets: the Americas (6.5 percent), China (3.2 percent), Japan (3.0 percent), Europe (2.2 percent), and Asia Pacific/All Other (2.0 percent).

Additionally, SIA today endorsed the WSTS Autumn 2016 global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects the industry’s worldwide sales will be $335.0 billion in 2016, a 0.1 percent decrease from the 2015 sales total. WSTS projects a year-to-year increase in Japan (3.2 percent) and Asia Pacific (2.5 percent), with decreases expected in Europe (-4.9 percent) and the Americas (-6.5 percent). Among major semiconductor product categories, WSTS forecasts growth in 2016 for sensors (22.6 percent), discretes (4.2 percent), analog (4.8 percent) and MOS micro ICs (2.3 percent), which include microprocessors and microcontrollers.

Beyond 2016, the semiconductor market is expected to grow at a modest pace across all regions. WSTS forecasts 3.3 percent growth globally for 2017 ($346.1 billion in total sales) and 2.3 percent growth for 2018 ($354.0 billion). WSTS tabulates its semi-annual industry forecast by convening an extensive group of global semiconductor companies that provide accurate and timely indicators of semiconductor trends.

Vigorous M&A activity in 2015 and 2016 has reshaped the landscape of the semiconductor industry, with the top companies now controlling a much greater percentage of marketshare.  Not including foundries, IC Insights forecasts to top five semiconductor suppliers—Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and SK Hynix— will account for 41% marketshare in 2016 (Figure 1).  This represents a nine-point increase from the 32% marketshare held by the top five suppliers ten years ago. Furthermore, the top 10 semiconductor suppliers are forecast to account for 56% marketshare in 2016, an 11-point swing from 45% in 2006, and the top 25 companies are forecast to account for more than three-quarters of all semiconductor sales this year.

semiconductor sales leaders

Figure 1

Following an historic surge in semiconductor merger and acquisition agreements in 2015, the torrid pace of transactions eased a bit in the first half of 2016.  However, 2016 is now forecast to be the second-largest year ever for chip industry M&A announcements, thanks to three major deals struck in 3Q16 that have a combined total value of $51.0 billion.  These deals were SoftBank’s purchase of ARM, Analog Devices’ intended purchase of Linear Technology, and Renesas’ potential acquisition of Intersil. With the surge in mergers and acquisitions expected to continue over the next few years, IC Insights believes that the consolidation will raise the shares of the top suppliers to even loftier levels.

SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$11.0 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The billings figure is 5 percent higher than the second quarter of 2016 and 14 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago. The data is gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from over 95 global equipment companies that provide data on a monthly basis.

Worldwide semiconductor equipment bookings were $11.3 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The figure is 30 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago and 5 percent lower than the bookings figure for the second quarter of 2016.

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:

 

3Q2016

2Q2016

 3Q2015

3Q2016/

2Q2016
(Qtr-over-Qtr)

3Q2016/

3Q2015
(Year-over-Year)
Taiwan

3.46

2.73

2.85

27%

22%
Korea

2.09

1.53

1.56

36%

34%
China

1.43

2.27

1.70

-37%

-16%
Japan

1.29

1.05

1.43

22%

-10%
Rest of World

1.13

1.31

0.58

-14%

95%
North America

1.05

1.20

1.18

-12%

-11%
Europe

0.53

0.37

0.34

42%

57%
Total

10.98

10.46

9.64

5%

14%

Totals may not add due to rounding; Source: SEMI/SEAJ

Leti CEO Marie Semeria today delivered a sweeping, optimistic assessment of a rapidly evolving world where “hyperconnectivity” and the Internet of Things – guided by a “human-centered research approach and symbiotic development strategies” – herald profound changes in the way individuals relate to each other and to the physical world.

Her keynote presentation during the opening session of IEDM 2016, one of the high-tech industry’s most prestigious annual events, was based on her invited paper, “Symbiotic Low-Power, Smart and Secure Technologies in the Age of Hyperconnectivity”.

Marie Semeria, Leti CEO

Marie Semeria, Leti CEO

Semeria presented a comprehensive view of ubiquitous connectivity’s vast potential to bring positive change for individuals, society, companies and governments. She envisions a world in which a human-centered research approach combined with symbiotic development strategies “along different technological axes will foster key innovations that address societal challenges with strong impact.”

IoT at ‘Epicenter of the Revolution’

“The vertiginous pace of technological progress has made civilization enter the age of hyperconnectivity, dramatically changing the way people live, interact, share information, work, travel, take care of their health (and) purchase goods,” she notes. “Enabled by the convergence of miniaturization, wireless connectivity, increased data-storage capacity and data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become the epicenter of a profound social, business and political revolution.”

The IoT, with billions of easy-access and low-cost connected devices, “has transformed the world into a truly global village, enabling people and machines to interact in a symbiotic way – anytime, anywhere – with both the physical and cyber worlds,” she notes. “A new economy has emerged, as new product-as-a-service business models have been enabled by smart, connected products, creating substitutes for product ownership.”

In R&D strategies where technologies are developed symbiotically, the technologies’ associated innovation potential strongly increases. “Leti masters hardware and software technologies that gather, filter, process, store, transfer and analyze information in an efficient way. What is crucial today is not to consider these technologies as independent from one another,” Semeria says.

In her paper, Semeria also addresses the many global challenges that predate the hyperconnectivity era, such as climate change, poverty, diminishing natural resources and pollution, and the major challenges that rapid technological advancements have enabled. These include the negative side effects of cyber-technologies, ranging from “digital addiction” of some young people to cyber attacks on systems and threats to personal data and privacy.

Security Is a Crucial Component

“The hyperconnected society presents challenges which will require collective learning and adaptation, by both the main actors and the users, to develop the literacy and regulatory frameworks that will recreate and sustain the right balance between accountability and freedom for all agents, people and corporations,” Semeria says.

“Hypersecurity is a crucial component needed to counteract the surge in cyber attacks, which affect our modern societies, critically dependent on cyber-infrastructures (banking, communication, business, etc.). Security and unobtrusive surveillance technologies are being developed to provide and maintain peaceful everyday lives.”

Citizen Concerns

Data breaches and unapproved use of private information have raised widespread concerns about privacy. “Information is sometimes exchanged for commercial or national security purposes, leading citizens to perceive a loss of control, freedom and privacy,” Semeria notes. “The hyperconnected society presents challenges which will require collective learning and adaptation, by both the main actors and the users, to develop the literacy and regulatory frameworks that will recreate and sustain the right balance between accountability and freedom for all agents, people and corporations.”

The hyperconnectivity value chain, which includes sensing, communication, computing and storage, energy harvesting, security and services, depends on key building blocks ranging from sensors to communication networks, including 5G, which is expected to provide a full-scale IoT that offers immersive services regardless of geography and time zones. Leti has strategic programs in each of the value chain fields and participates in the core of Europe’s 5G innovation initiatives.

A Major Role for RTOs

Semeria points out that research and technology organizations (RTOs) like Leti are playing a vital role in the twin pursuits of making the IoT and networks both more efficient and more secure. In the 50 years since its founding, Leti has shaped its strategy to tackle the main challenges presented by the evolution of society and the economic and industrial sectors.

RTOs “are ideally positioned to address and harmonize growing individual, private needs and global societal challenges, because they are neither embedded public administration organizations nor industrial corporate labs guided by private interests,” Semeria notes.

Biomimicry’s Natural Role

In addition to partnerships with companies on specific solutions to make them more competitive and its participation in EU research programs with broader strategic impact, Leti pursues multiple lines of inquiry with an eye on technologies for the future. These include bio-mimicry, which aims to adapt for commercial use the sensing efficiencies that insects have developed over billions of years of evolution.

“Bio-inspired ideas, which are currently experiencing an exponential growth, represent an area with very high hopes,” Semeria says.

SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today announced the hire of David Anderson as president of the SEMI Americas region.  Reporting to SEMI‘s president and CEO, the president of SEMI Americas has P&L responsibility as well as ownership of all Americas region programs and events, including SEMICON West.

David Anderson will be responsible for SEMI Americas activities in establishing industry Standards, advocacy, community development, expositions, and programs.  With broad experience in the semiconductor device industry, and leadership positions in associations, consortia, and on boards of directors, Anderson brings the diverse skills necessary to lead SEMI’s Americas region.

Anderson has past experience at Fairchild Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, the Semiconductor Industry Suppliers Association, and SEMATECH.  At SEMATECH, in addition to other industry-advancing achievements, he helped launch the global ISMI (International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative) effort to improve the productivity and cost performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and operations.

Most recently, Anderson was CEO and chairman of Novati Technologies, a specialty manufacturing fab and provider of semiconductor and related process technology development and commercialization services.  Novati’s solutions included semiconductor, MEMS, sensors, microfluidics, silicon-photonics, and novel materials. Prior to that, he held executive leadership positions for development foundries ATDF and SVTC Technologies.

“Dave’s vast experience in semiconductor equipment, as well as in a wide range of silicon devices, provides a practical understanding of the full electronics manufacturing supply chain,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “He has built global organizations and communities both at SEMI member companies and in SEMI partner consortia.  This will enable Dave to hit the ground running at SEMI.  Dave already has solid relationships with many of SEMI’s members in both the Americas and worldwide.  As I head toward my announced retirement, I’m confident that Dave will strengthen SEMI’s Global Executive Team and will lead the Americas organization to success in our SEMI 2020 initiative.”

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.49 billion in orders worldwide in October 2016 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.91, according to the September Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.  A book-to-bill of 0.91 means that $91 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide bookings in October 2016 was $1.49 billion. The bookings figure is 5.1 percent lower than the final September 2016 level of $1.57 billion, and is 12.2 percent higher than the October 2015 order level of $1.33 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in October 2016 was $1.63 billion. The billings figure is 9.0 percent higher than the final September 2016 level of $1.49 billion, and is 19.8 percent higher than the October 2015 billings level of $1.36 billion.

“Total equipment billings increased 9 percent in October over September, while bookings contracted 5 percent,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “As the result, the book-to bill ratio for October dropped below parity for the first time in 11 months, even though bookings and billings activity remains at elevated levels relative to last year.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Billings
(3-mo. avg)

Bookings
(3-mo. avg)

Book-to-Bill
May 2016

$1,601.5

$1,750.5

1.09
June 2016

$1,715.2

$1,714.3

1.00
July 2016

$1,707.9

$1,795.4

1.05
August 2016

$1,709.0

$1,753.4

1.03
September 2016 (final)

$1,493.3

$1,567.2

1.05
October 2016 (prelim)

$1,627.5

$1,487.2

0.91

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), November 2016

Electronics manufacturing executives will examine growth prospects, global industry developments and technology strategy at the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) 2017 to be held January 8-11 at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.  ISS 2017, designed as the year’s earliest indicator of emerging trends, provides critical perspective and market insight to executives responsible for corporate strategy and key relationships in the electronics manufacturing supply chain. The annual symposium brings together leading analysts, researchers, economists, and technologists to provide fresh insights on the forces shaping the semiconductor industry. The elite event offers insight into new growth opportunities, potential partners, and vital intelligence to help navigate the industry’s rapidly changing playing field.

ISS 2017 highlights include:

  • Market Perspective: Where’s the growth? Hear what experts are saying at Google, IBM Research, and the Consumer Technology Association.
  • Economic Trends: Will an expanding Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem drive demand for investments in cloud storage, security, and new devices? Get insider perspectives from Gartner, Linx Consulting, and VLSI Research.
  • Technology: Will EUV lithography finally arrive, or will the industry double-down on multiple patterning? Get insights from executives at imec, SanDisk, Applied Materials, and more.
  • Global Forces: Consolidation and China’s will to establish a homegrown semiconductor supply chain are redrawing the map. Hear from Philips Healthcare, International Business Strategies, and McKinsey & Co.

Plus, powerful first-of-the-year keynotes by:

  • GLOBALFOUNDRIES─ Gary Patton, CTO and senior VP of Worldwide R&D
  • Intel─ Diane Bryant, executive VP and GM of the Data Center Group
  • Applied Materials ─Om Nalamasu, CTO
  • Philips Healthcare─ Diego Olego, senior VP and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer

The challenges are many, the investments enormous, and the pressure to show profitability and growth is greater than ever. SEMI ISS 2017 will give industry professionals the perspective needed to succeed in today’s turbulent business climate. To learn more and to register, visit www.semi.org/en/ISS.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the largest-ever SEMICON Korea will be held from February 8 to 10, featuring 600 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 attendees at COEX, Seoul. SEMICON Korea 2017 is the bellwether event for advanced memory, electronics manufacturing, and breaking technology developments, deep technical forums, business programs and Standards activities.

Each year, companies exhibit at SEMICON Korea ─ to the full capacity of the COEX facility ─ to connect with customers and decision makers, demonstrate product and technology leadership and expand their brand.

On opening day (February 8) of SEMICON Korea, three industry thought leaders will keynote on the future of the global semiconductor industry:

SEMICON_Korea_2017

The exposition includes valuable specific technical networking and business programs that are always very popular as they give insight into the full Korea electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

  • Supplier Search – featuring the world’s leading materials manufacturers
  • OEM Supplier Search – facilitating business cooperation between global suppliers and Korea’s parts manufacturers
  • Presidents Reception – an exclusive VIP networking event with more than 450 global industry leaders, that have been contributing to the growth of the Korea semiconductor industry for over 30 years.

SEMICON Korea 2017 is the leading semiconductor technology event in Korea. Major programs include: Smart Manufacturing Forum, SEMI Technology Symposium, System LSI Forum, Metrology and Inspection Forum, Test Forum, Market Seminar and more. The event is an opportunity to meet and learn from more 100 global experts. A complete schedule of the program is available here:
www.semiconkorea.org/en/attend/program-sessions

New this year, 32 companies will showcase their innovations in the new LED Pavilion at SEMICON Korea 2017, an opportunity to meet the entire LED supply chain.

Complimentary registration for SEMICON Korea 2017, which includes access to the exhibition hall and keynote attendance, opens tomorrow, November 16 (www.semiconkorea.org/en/attend/registration) and closes on February 1, 2017.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE together with the Austrian company EV Group (EVG) have successfully manufactured a silicon-based multi-junction solar cell with two contacts and an efficiency exceeding the theoretical limit of silicon solar cells. For this achievement, the researchers used a “direct wafer bonding” process to transfer a few micrometers of III-V semiconductor material to silicon, a well-known process in the microelectronics industry. After plasma activation, the subcell surfaces are bonded together in vacuum by applying pressure. The atoms on the surface of the III-V subcell form bonds with the silicon atoms, creating a monolithic device. The efficiency achieved by the researchers presents a first-time result for this type of fully integrated silicon-based multi-junction solar cell. The complexity of its inner structure is not evident from its outer appearance: the cell has a simple front and rear contact just as a conventional silicon solar cell and therefore can be integrated into photovoltaic modules in the same manner.

Wafer-bonded III-V / Si multi-junction solar cell with 30.2 percent efficiency ©Fraunhofer ISE/A. Wekkeli

Wafer-bonded III-V / Si multi-junction solar cell with 30.2 percent efficiency ©Fraunhofer ISE/A. Wekkeli

“We are working on methods to surpass the theoretical limits of silicon solar cells,” says Dr. Frank Dimroth, department head at Fraunhofer ISE. “It is our long-standing experience with silicon and III-V technologies that has enabled us to reach this milestone today.” A conversion efficiency of 30.2 percent for the III-V / Si multi-junction solar cell of 4 cm² was measured at Fraunhofer ISE’s calibration laboratory. In comparison, the highest efficiency measured to date for a pure silicon solar cell is 26.3 percent, and the theoretical efficiency limit is 29.4 percent.

The III-V / Si multi-junction solar cell consists of a sequence of subcells stacked on top of each other. So-called “tunnel diodes” internally connect the three subcells made of gallium-indium-phosphide (GaInP), gallium-arsenide (GaAs) and silicon (Si), which span the absorption range of the sun’s spectrum. The GaInP top cell absorbs radiation between 300 and 670 nm. The middle GaAs subcell absorbs radiation between 500 and 890 nm and the bottom Si subcell between 650 and 1180 nm, respectively. The III-V layers are first epitaxially deposited on a GaAs substrate and then bonded to a silicon solar cell structure. Subsequently the GaAs substrate is removed, and a front and rear contact as well as an antireflection coating are applied.

“Key to the success was to find a manufacturing process for silicon solar cells that produces a smooth and highly doped surface which is suitable for wafer bonding as well as accounts for the different needs of silicon and the applied III-V semiconductors,” explains Dr. Jan Benick, team leader at Fraunhofer ISE.

“In developing the process, we relied on our decades of research experience in the development of highest efficiency silicon solar cells.” Institute Director Prof. Eicke Weber expresses his delight: “I am pleased that Fraunhofer ISE has so convincingly succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling of 30 percent efficiency with its fully integrated silicon-based solar cell with two contacts. With this achievement, we have opened the door for further efficiency improvements for cells based on the long-proven silicon material.”

“The III-V / Si multi-junction solar cell is an impressive demonstration of the possibilities of our ComBond® cluster for resistance-free bonding of different semiconductors without the use of adhesives,” says Markus Wimplinger, Corporate Technology Development and IP Director at EV Group. “Since 2012, we have been working closely with Fraunhofer ISE on this development and today are proud of our team’s excellent achievements.” The direct wafer-bonding process is already used in the microelectronics industry to manufacture computer chips.

On the way to the industrial manufacturing of III-V / Si multi-junction solar cells, the costs of the III-V epitaxy and the connecting technology with silicon must be reduced. There are still great challenges to overcome in this area, which the Fraunhofer ISE researchers intend to solve through future investigations. Fraunhofer ISE’s new Center for High Efficiency Solar Cells, presently being constructed in Freiburg, will provide them with the perfect setting for developing next-generation III-V and silicon solar cell technologies. The ultimate objective is to make high efficiency solar PV modules with efficiencies of over 30 percent possible in the future.

The young researcher Dr. Romain Cariou carried out research on this project at Fraunhofer ISE with the support of a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. Funding was provided by the EU project HISTORIC. The work at EVG was supported by the Austrian Ministry for Technology.