Category Archives: Wafer Processing

OEM Group has launched the P5000:CS automated single wafer cluster tool for the compound semiconductor market.  As the exclusive licensed manufacturer of the Applied Materials P5000, OEM Group’s P5000:CS was designed and developed specifically to handle and process 75mm, 100mm, and 150mm compound semiconductor substrates such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Silicon Carbide (SiC), Sapphire, Germanium (Ge), Indium Phosphide (InP), and Gallium Nitride (GaN).

“Prior to the release of the P5000:CS, customers in the compound semiconductor market had very few options for Etch and CVD cluster tools” said John Almerico, Production Manager Etch and CVD of OEM Group.  “Their choices were limited to boutique custom built, unproven, and expensive systems.  With the P5000:CS, it’s the first time an industry proven, single wafer cluster tool with high volume capability has been made available to the compound semiconductor industry.”

The P5000:CS features a proprietary Bi-Polar Electrostatic Chuck for single wafer processing temperature control best suited for SiC, GaAs, and Sapphire etch applications.  The option for a proprietary Wafer Orienter utilizing special software and sensors specifically tuned to do edge detection on transparent wafers has been added.  An Advanced Spectrometer Endpoint Detection system is built into the chamber to diagnose, analyze, and “fingerprint” any kind of plasma present on the wafer.

In 2016, SEMI reported the total compound semiconductor market was estimated at $24B and expected to almost double at a CAGR of ~13% to ~$44B in 2020.  “With the projected growth in the industry”, said Almerico, “we developed the P5000:CS platform to address the special high volume production needs and support the market at an affordable price”.

About OEM Group, Inc.

OEM Group is a global manufacturer of new and remanufactured semiconductor capital equipment and upgrades focused on innovative and sustaining solutions for emerging markets. Our proven portfolio consists of exclusive intellectual property acquired from leading semiconductor brands, including: P5000, Tegal™ Etch, Sputtered Films® Endeavor™, MRC® Eclipse™, AGHeatpulse®, Varian® Sunset™, Lam® AutoEtch™ and SEMITOOL® Manual Batch, Automated Batch and Single Wafer Equinox™. In addition to the LEGENDS™ lines, OEM offers an Applications Development lab for wet processing and Foundry services for piezoelectric AlN films. For more information, please visit www.oemgroupinc.com.

The 63rd annual IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), to be held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel December 2-6, 2017, has issued a Call for Papers seeking the world’s best original work in all areas of microelectronics research and development.

The paper submission deadline this year is Wednesday, August 2, 2017. For the second year in a row the IEDM submission deadline is about 1½ months later than what had been the norm, reducing the time between paper submissions and publication of the cutting-edge research results for which the conference is known. Authors are asked to submit four-page camera-ready abstracts (instead of the traditional three pages), which will be published as-is in the proceedings.

Only a very limited number of late-news papers will be accepted. Authors are asked to submit late-news abstracts announcing only the most recent and noteworthy developments. The late-news submission deadline is September 11, 2017.

“Based on the success of the later paper-submission deadline last year, we have decided to make it an IEDM tradition,” said Dr. Barbara DeSalvo, Chief Scientist at Leti. “This helps ensure a rich and unique technical program.”

At IEDM each year, the world’s best scientists and engineers in the field of microelectronics gather to participate in a technical program consisting of more than 220 presentations, along with special luncheon presentations and a variety of panels, special sessions, Short Courses, IEEE/EDS award presentations and other events highlighting leading work in more areas of the field than any other conference.

This year special emphasis is placed on the following topics:
Advanced memory technologies
More-than-Moore device concepts
Neuromorphic computing/machine learning
Optoelectronics, photonics, displays and imaging systems
Package-device level interactions
Sensors and MEMS devices for biological/medical applications
Spin for memory and logic
Steep subthreshold devices
Technologies for 5nm and beyond

Overall, papers in the following areas of technology are encouraged:

  • Circuit and Device Interaction
  • Characterization, Reliability and Yield
  • Compound Semiconductor and High-Speed Devices
  • Memory Technology
  • Modeling and Simulation
  • Nano Device Technology
  • Optoelectronics, Displays and Imagers
  • Power Devices
  • Process and Manufacturing Technology
  • Sensors, MEMS and BioMEMS

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $2.17 billion in billings worldwide in April 2017 (three-month average basis), according to the April Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Billings Report published today by SEMI.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide billings of North American equipment manufacturers in April 2017 was $2.17 billion. The billings figure is 4.6 percent higher than the final March 2017 level of $2.08 billion, and is 48.9 percent higher than the April 2016 billings level of $1.46 billion.

“Semiconductor equipment billings levels exceed two billion dollars for the second month in a row,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI.  “Solid market fundamentals, coupled with strong demand for memory for data storage and processors for smartphones, are fueling significant investments.”

The SEMI Billings report uses three-month moving averages of worldwide billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.
Billings
(3-mo. avg)
Year-Over-Year
November 2016
$1,613.3
25.2%
December 2016
$1,869.8
38.5%
January 2017
$1,859.4
52.3%
February 2017
$1,974.0
63.9%
March 2017 (final)
$2,079.7
73.7%
April 2017 (prelim)
$2,174.5
48.9%

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), May 2017
SEMI ceased publishing the monthly North America Book-to-Bill report in January 2017. SEMI will continue publish a monthly North American Billings report and issue the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) report in collaboration with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ).

SEMI today announced its plans to deliver specialized programs at SEMICON West 2017 (July 11-13 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.) in partnership with IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE), and imec. The programs will focus on key growth and innovation drivers for the industry, including advances in semiconductor scaling, autonomous motoring, and IoT (Internet of Things).  Register for SEMICON West now.

In recent years, IoT devices and applications have seen explosive growth, as have the microcontrollers, MEMS, sensors, and actuators underpinning IoT device architecture. In conjunction with IEEE, SEMI will offer two World of IoT sessions focusing on Understanding Risks and Opportunities in Transformative Technologies (the future of advanced IoT device architectures and emerging applications):

The sessions will feature presentations from: Ramesh Ramadoss,  IEEE Santa Clara Valley Section (Calif.); Ryan O’Leary, Threat Research Center at WhiteHat Security;  Phil Hummel, Dell EMC;  Todd Miller, General Electric Global Research; and Oleg Logvinov, IEEE Internet Initiative and IoTecha Corp.  Maciej Kranz, Cisco’s VP of Strategic Innovations, and author of the New York Times bestseller Building the Internet of Things, will also present.

On the automotive front, SEMI has partnered with SAE International to create two dynamic SMART Automotive sessions:

SMART Automotive attendees will get an insider’s view from Timothy Cavanaugh of SAE International, Luca De Ambroggi of IHS Markit, and key influencers from Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Mentor Graphics, and Continental Automotive Systems.

SEMI maintains a long-standing partnership with imec, a nanoelectronics research institute and organizer of an annual conference on emerging opportunities in semiconductor technology and smart electronics systems. This year’s event — Semiconductor and System Scaling Beyond Tomorrow — will be held July 10 in San Francisco, and feature a presentation from Dave Anderson, president, SEMI Americas, plus presentations from Luc Van den Hove, president and CEO, imec; An Steegen, SVP, imec; and Martin van den Brink, president and CTO, ASML.

In addition, recognizing the growing need for training and education, IEEE will be hosting a training workshop “Introduction to Embedded Systems/IoT Development“ for $149. Instructor Rob Oshana of Freescale will share practical techniques and guidelines for developing embedded system software.

By Lung Chu, President of SEMI China

Lung250As China embarks on the Made in China 2025 plan with electronics and semiconductor technology as one of the Top 10 focus areas, China’s semiconductor industry has an unprecedented growth opportunity.  However, besides the huge investment required, China IC industry is faced with strong competition in terms of technology, products, talent, and supply chain access from many leading global layers in an increasingly interconnected world and a highly global semiconductor market.

To be successful, it is critical that China’s semiconductor industry speed up its integration into the global industry supply chain. The goal is to achieve sustainable growth through “win-win” collaboration with global partners and leveraging industry platforms to become a significant player and partner in the international semiconductor manufacturing industry ecosystem.

China semiconductor industry growth

In recent years, many new 12-inch fab projects have been announced, started construction, or in ramp-up stage in China, including UMC in Xiamen, PSC in Hefei, TSMC in Nanjing, YMTC in Wuhan and Nanjing, as well as GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Chengdu.  Many China-based foundries are adding 12-inch capacity including SMIC fabs in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, and HLMC in Shanghai area. The production capacity of these ~20 new fabs is expected to come online in the next three to five years.

SEMI has seen active interest in several local cities in attracting global and China-based companies to set up semiconductor fabrication facilities.  The strong trend for expansion and investment shows no signs of slowdown in China. The current investment fever in semiconductors in China is a balancing act ─ it will lead both to the development of a regional industry supply chain and the demand for capital investment in China. However, as with any expansion bubble, new production capacity in some mature nodes might create overcapacity and raises questions of sustainability paired with the severe shortage of skilled workers/engineers and uncertainty of future fund availability for continuing operations and investment.

Rise of China

China’s expansion in semiconductor manufacturing should be viewed through a global context.  SEMI advocates for free trade and open markets, international cooperation for intellectual property (IP) rights protection, industry Standards, and environmental protection. SEMI promotes the global electronics manufacturing supply chain and works to positively influence the growth and prosperity of its members.

In 2016, before stepping down, the U.S. Obama administration delivered a report from the Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Part of the report addressed the rise of China’s semiconductor industry and recommended the United States should improve its environment for development of the semiconductor and high-tech industry and continue to invest in advanced technologies.

Each country will evaluate their own course as the China market expands. However, the rise of the semiconductor industry in China need not be viewed simply as a threat to the world; instead, it is a significant growth driver and business opportunity for global suppliers.  IC chips top the list of all Chinese bulk imports in terms of dollar value. China desires to develop its IC chip industry to better fulfill its inherent demand. China currently has low market share and limited technical capability in four major areas identified in the China National IC Development Guideline: IC design, manufacturing, package/testing, and equipment/material.

China is clear about its intentions with regard to growing its own semiconductor supply chain. In the short term, heavy dependency on foreign suppliers (especially equipment and material) is inevitable.  Going forward, cooperation with foreign semiconductor suppliers/partners with an open-minded and “win-win” attitude is an imperative strategy in solving the development bottleneck issues concerning equipment/materials and other key areas in China’s semiconductor industry.

SEMI China focuses on member value

China is the world’s largest manufacturing base for electronics products, as well as the world’s largest market for demand of IC chips. Now, as China’s semiconductor industry experiences a transformation in development, SEMI China is working to provide more value to its local and global members as the industry is rapidly changing. SEMI China promotes Chinese enterprises for industry growth and prosperity, and helps outstanding local companies advance in the international market. SEMI China is also using its global, specialized, and localized industry association platform to promote the development of the semiconductor industry in China.

SEMI China has 11 industry committees and is committed to SEMI global values and the China region. All the SEMI China committees have the strong connections needed to communicate and collaborate not only with China’s semiconductor industry, but with the global ecosystem.

SEMI, the global trade association that advances the growth and prosperity of electronics manufacturing, was the world’s first semiconductor industry group, established in 1970. It has witnessed the flourishing development of the semiconductor industry over the last 47 years and continues to be devoted to promoting the healthy development of the industry. SEMI is keeping pace with the industry and offering specialized and global platform services to the entire industry ecosystem. In the last two years, SEMI became a strategic partner with both FlexTech Alliance and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG). In the future, SEMI is also providing association services for the Fab Owner Association (FOA) to continue expanding collaboration along the electronics manufacturing supply chain. The intent is to include a wider span of the interdependent electronics manufacturing supply chain and the key adjacent opportunities that drive global growth opportunities.

SEMICON China is an industry event platform organized in partnership with major chip manufacturers, packaging and testing companies in China, and suppliers of equipment and materials worldwide. The world’s leaders come to discuss global industry trends, cutting-edge technologies and market opportunities on the same stage, as well as the development of global and Chinese semiconductor industries. This year, the importance of SEMICON China was validated ─ with over 69,000 attendees and a record number of exhibitors ─ the largest SEMICON show ever.

Global competition in semiconductor manufacturing has long been a part of the environment with growth starting in the U.S. and spreading to Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and China. Global competition has resulted in new innovations and a global march to the demanding cadence of Moore’s Law. Compared to other countries, China’s semiconductor industry is relatively weak and the barriers to entry for leading-node production remain challenging. Despite this, China is moving forward ─ with a focus to increase domestic semiconductor chip demand. The Chinese M&A wave is another growth driver for the industry. I hope that going forward we can all embrace the industry’s growth, and not fear China’s advancement.

 

Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq:LRCX), an advanced manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, today announced that Dr. Young Bum Koh has joined the company’s board of directors effective as of May 10, 2017. Dr. Koh held many executive positions at Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd in South Korea.  Prior to his most recent position as Advisor until December 2016, he served from December 2011 to December 2013 as Executive Vice President, Head of the Mechatronics R&D Center; from January 2010 to July 2011 as Executive Vice President, Head of the Manufacturing Operation Center, LCD Business; and from January 2004 to June 2007 as Senior Vice President, Head of Manufacturing Technology Center, Memory Business.  Dr. Koh also served as Executive Vice President and President of Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLC located in Texas from August 2007 to December 2009.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Koh as a Director of Lam Research,” said Stephen G. Newberry, chairman of Lam Research. “Dr. Koh brings to the Lam Research board substantial high technology operations knowledge and expertise built over the course of his distinguished career. His intimate understanding of the semiconductor industry paired with his international leadership experience in research, development and manufacturing will be a tremendous asset in our boardroom.”

Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq:LRCX) is a global supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry.

Worldwide semiconductor revenue totaled $343.5 billion in 2016, a 2.6 percent increase from 2015 revenue of $334.9 billion, according to final results by Gartner, Inc. The top 25 semiconductor vendors’ combined revenue increased 10.5 percent, a significantly better performance than the overall industry’s growth; however, most of this growth resulted from merger and acquisition (M&A) activity.

“The semiconductor industry rebounded in 2016, with a weak start to the year, characterized by inventory correction, giving way to strengthening demand and an improving pricing environment in the second half,” said James Hines research director at Gartner. “Worldwide semiconductor revenue growth was supported by increasing production in many electronic equipment segments, improving NAND flash memory pricing and relatively benign currency movements.”

Intel retained its No. 1 position as the largest semiconductor manufacturer and grew its semiconductor revenue 4.6 percent in 2016 (see Table 1). Samsung Electronics continued to maintain the No. 2 spot with 11.7 percent market share.

Table 1. Top 10 Semiconductor Vendors by Revenue, Worldwide, 2016 (Millions of Dollars)

2015 Rank

2016 Rank

Vendor

2016 Revenue

2016
Market Share (%)

2015 Revenue

2015-2016 Growth (%)

1

1

Intel

54,091

15.7

51,690

4.6

2

2

Samsung Electronics

40,104

11.7

37,852

5.9

4

3

Qualcomm

15,415

4.5

16,079

-4.1

3

4

SK hynix

14,700

4.3

16,374

-10.2

17

5

Broadcom Ltd. (formerly Avago)

13,223

3.8

4,543

191.1

5

6

Micron Technology

12,950

3.8

13,816

-6.3

6

7

Texas Instruments

11,901

3.5

11,635

2.3

7

8

Toshiba

9,918

2.9

9,162

8.3

12

9

NXP Semiconductors

9,306

2.7

6,517

42.8

10

10

Media Tek

8,725

2.5

6,704

30.1

Others

153,181

44.6

160,562

-4.6

Total Market

343,514

100.0

334,934

2.6

Source: Gartner (May 2017)

Consolidation continued to play a major role in the market share rankings, with several large companies growing through acquisitions. Merger and acquisition activity among the major vendors in 2016 included Avago Technologies’ acquisition of Broadcom Corp. to become Broadcom Ltd., On Semiconductor’s acquisition of Fairchild Semiconductor, and Western Digital’s acquisition of SanDisk. The largest mover in the top 25 was Broadcom Ltd., which moved up 12 places in the market share ranking.

“The combined revenue of the top 25 semiconductor vendors increased by 10.5 percent during 2016 and accounted for a 74.9 percent share, outperforming the rest of the market, which saw a 15.6 percent revenue decline,” said Mr. Hines. “However, these results are skewed by the large amount of M&A activity during 2015 and 2016. If we adjust for this M&A activity by adding the revenue of each acquired company to the revenue of the acquirer for both 2015 and 2016 where necessary, then the top 25 vendors would have experienced a 1.9 percent revenue increase, and the rest of the market would have increased by 4.6 percent.”

ON Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: ON) announced that it is has been named the winner of the Gold Stevie Award for Large Manufacturing Company of the Year in The 15th Annual American Business Awards (ABAs). The ABAs are a business award program in the United States and open to all public and private organizations.

“This award highlights ON Semiconductor’s ability to gain market share and to stay ahead of the industry growth curve,” says Keith Jackson, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor. “In order to succeed in this fast-paced environment, we have scaled both in terms of our technology portfolio and ability to innovate with a solutions-based approach that allows customers to focus efforts on their own core competencies, providing them with faster time to market.”

In 2016, the company shipped more than 55 billion units through its global logistics network and delivered products with greater than 95 percent average on time delivery to requested dates for all key customers.

More than 3,600 nominations from private and public organizations of all sizes were submitted this year.

“Each year the judges find the quality and variety of the nominations to be greater than the year before. The 2017 competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Hafnia dons a new face


May 12, 2017

It’s a material world, and an extremely versatile one at that, considering its most basic building blocks — atoms — can be connected together to form different structures that retain the same composition.

Diamond and graphite, for example, are but two of the many polymorphs of carbon, meaning that both have the same chemical composition and differ only in the manner in which their atoms are connected. But what a world of difference that connectivity makes: The former goes into a ring and costs thousands of dollars, while the latter has to sit content within a humble pencil.

The inorganic compound hafnium dioxide commonly used in optical coatings likewise has several polymorphs, including a tetragonal form with highly attractive properties for computer chips and other optical elements. However, because this form is stable only at temperatures above 3100 degrees Fahrenheit — think blazing inferno — scientists have had to make do with its more limited monoclinic polymorph. Until now.

A team of researchers led by University of Kentucky chemist Beth Guiton and Texas A&M University chemist Sarbajit Banerjee in collaboration with Texas A&M materials science engineer Raymundo Arroyave has found a way to achieve this highly sought-after tetragonal phase at 1100 degrees Fahrenheit — think near-room-temperature and potential holy grail for the computing industry, along with countless other sectors and applications.

The team’s research, published today in Nature Communications, details their observation of this spectacular atom-by-atom transformation, witnessed with the help of incredibly powerful microscopes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After first shrinking monoclinic hafnium dioxide particles down to the size of tiny crystal nanorods, they gradually heated them, paying close attention to the barcode-like structure characterizing each nanorod and, in particular, its pair of nanoscale, fault-forming stripes that seem to function as ground zero for the transition.

“In this study we are watching a tiny metal oxide rod transform from one structure, which is the typical material found at room temperature, into a different, related structure not usually stable below 3100 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Guiton, who is an associate professor of chemistry in the UK College of Arts & Sciences. “This is significant because the high-temperature material has amazing properties that make it a candidate to replace silicon dioxide in the semiconductor industry, which is built on silicon.”

Watch through the microscope’s lens as hafnia atoms rearrange themselves at nanoscale levels in this video showing the same raw data seen by the team, courtesy of the UK Guiton Group.

The semiconductor industry has long relied on silicon dioxide as its thin, non-conductive layer of choice in the critical gap between the gate electrode — the valve that turns a transistor on and off — and the silicon transistor. Consistently thinning this non-conductive layer is what allows transistors to become smaller and faster, but Guiton points out there is such a thing as too thin — the point at which electrons start sloshing across the barrier, thereby heating their surroundings and draining power. She says most of us have seen and felt this scenario to some degree (pun intended), for instance, while watching videos on our phones and the battery simultaneously drain as the device in our palm noticeably begins to warm.

As computer chips become smaller, faster and more powerful, their insulating layers must also be much more robust — currently a limiting factor for semiconductor technology. Guiton says this new phase of hafnia is an order of magnitude better at withstanding applied fields.

When it comes to watching hafnia’s structural transition between its traditional monoclinic state and this commercially desirable tetragonal phase at near-room temperature, Banerjee says it’s not unlike popular television — specifically, the “Hall of Faces” in the HBO show “Game of Thrones.”

“In essence, we have been able to watch in real time, on an atom by atom basis, as hafnia is transformed to a new phase, much like Arya Stark donning a new face,” Banerjee said. “The new phase of hafnia has a much higher ‘k’ value representing its ability to store charge, which would allow transistors to work really quickly while merely sipping on power instead of sapping it. The stripes turn out to be really important, since that is where the transition starts as the hafnia loses its stripes.”

Arroyave credits real-time atomic-scale information for enabling the group to figure out that the transformation occurs in a very different way at nanoscale levels than it does within the macroscopic particles that result in hafnia’s monoclinic form. The fact that it is nanoscale in the first place is why he says the transition occurs at, or much closer to, room temperature.

“Through synthesis at the nanoscale, the ‘height’ of the energy barrier separating the two forms has been shrunk, making it possible to observe tetragonal hafnia at much lower temperatures than usual,” Arroyave said. “This points toward strategies that could be used to stabilize a host of useful forms of materials that can enable a wide range of functionalities and associated technologies. This is just one example of the vast possibilities that exist when we start to explore the ‘metastable’ materials space.”

Banerjee says this study suggests one way to stabilize the tetragonal phase at actual room temperature — which he notes that his group previously accomplished via a different method last year — and big implications for fast, low-power-consumption transistors capable of controlling current without drawing power, reducing speed or producing heat.

“The possibilities are endless, including even more powerful laptops that don’t heat up and sip on power from their batteries and smart phones that ‘keep calm and carry on,'” Banerjee said. “We are trying to apply these same tricks to other polymorphs of hafnium dioxide and other materials — isolating other phases that are not readily stabilized at room temperature but may also have strange and desirable properties.”

Soitec, a designer and manufacturer of semiconductor materials for the electronics industry, has appointed Stephen Lin to the newly created position of vice president of strategic business development in China, a key region for the company’s future growth plans. Stephen Lin brings to Soitec nearly 30 years of experience leading semiconductor business operations in China and the U.S.

“Working with our executive team, Stephen is in charge of strengthening Soitec’s business interests within China as well as growing market demand for SOI wafer products,” said Thomas Piliszczuk, Soitec’s executive vice president, Business and Strategic Development. “Stephen will be instrumental in our efforts to continue growing China’s microelectronics ecosystem as he works closely with our customers as well as government agencies, institutions and the financial and investor communities.”

China is home to all key elements of the electronics value chain including semiconductor manufacturers, fabless device designers, and consumer end markets. Soitec is already highly engaged in China, working to expand the semiconductor ecosystem while also driving demand for silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer products with its direct and indirect customers. The company also collaborates closely with its Shanghai-based manufacturing partner Simgui and the National Silicon Industry Group (NSIG), which recently invested in Soitec.

Since beginning his semiconductor career at LSI Logic, Stephen Lin has held senior executive positions within several major electronics companies including NXP Semiconductors, Microsemi, Intel and Siemens. He also has launched start-up companies in China and the U.S. including Mobility Ventures. He earned his master in electrical engineering degree from McGill University in Quebec and his MBA from Santa Clara University in California. He is the author of multiple publications including “The Fabless Semiconductor China Handbook.”