Category Archives: MEMS

Last March, the artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo beat Korean Go champion LEE Se-Dol at the Asian board game.

“The game was quite tight, but AlphaGo used 1200 CPUs and 56,000 watts per hour, while Lee used only 20 watts. If a hardware that mimics the human brain structure is developed, we can operate artificial intelligence with less power,” points out Professor YU Woo Jong.

In the junctions (synapses) between neurons, signals are transmitted from one neuron to the next. TRAM is made by a stack of different layers: A semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layer with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer and graphene layer. This two-terminal architecture simulates the two neurons that made up to the synaptic structure. When the difference in the voltage of the drain and the source is sufficiently high, electrons from the drain electrode tunnel through the insulating h-BN and reach the graphene layer. Memory is written when electrons are stored in the graphene layer, and it is erased by the introduction of positive charges in the graphene layer. CREDIT: IBS

In the junctions (synapses) between neurons, signals are transmitted from one neuron to the next. TRAM is made by a stack of different layers: A semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layer with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer and graphene layer. This two-terminal architecture simulates the two neurons that made up to the synaptic structure. When the difference in the voltage of the drain and the source is sufficiently high, electrons from the drain electrode tunnel through the insulating h-BN and reach the graphene layer. Memory is written when electrons are stored in the graphene layer, and it is erased by the introduction of positive charges in the graphene layer. CREDIT: IBS

In collaboration with Sungkyunkwan University, researchers from the Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), have devised a new memory device inspired by the neuron connections of the human brain. The research, published in Nature Communications, highlights the devise’s highly reliable performance, long retention time and endurance. Moreover, its stretchability and flexibility makes it a promising tool for the next-generation soft electronics attached to clothes or body.

The brain is able to learn and memorize thanks to a huge number of connections between neurons. The information you memorize is transmitted through synapses from one neuron to the next as an electro-chemical signal. Inspired by these connections, IBS scientists constructed a memory called two-terminal tunnelling random access memory (TRAM), where two electrodes, referred to as drain and source, resemble the two communicating neurons of the synapse. While mainstream mobile electronics, like digital cameras and mobile phones use the so-called three-terminal flash memory, the advantage of two-terminal memories like TRAM is that two-terminal memories do not need a thick and rigid oxide layer. “Flash memory is still more reliable and has better performance, but TRAM is more flexible and can be scalable,” explains Professor Yu.

TRAM is made up of a stack of one-atom-thick or a few atom-thick 2D crystal layers: One layer of the semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating layer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and a graphene layer. In simple terms, memory is created (logical-0), read and erased (logical-1) by the flowing of charges through these layers. TRAM stores data by keeping electrons on its graphene layer. By applying different voltages between the electrodes, electrons flow from the drain to the graphene layer tunnelling through the insulating h-BN layer. The graphene layer becomes negatively charged and memory is written and stored and vice versa, when positive charges are introduced in the graphene layer, memory is erased.

IBS scientists carefully selected the thickness of the insulating h-BN layer as they found that a thickness of 7.5 nanometers allows the electrons to tunnel from the drain electrode to the graphene layer without leakages and without losing flexibility.

Flexibility and stretchability are indeed two key features of TRAM. When TRAM was fabricated on flexible plastic (PET) and stretachable silicone materials (PDMS), it could be strained up to 0.5% and 20%, respectively. In the future, TRAM can be useful to save data from flexible or wearable smartphones, eye cameras, smart surgical gloves, and body-attachable biomedical devices.

Last but not least, TRAM has better performance than other types of two-terminal memories known as phase-change random-access memory (PRAM) and resistive random-access memory (RRAM).

The IC industry’s original system-on-chip (SoC) product category—microcontrollers—is expected to steadily reach record-high annual revenues through the second half of this decade despite an overall slowdown in unit growth during the next five years. Microcontroller sales barely increased in 2015, rising less than a half percent, to set a new record high of slightly more than $15.9 billion, thanks to a 15% increase in MCU shipments that lifted worldwide unit volumes to an all-time peak of 22.1 billion last year (Figure 1). Strong unit growth—driven by smartcard MCUs and 32-bit designs—enabled the MCU market to overcome a 13% drop in the average selling price (ASP) of microcontrollers to a record-low $0.72 in 2015. Price erosion—especially in 32-bit MCUs—has weighed down MCU sales growth in three of the last four years, but ASPs are now expected to stabilize and increase slightly in the 2015-2020 forecast period, rising by a CAGR of 1.6% compared to a -7.7% annual rate of decline between 2010 and 2015.

Fig 1

Fig 1

While ASP erosion is expected to end, MCU unit shipments are forecast to rise at a much lower rate than in the first half of this decade, primarily because of a slowdown in the growth of smartcard microcontrollers and tighter reins on IC inventories for the “next big thing”—the Internet of Things (IoT). IC Insights’ forecasts MCU sales will rise in 2016 to nearly $16.6 billion, which is a 4% increase from $15.9 billion in 2015. MCU unit volumes are expected to grow by 2% in 2016 to 22.4 billion, and the ASP for total microcontrollers is forecast to rise 2% this year to $0.74. Between 2015 and 2020, microcontroller sales are projected to grow by a CAGR of 5.5% to nearly $20.9 billion in the final year of the forecast. Since the middle 1990s, worldwide MCU sales have grown by a CAGR of 2.9%.

As shown in Figure 1, no downturns are anticipated in MCU sales through 2020. Total MCU revenue growth is expected to gradually strengthen between 2016 and 2019 (when sales are forecast to grow 9%) before easing back to a 4% increase in 2020. MCU unit shipments are now projected to grow by a CAGR of 3.9%.

A major factor in slower MCU unit growth through 2020 is the maturing of the smartcard market, which in recent years has accounted for nearly half of microcontroller shipments and about 15-16% of total revenue. By 2020, smartcard MCUs are expected to represent 38% of total microcontroller unit shipments and about 12% of sales.

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) market is expected to reach USD 20.26 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of nearly 12%.

This research report titled ‘Global MEMS Market 2016-2020’ provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the sales of MEMS. The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of top vendors in the market, as well as other prominent vendors.

MEMS are miniaturized devices and structures that are made using the techniques of microfabrication. These combine mechanical, optical, and fluidic elements with electronics. The size of the devices can range from less than one micron up to a number of millimeters. These devices are integrated with a number of devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, vehicles, medical devices, and industrial devices for carrying out different types of automated functions. Consumer electronics is the largest market for MEMS. IoT will boost up the MEMS demand, as a large number of MEMS would be required for smart homes, building and industrial automation, and smart grid applications.

Technavio’s hardware and semiconductor analysts categorize the market into three major segments by end user. They are:

  • Automotive
  • Consumer electronics
  • Industrial

Global MEMS market for consumer electronic segment

The consumer electronic segment was valued at USD 5.83 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 10.84 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 13% during the forecast period. MEMS are integrated into consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, gaming consoles, and wearables. The features such as display control, motion control, navigation, and gesture recognition are enabled by MEMS. Therefore, consumer electronics are integrated with MEMS. The global MEMS market for consumer electronics will primarily be driven by the increase in demand for smartphones. This is due to the decreasing cost of smartphones, which, in turn, boosts the market for MEMS.

According to Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead sensors research analyst from Technavio, “With the declining ASPs and increasing benefits such as low space and high accuracy, the demand for MEMS is increasing. MEMS are small enough to be soldered directly onto the circuit boards. This provides technology with a price advantage.”

Global MEMS market for automotive segment

The automotive segment was valued at USD 3.3 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 5.22 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of almost 10% during the forecast period. Government regulations and consumer awareness campaigns such as the Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) are driving the demand for MEMS in the automotive segment. Global NCAP demands the integration of minimum vehicle safety standards for both crash protection and crash avoidance in all new cars sold worldwide by 2020. This requires the installation of different types of MEMS in vehicles. MEMS provide safety features such as airbag systems, vehicle security systems, inertial brake lights, headlight levelling, rollover detection, automatic door locks, and active suspension.

“The UN Road Safety Collaboration has introduced a global plan for the decade 2011-2020. The plan focuses on road safety activities such as improving the safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks; building road safety management capacity; enhancing the behavior of road users; further developing the safety of vehicles; and improving post-crash care,” says Sunil.

MEMS microphones are mainly used in the automotive segment for speech or voice recognition in automobile audio systems. This will enable the passengers to stay connected and be entertained in a safe environment, as they can communicate with the audio system verbally. This has the possibility to reduce road accidents, as people are often distracted by factors such as adjusting the car audio system or speaking on mobile phones.

Global MEMS market for industrial segment

The industrial segment was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 1.95 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of above 10% during the forecast period. MEMS are used in many industrial applications such as construction equipment, agricultural machinery or platform leveling, and for testing applications. MEMS accelerometers are used for vibration sensing conditions such as automotive testing or monitoring the pitch and roll of an aircraft.

MEMS are also used with IoT for industrial automation. MEMS technology is helpful for industrial robots, as it can be applied to tactile sensors, navigation, or proximity sensors. MEMS are used for condition monitoring of transportation and industrial equipment, vibration and rotational speed monitoring, asset and parcel tracking and monitoring, shock detection and logging, building and structure monitoring, and vibration and tilt monitoring.

A leading South Korean research university has successfully integrated two Advanced Vacuum plasma processing systems from Plasma-Therm into its nanotechnology fabrication lab, which supports multiple users engaged in wide-ranging nanotechnology research.

Seoul National University lab researchers recently installed two Apex SLR systems with the well-proven inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source technology from Plasma-Therm. One system is configured for dry etching, and the second system is configured for high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD).

Jong-Seung Park, Team Manager/Fab. Operations of Seoul National University, said the university’s cleanroom facility serves many users who are employing the Apex SLR® systems’ etch and deposition capabilities.

“We are pleased to provide a good reference for these systems and their support,” Park said. “Both systems operate as we expected and deliver reproducible results over the last more than 16 months. The systems are reliable and we are pleased to be a customer of Plasma-Therm.”

Park said the Apex SLR ICP system utilizes chlorine-based chemistries for etching various materials, with an emphasis on aluminum interconnects. The Apex SLR® HDPCVD system has been employed for a wide range of silicon oxide and silicon nitride deposition processes, such as trench or gap filling for device fabrication.

Dr. David Lishan, Director, Technical Marketing for Plasma-Therm, said that Apex SLR systems are ideally suited for corporate R&D and academic research settings. “The Apex SLR, with its very strong and successful processing history, excellent uniformity and reproducibility, has proven highly productive in research environments.” Dr. Lishan continued, “The ability for facilities like SNU’s to task Apex SLR systems and quickly achieve process specs for multiple users are big reasons for selection of Apex SLR over products that are less capable and more expensive.”

Advanced Vacuum Apex SLR systems are highly versatile, small-footprint, field-proven tools for all plasma processing applications. Apex SLR ICP is capable of etching a wide range of materials for semiconductor devices and other types of nanotechnology. Apex SLR HDPCVD performs deposition of high-quality thin films at relatively low temperatures for applications such as optical coatings, semiconductor device passivation layers, and other nano-electronic fabrication processes with limited thermal budgets.

By Yann Guillou, SEMI Europe

Leading companies will present the latest and most impactful trends at the upcoming SEMI European MEMS Summit in Stuttgart on 15-16 September, 2016.  Over 200 attendees, including the industry’s most influential executives and decision makers, are expected to discuss challenges, solutions, and critical trends impacting the sector.  The full program line-up for SEMI’s MEMS flagship event is available online.  Have a look and register now.

The event’s keynote presentation will be delivered by Udo Gomez, CTO of Bosch Sensortec, headquartered just a few kilometers away from the conference venue.  During his talk titled, “Smart Connected MEMS Sensors – Enabler for the IoT,” with the perspective of a sensor systems integrator, Gomez will discuss how different application domains overlap, the key drivers of connectivity and digitalization, and what is missing with respect to bridging future technologies.

One of the MEMS “Titans,” Benedetto Vigna, EVP and GM of STMicroelectronics, will deliver a keynote about “MEMS Sensors and Actuators – Opportunities and Challenges” and review their implication on ST focus areas such as Smart Driving and the Internet of Things.  It will be exciting to see what Vigna will share with the audience and what details might support what Peter Clarke recently called the “ST resurgence”.

Representing one of the largest growing companies of 2015, Robert Aigner, senior director from Qorvo, will keynote and present the success story behind BAW filters in his talk called “BAW and the “Edge of Tomorrow” in Wireless Communication: Innovate, Ramp. Repeat.” BAW filters had been termed “niche play,” but are now identified as key enablers for smartphones with multibillions of units expected to ship in 2016.

Addressing a key aspect of the quadriptych “power, performance, area and cost” equation, Adrian Arcedera, VP, AMKOR, will in his keynote talk discuss “Sensor in Package – Standard Package Platform for Sensor Fusion and IoT”. To offer cost competitive solutions without compromising performance, he will explain what standardization efforts are needed in packaging, assembly, test, and detail the solution proposed by AMKOR. He may also take the opportunity to provide additional info about the brand new MEMS plant of AMKOR in China.

In addition to these keynote talks, a top notch speaker line-up will be presented to attendees. Market analysts will share the results of their latest reports featuring IHS, Yole Developpement, and Roland Berger. Foundries such as GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Teledyne DALSA will present their strategies. The hyper active company in M&A, ams AG, will talk about MEMS and optical sensor in consumer and wearable electronics.

Intel will join the stage, addressing wearables in addition to providing a review of the key enabling technologies impacting MEMS today. NXP and Bosch will discuss sensors for automotive.  MEMS and CMOS integration, from a process and design perspective, will be addressed by Fraunhofer IPMS and Coventor and Invensas will deliver a presentation from a technological aspect.  Last, but not least, we are very excited to introduce great and promising start-ups Innoluce, USound, Polight and Enerbee. Attendees can look forward to hearing their pitches and learning about their innovative ideas.

Exhibitor space has sold out, but you can visit our website to see who will be exhibiting at the European MEMS Summit in Stuttgart.  Connect to the leaders and industry professionals that will help “Make Every Market Smarter” in the MEMS and Sensor value chain.  Register now, and be part of this exciting event in Stuttgart!

Please follow: SEMI Europe LinkedIn and SEMI Europe Twitter; also Global SEMI LinkedIn and SEMI Twitter.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.79 billion in orders worldwide in July 2016 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.05, according to the July Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.  A book-to-bill of 1.05 means that $105 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 July 2016 was $1.79 billion. The bookings figure is 4.7 percent higher than the final June 2016 level of $1.71 billion, and is 13.1 percent higher than the July 2015 order level of $1.59 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in July 2016 was $1.71 billion. The billings figure is 0.6 percent lower than the final June 2016 level of $1.72 billion, and is 9.6 percent higher than the July 2015 billings level of $1.56 billion.

“Monthly bookings have exceeded $1.7 billion for the past three months with monthly billings trending in a similar manner,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “Recent earnings announcements have indicated that strong purchasing activity by China and 3D NAND producers will continue in the near-term.”

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
February 2016

$1,204.4

$1,262.0

1.05
March 2016

$1,197.6

$1,379.2

1.15
April 2016

$1,460.2

$1,595.4

1.09
May 2016

$1,601.5

$1,750.5

1.09
June 2016 (final)

$1,715.2

$1,714.3

1.00
July 2016 (prelim)

$1,705.1

$1,794.7

1.05

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

Pradeep Lall, John and Anne MacFarlane professor of mechanical engineering, has received a top award from the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers program.

Lall received the 2016 Alexander Schwarzkopf Prize for Technological Innovation for his work as director of Auburn University’s Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Environment Electronics, or CAVE3, which partners with industry, government and academic agencies to address major technological challenges through precompetitive research on automotive and harsh environment electronics. Precompetitive research allows the center to address these challenges before the technologies become commercialized.

“This award is reaffirmation of Dr. Lall’s national reputation and recognition of his seminal contributions to the field of mechanical engineering,” said Christopher B. Roberts, dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Lall’s research focuses on the development of methods for assuring survivability of electronics to high shock forces, vibration and extreme temperatures. He is best known for his research in the areas of reliability and prognostics for electronic systems operating in harsh environments.

“Electronic systems have taken an increasingly important role in automotive design and operation,” Lall said. “Traditional automotive electronics at one time consisted of climate control and entertainment systems. Roll the clock forward to the present day and automotive electronics have expanded to include driving assists such as antilock braking systems, traction control systems, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning systems and more. Failure of one of these systems is no longer an inconvenience; it may be critical to the safe operation of the vehicle.”

Founded in 1999 as the Center for Advanced Vehicle Electronics, CAVE3 has over the years expanded its expertise to include extreme environment electronics. Lall has been the center’s director since 2008, following his appointment as associate director in 2004. Lall also directs Auburn’s Harsh Environments Node of the NextFlex Manufacturing Institute, part of a national manufacturing effort on harsh environment electronics led by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Lall joined the Auburn faculty in 2002 after a distinguished industry career at Motorola, where he worked on the development and manufacture of wireless products such as cellphones and two-way radios.

“Dr. Lall’s recognition with the Alex Schwarzkopf Prize is evidence of the societal and transformational impact that Auburn University is making on automotive and harsh environment technologies in everyday life,” said John Mason, Auburn’s vice president for research and economic development.

NSF’s cooperative research centers program was established in 1973 by Schwarzkopf to develop long-term research partnerships among industry, academe and government in areas of mutual interest. The Alexander Schwarzkopf Prize for Technological Innovation has been presented annually since 2003 to an individual or team at a member institution whose research makes an exemplary contribution to technology innovation. More than 100 universities and nearly a thousand researchers are members.

MEMS, a pivotal technololgy predominantly used in the automotive industry, serves to enhance vehicle features. While the automotive MEMS technology has been widely adopted for vehicle control, safety, comfort, convenience, powertrain, and infotainment, vehicle safety is the key factor that majorly impacts the demand for MEMS in the automotive industry.

A few major brands in the automotive MEMS market witnessed a regulatory blow in 2014-15, resulting in passive market dynamics. However, the market has recovered rapidly and is currently growing at a significant pace, according to new research recently published by Future Market Insights.

The major applications of automotive MEMS include airbags, tire pressure monitoring, navigation, and electronic stability. However, according to FMI’s market research, the industry is currently witnessing a growing number of applications, which is expected to continue with the advent of technology and increasing research prospects. The market is thus foreseen to grow at an impressive pace over the forecast period 2016-2026.

Key players in the global automotive MEMS market

According to FMI’s findings, the prominent players in the global automotive MEMS market include Robert Bosch GmbH, General Motors Company, Analog Devices Inc., STMicroelectronics N.V., Sensata Technologies Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG, Delphi Automotive PLC, and Freescale Semiconductors Ltd. (perviously NXP), Denso Corporation, and Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

With the aim of expanding the customer base, few of the prominent players in the automotive MEMS market are setting up their production plants in the foreign market thereby further boosting the market revenues. For instance, on February 20, 2015, Denso Corporation, one of the prominent players in automotive MEMS market confirmed the plans of constructing another plant in Cambodia that would cater to the automotive industries in the region.

Strict government regulations

Various governments are implementing stringent regulations setting the standards for vehicles’ fuel efficiency and emission standards. As a result, major players in the market are increasingly striving to meet the standards through adoption of MEMS, thereby escalating the demand for automotive MEMS in the market. China and India in particular are expected to grow into attractive markets during the forecast period.

Regions with adverse climatic conditions

Studies depict that harsh climatic conditions such as heavy snowfall or rainfall may negatively influence the functioning of MEMS systems in vehicles. Moreover, it is not feasible to replace the entire MEMS system, if it faces a minor fault. This is expected to be a major challcenge that might reflect a shift in consumer behaviour.

Future Market Insight’s research on the global automotive MEMS market offers a 10-year forecast, segmenting the market according to type, applications, and regions.

On the basis of type, the automotive MEMS Market is further segmented into pressure sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, flow sensor and others.

As per the regional analysis, the global automotive MEMS market is segmented into seven key regions, including North America, Latin America, East Europe, West Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.

Researchers at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, using the liquid crystal elastomer technology, originally developed in the LENS Institute in Florence, demonstrated a bioinspired micro-robot capable of mimicking caterpillar gaits in natural scale. The 15-millimeter long soft robot harvests energy from green light and is controlled by spatially modulated laser beam. Apart from travelling on flat surfaces, it can also climb slopes, squeeze through narrow slits and transport loads.

Caterpillar micro-robot sitting on a finger tip. Credit: Source: FUW

Caterpillar micro-robot sitting on a finger tip. Credit: Source: FUW

For decades scientists and engineers have been trying to build robots mimicking different modes of locomotion found in nature. Most of these designs have rigid skeletons and joints driven by electric or pneumatic actuators. In nature, however, a vast number of creatures navigate their habitats using soft bodies – earthworms, snails and larval insects can effectively move in complex environments using different strategies. Up to date, attempts to create soft robots were limited to larger scale (typically tens of centimeters), mainly due to difficulties in power management and remote control.

Liquid Crystalline Elastomers (LCEs) are smart materials that can exhibit large shape change under illumination with visible light. With the recently developed techniques, it is possible to pattern these soft materials into arbitrary three dimensional forms with a pre-defined actuation performance. The light-induced deformation allows a monolithic LCE structure to perform complex actions without numerous discrete actuators.

Researchers from the University of Warsaw with colleagues from LESN (Italy) and Cambridge (UK) have now developed a natural-scale soft caterpillar robot with an opto-mechanical liquid crystalline elastomer monolithic design. The robot body is made of a light sensitive elastomer stripe with patterned molecular alignment. By controlling the travelling deformation pattern the robot mimics different gaits of its natural relatives. It can also walk up a slope, squeeze through a slit and push objects as heavy as ten times its own mass, demonstrating its ability to perform in challenging environments and pointing at potential future applications.

– Designing soft robots calls for a completely new paradigm in their mechanics, power supply and control. We are only beginning to learn from nature and shift our design approaches towards these that emerged in natural evolution – says Piotr Wasylczyk, head of the Photonic Nanostructure Facility at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, Poland, who led the project.

Researchers hope that rethinking materials, fabrication techniques and design strategies should open up new areas of soft robotics in micro- and millimeter length scales, including swimmers (both on-surface and underwater) and even fliers.

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) today announced that Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) has joined SRC’s Nanomanufacturing Materials and Processes (NMP) initiative.

TEL’s addition contributes to a 33 percent increase in core SRC membership over the last 18 months and is the second non-US headquartered company to join within the same period. It is further indication of how important pre-competitive research is to overcome the current obstacles that impede future semiconductor technology progress.

“SRC is pleased TEL has made the decision to invest research dollars into the NMP program,” said Ken Hansen, President & CEO, SRC. “TEL’s addition strengthens research throughout the entire semiconductor supply chain that has consistently provided SRC members end-to-end solutions to the challenges facing the industry.”

As one of twelve different research areas, the NMP initiative focuses on developing revolutionary and high-impact materials and processes to enable future generations of semiconductor manufacturing technologies, while training well-educated students for innovation-driven careers in integrated circuit manufacturing. Key NMP research topics include Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV), Directed Self-Assembly (DSA), Atomic Layer Deposition and Etch (ALD/ALE) processes, interconnect scaling and optimization, and new semiconductor device materials.

“TEL sees the value of collaborating as a member of the SRC NMP program to find solutions for important semiconductor technology issues,” said Gishi Chung, Corporate Director & SVP, TEL.