Category Archives: MEMS

Viewpoints: 2016 outlook


January 11, 2016

Each year, Solid State Technology turns to industry leaders to hear viewpoints on the technological and economic outlook for the upcoming year. Read through these expert opinions on what to expect in 2016.

New technologies will fuel pockets of growth in 2016

Plisinski_headshotBy Mike Plisinski, Chief Executive Officer, Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

While the 2016 outlook for the semiconductor industry as a whole appears increasingly uncertain, there are areas where significant growth remains likely. In particular, advanced packaging, driven by growing consumer demand in applications ranging from smartphones and tablets to the Internet of Things (IoT), shows great promise for continued innovation.

First, we see outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) manufacturers driving the development of new packaging technology. For example, we’ve seen major gains in the adoption of fan-out packaging and copper pillar technology, evidenced by ongoing capacity expansion, and the addition of new players—the most obvious perhaps being the large ongoing investment by a leading foundry in Asia where our inspection equipment has received a prominent role. We see more and more manufacturers choosing to add yield management and/or advanced process control (APC) software, to obtain a competitive advantage in not only cost, but also reliability. This is achieved by transforming ultra-large data sets into useful information used for predictive analytics (reducing costs) and analysis across the supply chain (improving reliability).

The growth in advanced packaging is also driving the adoption of sophisticated lithography techniques for these new technologies. Our JetStep advanced packaging stepper is now in high-volume manufacturing use at several top OSATs. The system allows our customers the flexibility to handle all of the current advanced processes within a single tool, which provides a compelling cost of ownership value. We also see emerging processes, such the adoption of rectangular panel substrates, in some packaging applications, certainly in fan-out, but also embedded and other packaging technologies. Rectangular panels promise significant gains in economy-of-scale and processing efficiency.

Lastly, expansion in radio frequency (RF) device capability continues to grow, with the increasing number of devices that communicate wirelessly and the increasing number of frequencies with which they communicate. Measuring the electrode and piezo layers of SAW/BAW filters will only grow as more and more filters are required in mobile devices. Beyond mobile, the expansion in RF is also driven by WiFi, Bluetooth and IoT requirements for connectivity, so we expect it to accelerate even as the smartphone growth curve flattens.

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Worldwide semiconductor revenue totaled $333.7 billion in 2015, a 1.9 percent decrease from 2014 revenue of $340.3 billion, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. The top 25 semiconductor vendors’ combined revenue increased 0.2 percent, which was more than the overall industry’s growth. The top 25 vendors accounted for 73.2 percent of total market revenue, up from 71.7 percent in 2014.

“Weakened demand for key electronic equipment, the continuing impact of the strong dollar in some regions and elevated inventory are to blame for the decline in the market in 2015,” said Sergis Mushell, research director at Gartner. “In contrast to 2014, which saw revenue growth in all key device categories, 2015 saw mixed performance with optoelectronics, nonoptical sensors, analog and ASIC all reporting revenue growth while the rest of the market saw declines. Strongest growth was from the ASIC segment with growth of 2.4 percent due to demand from Apple, followed by analog and nonoptical sensors with 1.9 percent and 1.6 percent growth, respectively. Memory, the most volatile segment of the semiconductor industry, saw revenue decline by 0.6 percent, with DRAM experiencing negative growth and NAND flash experiencing growth.”

Intel recorded a 1.2 percent revenue decline, due to falls in PC shipments (see Table 1). However, it retained the No. 1 market share position for the 24th year in a row with 15.5 percent market share. Samsung’s memory business helped drive growth of 11.8 percent in 2015, and the company maintained the No. 2 spot with 11.6 percent market share.

Table 1. Top 10 Semiconductor Vendors by Revenue, Worldwide, 2015 (Millions of Dollars)

Rank 2014

Rank 2015

Vendor

2014 Revenue 

2015 Estimated Revenue 

2014-2015 Growth (%)

2015 Market Share (%)

1

1

Intel

52,331

51,709

-1.2

15.5

2

2

Samsung Electronics

34,742

38,855

11.8

11.6

5

3

SK Hynix

15,997

16,494

3.1

4.9

3

4

Qualcomm

19,291

15,936

-17.4

4.8

4

5

Micron Technology

16,278

14,448

-11.2

4.3

6

6

Texas Instruments

11,538

11,533

0.0

3.5

7

7

Toshiba

10,665

9,622

-9.8

2.9

8

8

Broadcom

8,428

8,419

-0.1

2.5

9

9

STMicroelectronics

7,376

6,890

-6.6

2.1

12

10

Infineon Technologies

5,693

6,630

16.5

2.0

Others

157,992

153,182

-3.0

41.2

Total

340,331

333,718

-1.9

100

Source: Gartner (January 2016)

“The rise of the U.S. dollar against a number of different currencies significantly impacted the total semiconductor market in 2015,” said Mr. Mushell. “End equipment demand was weakened in regions where the local currency depreciated against the dollar. For example in the eurozone, the sales prices of mobile phones or PCs increased in local currency, as many of the components are priced in U.S. dollars. This resulted in buyers either delaying purchases or buying cheaper substitute products, resulting in lower semiconductor sales. Additionally, Gartner’s semiconductor revenue statistics are based on U.S. dollars; thus, sharp depreciation of the Japanese yen shrinks the revenue and the market share of the Japanese semiconductor vendors when measured in U.S. dollars.”

The NAND market continued to deteriorate throughout the year. As a result, revenue grew only 4.1 percent in 2015, fueled by elevated supply bit growth that resulted in an aggressive pricing environment. The tumultuous NAND pricing environment rippled through most of the NAND solutions, particularly solid-state drives (SSDs), which continue to encroach on hard-disk drives (HDDs). The ensuing price war in SSDs further pressured the profitability of the NAND flash makers amid the biggest technology transition in flash history — 3D NAND. While 3D NAND commercialization was modest, it was limited to only one vendor — Samsung. Modest revenue gains have not stopped investment in NAND flash and 3D technology, with all vendors continuing to spend aggressively in the technology and most with new fabs.

After 32.0 percent revenue growth in 2014, the DRAM market hit a downturn in 2015. An oversupply in the commodity portion of the market caused by weak PC demand led to severe declines in average selling prices (ASPs), and revenue contracted by 2.4 percent compared with 2014. The oversupply and the extent of ASP declines could have been significantly worse if Micron Technologies’ bit growth had performed in line with its South Korean rivals. Fortunately for the market, the company saw negative bit growth due to its transition to 20 nm, sparing the industry from an even more severe downturn.

Additional information is provided in the Gartner report “Market Share Analysis: Semiconductors, Worldwide, Preliminary 2015 Estimates.”

AKHAN Semiconductor, Inc. (AKHAN SEMI), a developer of diamond semiconductor technology, this week announced that it is deploying 200mm manufacturing equipment and process in its new production facility in Gurnee, Illinois, continuing its preparation for delivering AKHAN diamond semiconductor based-technology products to the company’s first commercial customer this quarter.

“The proven, high-yielding 200mm semiconductor manufacturing process is proving ideal for the production of a wide range of semiconductors – sensors, MEMS, analog, power management – that are embedded in the rapidly growing number of connected devices, from smartphones and tablets to cars, home appliances, wearables, and commercial and industrial applications,” said AKHAN COO Carl Shurboff.

According to market research firm Gartner, Inc., the number of Internet-connected devices, now referred to as the Internet of Things, will grow from 6.3 billion in 2016 to more than 20 billion in 2020.

This explosion in connected products is driving high global demand for all types of new semiconductors to power this new era of connected computing. SEMI noted in its Global 200mm Fab Outlook to 2018 that 200mm fab capacity is expected to grow from 5.2 million wafer starts per month in 2015 to more than 5.4 million in 2018.

“The timing for our diamond-based semiconductor technology’s market debut could not be better,” said AKHAN CEO Adam Khan. “By using man-made diamonds at the core of our new chip technology, we are ushering in a new generation of semiconductor solutions that operate at higher temperatures, are thinner and require less power. These are exactly the attributes required for all the products that make up the Internet of Things.”

The AKHAN diamond semiconductor based technology will enable a new generation of commercial, industrial and consumer products such as flexible and transparent displays that can be used in wearables and thinner consumer devices that last longer. On the commercial side, AKHAN is already developing new diamond windows for industrial, defense and aerospace applications.

AKHAN’s technology is based on a new process that uses man-made diamond rather than silicon to produce new chip materials. It is a result of the marriage of two scientific breakthroughs: the ability to use nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films and a new doping process the makes it possible to use NCD as a semiconductor material.

The new AKHAN production facility was opened in mid-November. The company is actively hiring to staff the new facility which is expected to employee 100 people in the next two years.

By Heidi Hoffman, FlexTech Alliance, a SEMI Strategic Alliance Partner

Flexible and printed electronics applications are becoming real. Forecasters are predicting a nearly $30 billion market for internet-connected devices in a combined industry and consumer sector.  Of those, healthcare is the strongest flexible, hybrid electronics (FHE) segment, where performance is of the highest value and reliability is life-and-death critical.  The savings to be realized from these devices and more successful self-treatment will potentially in part make up for the shortages in doctors, nurses and care-givers as people live much longer lives and encounter more health problems than before.

Demand is high for increasing the manufacturability of all of these products — lowering the per unit price and increasing value to the customer– and is the reason the U.S. Government is putting its muscle (and funds) into advanced manufacturing of FHE with NextFlex – America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute.

NextFlex was announced last August, and has since released its first project call asking for proposals on advanced manufacturing methodologies for health monitoring and structural health monitoring.  The products will incorporate a hybrid approach where commercial-off-the-shelf signal processing electronics are integrated onto the flexible substrate that allows for the fabrication of fully functional, mechanically flexible, sensor systems. The intelligence on small, flexible silicon can be incorporated onto flexible substrates for more conformable electronics and eliminate big, bulky, boxy electronics that are far from comfortably worn.

Over 70 organizations submitted pre-proposals to NextFlex with a wide range of projects designed to advance FHE manufacturing know-how.  Much of the work in sight will be presented at the NextFlex/FlexTech/SEMI event ─ 2016FLEX ─ designed to survey recent developments in printed electronics and hear how FHE is developing cost effective solutions for manufacturing advanced products and systems. Specific development programs will be discussed on how and when FHE can and should be used in a variety of commercial and military applications.  The 2016 FLEX technical conference will also feature presentations on the current state of FHE from a manufacturing perspective, including methods for integrating electronics with sensors onto flexible substrates.

Read more about 2016FLEX at www.2016FLEX.com.  The event brings together 600+ of the industry’s technology leaders to present and explore the latest products, processes, materials and equipment in the flexible and printed electronics ecosystem.

Cloudtag and imec, the nanoelectronics research center, today presented the first results of their collaboration on accurate frictionless wearable health solutions. Cloudtag Track, a new wearable fitness tracker, that was launched today at CES 2016, combines fitness and health monitoring with design, to pave the way to innovation in fitness wearables as well as in the care, cure and prevention cycle by providing immediate access to accurate medical data and personalized feedback.

Within the framework of their collaboration, imec develops algorithms for CloudTag’s wearable sensor devices that enable accurate monitoring of physiological parameters. At CES 2016, CloudTag has launched the Cloudtag Track, its first wearable multisensor device. The Cloudtag Track stands out among other wearable devices due to its unique combination of high user comfort with unparalleled data quality. The light and ultra-small device integrates imec’s proprietary algorithm that retrieves physiological parameters with an exceptionally high level of accuracy. Imec’s algorithm accurately recognizes activity, measures energy expenditure, heart rate and other physiological data.

Cloudtag Track can be tailored to match different needs and blends reliable technology with frictionless usabilityto improve the user experience and to help increase adoption. Cloudtag Track gives immediate, accurate and personalized feedback on one’s lifestyle, enabling the individual to put unhealthy habits into perspective while persuading lifestyle changes to adopt healthier diet and activity habits.

“Imec and Holst Centre develop ultra-small low-power, high-quality sensors and specialized algorithms that turn data into valuable knowledge, paving the way to next generation wearables that offer medical quality data monitoring in a frictionless way. These sophisticated wearables can support doctors in diagnosis and follow-up of illnesses, and they offer a huge opportunity in illness prevention by serving as a virtual personal coach,” stated Chris Van Hoof, program director of imec’s wearable health program. “Our collaboration with Cloudtag is an exciting example of how imec’s technology can support the industry in realizing the next generation of wearable devices.”

“I am extremely pleased with this collaboration with imec, as I believe this firmly validates the joint work we are doing and the future of our relationship,” commented Amit Ben-Haim, CloudTag CEO. “This is underscored by the results of the collaboration, and in particular, the accuracy of imec’s algorithms to retrieve physiological parameters which provides us with a unique selling point. I look forward to our continued collaboration and to future product development.”

By Denny McGuirk, SEMI president and CEO

“In like a lion, out like a lamb” is just half the story for 2015.  While initial expectations forecasted a double-digit growth year, the world economy faded and dragged our industry down to nearly flat 2015/2014 results.

However, 2015 will be remembered for a wild ride that fundamentally changed the industry.  In 2015 a wave of M&A activity swept across the industry supply chain — unlike any single year before — with scores of transactions and notable multi-billion dollar companies being absorbed.  In 2016, we all will be working within a newly reconfigured supply chain.

Increasingly, in this business landscape, collaboration is required simultaneously across the extended supply chain — customers’ customers’ customers are now routinely part of the discussion in even unit process development.  Facilitating interaction and collaboration across the extended supply chain is part of what SEMI does and I’ll be updating you in next week’s letter on how, but first, let’s review what’s happened and what’s happening.

2015 Down 1%: “In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb”

2015 had an optimistic start with a strong outlook and good pace in Q1 and 1H.  In January 2015 forecasters projected semiconductor equipment and materials growing in a range of 7 percent to nearly 14 percent vs. 2014.  Global GDP, as late as May 2015, was pegged at 3.5 percent for 2015 after coming in at only 3.4 percent in 2014.  In August, estimates dropped to 3.3 percent, in November estimates dropped further to 3.1 percent for the year.

As our industry has matured, semiconductor equipment and materials growth rates are ever more tightly correlated to shifts in global GDP.  With global GDP unexpectedly dropping, the second half saw declining book-to-bill activity and the year will likely end flat or slightly negative for 2015.  Though nearly flat, the numbers are still impressive with a healthy $37.3 billion annual revenue for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and $43.6 billion for semiconductor materials.

An important change is since the 2009 financial crisis, electronics, chips, and semiconductor equipment and materials markets have been much more stable year-to-year than in the years prior to 2009.  Also, the movement of the three segments is much more synchronized compared to the earlier years of boom and bust. For SEMI’s members this means cycles are becoming more muted — enabling members to shift business models accordingly to better maintain prosperity.

Fab-Equipmt-600w Capital-Equip-600w

 

2015’s $125+ Billion M&A:  Inflection Point for Silicon Valley Icons and Global Titans

2015 is a year that will be viewed as an inflection point in our industry.  The unprecedented M&A volume (more than $125 billion for semiconductor related companies) and the size of individual deals through the electronics supply chain will forever  change the industry.

historic-proportions

While there have been waves of consolidation for semiconductor Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) in the 1980s and 1990s, and semiconductor equipment and materials in the 1990s and 2000s, the fabless semiconductor companies are the latest wave undergoing consolidation.  Although, in 2015, not just fabless, but all segments saw major deals — even iconic chemical brands DuPont and Dow Chemical announced their intention to merge.

Large and familiar brands like Broadcom (Avago), SanDisk (Western Digital), Altera (Intel), Freescale (NXP), and KLA-Tencor (Lam Research) have been merged and will continue forward as part of their acquirers.  China is on the move with its ambitions to quickly grow its indigenous semiconductor supply chain with recent acquisitions of ISSI, OmniVision, NXP RF power unit, and notably Mattson in the semiconductor equipment segment.

In an age when new fab costs are pushing double-digit billions of dollars and leading-edge device tapeouts are surpassing $300 million per part, consolidation is a strategy to increase scale, leverage R&D, and compete better.  For SEMI’s members, the winner-take-all stakes increase and raise expectations for technology, product performance, application development, speed, and support.  This, in turn, means that SEMI members have an increased need for a newly drawn pre-competitive collaboration model along the extended electronics supply chain and for Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to drive collective action in focused sub-segments and for specific issues.

Collaboration-is-critical-6

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), 2015

2016 Up ~1%: Stay Close to your Customer and your Customer’s Customer and …

Current projections for semiconductor equipment and materials suggest that 2016 will not be a high growth year.  The span of forecasts ranges from almost -10 percent to +5 percent.  At SEMI’s Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS), 10-13 January, we will be taking a deep-dive into the 2016 forecast and on the business drivers and will have a much better picture of the consensus outlook.

However, it is already quite clear that following this enormous wave of consolidation, the industry will look different and will offer new and different opportunities.  Listening to SEMI’s members, I’ve heard that during this period of upheaval it’s absolutely critical to stay close to one’s customers – but more than that – to have access and ongoing direct dialogue with the customer’s customer … and customers’ customers’ customers.

In light of the cost of research and development, the magnitude of risks, and the speed of new consumer electronics adoption, SEMI members find that they need to intimately know emerging requirements two to three steps away in the supply chain, and may require rapid and innovative development from their own sub-suppliers to meet product delivery in time.  In parallel, we see system integrators (electronics providers) staffing up with semiconductor processing engineers and equipment expertise, both for differentiation of their own products and for potential strategic vertical manufacturing.

2016 will mark an acceleration of collaboration and interdependence across the extended supply chain.  Next week, I’ll provide an update letter on SEMI’s related activities with an overview of what SEMI is doing to meet the realities of a reshaped industry.  SEMI’s role is evolving, and more important now than ever, in helping the industry achieve together, what it cannot accomplish alone.

SEMI-Infographic--Achieving

Learn more about SEMI membership and upcoming events.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $28.9 billion for the month of November 2015, 0.3 percent lower than the previous month’s total of $29.0 billion and 3.0 percent down from the November 2014 total of $29.8 billion. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Softening demand and lingering macroeconomic challenges continued to limit global semiconductor sales in November,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Despite these headwinds, the industry may narrowly surpass total annual sales from 2014 and is projected to post modest sales increases in 2016 and beyond.”

Regionally, month-to-month sales increased in China (1.0 percent), Europe (1.0 percent), and the Americas (0.3 percent), but decreased in Japan (-0.6 percent), and Asia Pacific/All Other (-2.4 percent). Compared to November 2014, sales were up in China (5.3 percent), but down in Asia Pacific/All Other (-4.1 percent), the Americas (-7.1 percent), Europe (-8.0 percent), and Japan (-8.6 percent).

November 2015

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                               

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

6.05

6.07

0.3%

Europe

2.91

2.93

1.0%

Japan

2.70

2.68

-0.6%

China

8.59

8.68

1.0%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.73

8.52

-2.4%

Total

28.97

28.88

-0.3%

Year-to-Year Sales                          

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

6.53

6.07

-7.1%

Europe

3.19

2.93

-8.0%

Japan

2.93

2.68

-8.6%

China

8.24

8.68

5.3%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.88

8.52

-4.1%

Total

29.77

28.88

-3.0%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

Jun/Jul/Aug

Sept/Oct/Nov

% Change

Americas

5.60

6.07

8.3%

Europe

2.81

2.93

4.5%

Japan

2.67

2.68

0.3%

China

8.23

8.68

5.4%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.57

8.52

-0.6%

Total

27.88

28.88

3.6%

The SEMI Foundation today announced that Belle W. Y. Wei, Ph.D., was elected as a new director to the SEMI Foundation Board of Trustees in accordance with the association’s by-laws. Her appointment to the Board is immediately effective.

The SEMI Foundation is known for its flagship program, SEMI High Tech U, which serves high school students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  Since 2001, the Foundation has delivered 190 programs to over 6,000 students and teachers worldwide. Companies and organizations join the SEMI Foundation’s existing High Tech U program, by generously offering financial support, in-kind donations and volunteering at High Tech U events.

Belle Wei has held a range of leadership positions at California State University, Chico, and San Jose State University’s College of Engineering. Wei has promoted student success and bolstered STEM education, expanded educational access for historically underrepresented groups, and helped improve students’ timely graduation. She also led the Engineering Pathway Initiative that brought the Project Lead the Way engineering curricula to middle and high schools in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley region to prepare young students for colleges and careers in STEM fields. Wei presented before U.S. Congress in 2006 and contributed to the America COMPETES Act of 2007. In 2012, she participated in the “10,000 Engineers Initiative” of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Wei has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and Master of Science degree in Engineering from Harvard University. Her undergraduate degree is in Biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley.

“We are inspired by Belle’s deep engagement in higher education and her drive to help students pursue STEM careers,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “We welcome her to the Board and look forward to utilizing her knowledge and experience as we expand the SEMI Foundation’s contributions to STEM education and workforce development.”

“I’m impressed with the SEMI Foundation’s High Tech U program, which helps students understand the connection of STEM skills to future career opportunities in high tech. At a more strategic level, the Foundation’s track record of engaging industry sponsors is remarkable,” said Belle Wei. “I’m looking forward to working with the Board and helping to develop new opportunities for the SEMI Foundation to strengthen its role in STEM education and career exploration for young people.”

Other members of the SEMI Foundation Board are: Denny McGuirk, chairman of the SEMI Foundation and president and CEO of SEMI; Richard Salsman, CFO and treasurer of the SEMI Foundation and CFO and executive vice president of Global Alliances at SEMI; Leslie Tugman, secretary of the SEMI Foundation and executive director of the SEMI Foundation; Arthur Zafiropoulo, chairman and CEO of Ultratech; Yong Han Lee, chairman of Wonik; Stanley Myers, president of ST Myers and Associates; Dana Ditmore, Oak Valley Consulting; and John Biera, principal of Central High School in Phoenix, Ariz.

The SEMI Foundation’s Board of Trustees represent companies from Asia and the United States, reflecting the global scope of the association’s activities. For more information about the SEMI Foundation, visit www.semi.org/en/About/SEMIFoundation.

“Printed electronics” has the potential to enable low-cost fabrication of electronics on flexible or curved surfaces, which will lead to the use of electronics in more varied applications. We will be able to fabricate homemade mobile phones or smart watches using a printer in the future. However, the low performance and high cost of current conductive inks limit the advancement of printed electronics.

Now, researchers at Toyohashi Tech and Duke University have found a way to produce new copper alloy nanoparticles, which can be used as the main component of affordable conductive inks with high oxidation resistance. The researchers electrically exploded alloy or twisted metal wires in water with a mild reducing agent (Vitamin C) in order to produce the nanoparticles. The reduction in conductivity was subsequently measured under harsh conditions (high temperature and high humidity).

“We have been working on developing a ‘wire explosion’ method to produce novel metal nanoparticles. Then, we found that some of the produced copper alloy nanoparticles possessed both high oxidation resistance and low electrical resistance,” explains Assistant Professor Go Kawamura. “Moreover, the nanoparticles have the advantage of being inexpensive because the production process is very economical and environmentally friendly.”

As a result, copper nanoparticles alloyed with 1% Sn, 5% Ag, 5% Ni, or 30% Ni had electrical conductivities similar to that of copper; however, unlike copper, the nanoparticles remained conductive after 24 h at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity. With further improvement of the electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance, copper alloy nanoparticles prepared by wire explosion could be used for the production of high-performance affordable conductive inks, which will contribute to the advancement of printed electronics. The researchers also hope this work motivates additional study of combining wire explosion with chemical modification of the explosion medium to control the composition and surface chemistry of nanoparticles.

By Shannon Davis, Web Editor 

2015 was a year of unprecedented consolidation in the semiconductor industry, as well as a technological crossroads in Moore’s Law. Below is a round-up, based on reader popularity, of the most read stories on Solid State Technology from 2015.

1) 2015 outlook: Tech trends and drivers

Leading industry experts provided their perspectives on what to expect in 2015. 3D devices and 3D integration, rising process complexity and “big data” are among the hot topics.

2) Reframing the Roadmap: ITRS 2.0

The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (ITRS) is being reframed to focus more on end applications, such as smartphones and micro-servers. Labeled ITRS 2.0, the new roadmap is a departure from a strong focus maintaining the path defined by Moore’s Law.

3) Freescale and NXP agree to $40B merger

Chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV announced that it has agreed to buy Freescale Semiconductor Ltd for $11.8 billion and merge business operations. The combined enterprise values at just over $40 billion and will create a new leader in the auto and industrial semiconductor markets.

4) Samsung’s FinFETs are in the Galaxy S6!

The much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S6 made an early appearance in Chipworks’ teardown labs last week, thanks to the diligent skills of their trusted logistics guru.

5) Moore’s Law to keep on 28nm

Scaling is now bifurcating – some scaling on with 28/22nm, while other push below 14nm.

6) More change for the chip industry

As if scaling to 7nm geometries and going vertical with FinFETs, TSVs and other emerging technologies wasn’t challenge enough, the emerging market for connected smart devices will bring more changes to the semiconductor sector. And then there’s 3D printing looming in the wings.

7) EUV: Unlike anything else in the fab

Imagine EUV lithography in high volume production. ASML has been working for years to make it happen. Earlier this year, ASML said that one of its major chip-manufacturing customers has placed an order for 15 EUV systems, including two that are set to be delivered before the end of this year. ASML did not name the customer, but it is almost certainly Intel (according to research firm IHS).

8) Apple Watch and ASE start new era in SiP

Back in April the Apple watch appeared in the Chipworks’ labs, and of course they pulled it apart to see its contents.

9) New AMS fab going to Marcy, NY

Austria-based ams AG, formerly known as Austriamicrosystem, announced plans to locate a new 360,000 ft2 fab in upstate New York at the Nano Utica site in Marcy, NY. The fab will be used to manufacture analog devices on 200/300mm wafers.

10) Historic era of consolidation for chipmakers

We are in a historic era for consolidation among semiconductor manufacturers. Solid State Technology compiled the latest consolidation news, as well as analysis on the implications for the industry.

11) Lithography alternatives: Why are they essential?

The availability of patterning alternatives in the lithography landscape represents a big opportunity to properly address the coming needs generated by the IoT.

12) A look ahead at IEDM 2015

In the second week of December, the good and the great of the electron device world made their usual pilgrimage to Washington D.C. for the 2015 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting.

Bonus: Top Webcasts of 2015 – Available On Demand Now!  

How the IoT is Driving Semiconductor Technology

The age of the Internet of Things is upon us, with the expectation that tens of billions of devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. This explosion of devices will make our lives simpler, yet create an array of new challenges and opportunities in the semiconductor industry. At the sensor level, very small, inexpensive, low power devices will be gathering data and communicating with one another and the “cloud.” On the other hand, this will mean huge amounts of small, often unstructured data (such as video) will be rippling through the network and the infrastructure. The need to convert that data into “information” will require a massive investment in data centers and leading edge semiconductor technology. 

Sensor Fusion and the Role of MEMS in the IoT

MEMS have quite different process and material requirements compared to mainstream microprocessor and memory types of devices. This webcast will explore the latest trends in MEMS devices – including sensor fusion and the important role that MEMS will play in the Internet of Things (IoT). Marcellino Gemelli, Head of Business Development at Bosch Sensortec will discuss how smart systems are enabled through sensor fusion. Karen Lightman, Executive Director of MEMS Industry Group (MIG), provided a “debrief” from the recent MEMS Technical Congress and a preview of a SEMICON West workshop focused on back-end challenges.

3D NAND Challenges and Opportunities

Flash memory has revolutionized the world of solid-state data storage, mainly because of the advent of NAND technology. However, from the technical point of view, this requires a major change in how these memories are being fabricated. This presentation discusses this (r)evolution as well as its major scaling limitations.

Resolve to stay up-to-date on industry news in 2016! Here’s how.