Category Archives: MEMS

October 5, 2012- The market for semiconductor magnetic sensors used in industrial and medical applications expanded by 6% in 2011 to $118.2 million, with green energy initiatives acting as a major growth driver, according to IHS iSuppli. This market is small compared to other areas, most notably automotive and wireless/consumer, but the technology will continue to grow at a 8% CAGR through 2016, topping $175.5M, the firm says. (Here’s a list of the top makers of magnetic sensors.)

Improving energy efficiency is a big opportunity in motors of all kinds, which collectively consume an estimated 45% of all electricity generated worldwide. "As government legislation comes into play, this is acting as a boon for the sensors, implemented with an eye toward reducing energy consumption," says Richard Dixon, principal analyst for MEMS and sensors at IHS. "In the industrial market, a main growth driver for magnetic sensors is renewable energy, such as solar installations, and to a smaller extent, wind turbines," he notes.

Magnetic sensor technologies include Hall-effect and magneto-resistive semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) that are used to track rotational speed and linear angles in machines and devices, or to detect and process magnetic fields to establish positioning. In industrial and medical applications (which split about 70%/30% of total usage), these sensors are used in motors to improve their energy efficiency and other applications where motor control is involved, such as pumps. They are also used in uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for a host of industrial applications and environments: computer servers, welding systems, robotics, train transport infrastructure, off-road vehicles, and forklift trucks.

Most magnetic sensors used in industrial applications are electronic current sensors: shunt resistors, Hall-effect integrated circuits, current-sensing transformers, open- and closed-loop Hall devices, and fluxgate transducers. Residential solar inverters, for example, and smaller UPS settings, use simple resistive bars or shunts to measure lower currents (>50A), while higher-current measurements such as large inverter motors use Hall IC sensors packaged with an amplifier. Industrial washing machines pair Hall ICs with ASICs.

In medical applications, magnetic sensors are used for motion control in things like ventilator machines, pumps for infusion/insulin/syringes, and kidney dialysis machines. These sensors also are used in simple centrifuges for preparing samples to smooth control of small motors. They are also found as switches for medication-dispensing cabinets, bed-positioning systems, and hearing aids.

  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
US $M 111.9 118.2 123.2 131.9 144.3 160.4 175.5

Worldwide revenue forecast (in US $M) for magnetic sensors in industrial and medical applications. (Source: IHS iSuppli)

October 4, 2012 – Fab equipment spending continues to soften in 2012, but don’t hope for a reprieve until later in 2013, warns one analyst.

Worldwide wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending is projected at $31.4 billion in 2012, a -13.3% decline from 2011, according to Gartner. But counter to some other industry watchers, the firm now thinks there won’t be a big rebound in 2013 — it’s now forecasting a -0.8% slip next year to $31.2B, before finding its footing again and bouncing back in 2014 with 15.3% growth to $35.9B.

Earlier this summer Gartner foresaw a -8.9% decline in 2012, followed by 7.4% growth in 2013. Less than a month ago SEMI predicted 2013 could be a "golden year" with nearly 17% growth in fab spending.

"The outlook for semiconductor equipment markets has deteriorated as the macro economy has weakened," stated Bob Johnson, research VP at Gartner. After starting the year strong thanks to sub-30nm production ramps at foundries and other logic manufacturers, demand for new equipment logic production will soften as yields improve, leading to declining shipment volumes for the rest of the year."

Fab utilization rates will erode to the low 80% range by the end of this year, slowly increase to about 87% by the end of 2013. (That’s less optimistic than its June outlook which saw mid-80% in mid-2012 and 87% by the end of the year.) Leading-edge capacity will recover slightly better, hitting the high-80% range by year’s end and gradually getting into the low-90% range as 2013 progresses.

Increased demand combined with less-than-mature yields at the leading edge had been hoped to consume extra capacity and raise utilization rates. In leading-edge logic that has in fact helped create inventory shortages, Johnson noted, but "not enough to bring total utilization levels up to desired levels. In the memory segment, some suppliers are even cutting production in an attempt to shore up weak market fundamentals."

Memory is expected to be weak through 2012, with strong declines in DRAM investments and a virtually flat NAND market, the firm notes. Foundry spending has been revised downward for both 2012 and 2013; some foundries have improved their 28nm yields, but mainly for SiON technology, as 28nm high-k/metal gate (HKMG) processes are still yielding below normal. Longer-term, Gartner thinks foundries will ratchet up their spending more in future years due to aggressive development of EUV lithography and 450mm wafer processing.

by Dan Tracy, senior director, SEMI Industry Research and Statistics

October 3, 2012 – Semiconductor manufacturers in Japan are either consolidating or closing fabs, and, in several cases, transitioning to a "fab-lite" strategy, all in a restructuring effort to meet the market challenges ahead. While device manufacturers are consolidating manufacturing operations and plan to outsource more wafer fabrication and package assembly to foundries and packaging subcontractors, a large installed fab capacity remains in Japan. Recent data for the year shows overall wafer area shipments into Japan’s fabs being the same as shipments into Taiwan.

By 2014, the total installed fab capacity Japan should increase slightly from about 4.5 million to 4.6 million 200mm equivalent wafers per month. Installed 300mm fab capacity is expected to increase from about 760,000 to 840,000 300mm wafers per month — representing, by region, the third largest 300mm fab manufacturing capacity base globally. Over the next several years, fab spending in the Japan market will be directed towards the production of NAND flash memory, power semiconductors, high-brightness LEDs, and CMOS image sensors.


Regional share forecasted for 2013 fab materials market. Total market size: $25.7 billion.

Overall equipment spending in Japan will likely range on the order of $4 billion per year. Expected NAND flash investments in 2013 could approach up to $2.5 billion. LED fab equipment spending is estimated to be $340 million next year. Finally, Sony is expected to invest about US$ 1 billion or more in its CMOS image sensor production.

Japanese equipment and material suppliers are leading players on the global semiconductor industry stage. It is estimated that Japan-headquartered equipment companies collectively capture about 35% share of the global semiconductor industry spending per annum. Like their North American and European counterparts, customers in the rest of the Asia Pacific region are the largest base for new equipment sales.

Chemical and other material suppliers in Japan are market leaders in the manufacturing of silicon wafers, III-V wafers, advanced chemicals, packaging resins, and packaging substrates. It is estimated that the Japanese material suppliers sales represent about 70% of the global semiconductor materials market, both fab and packaging.

Japanese suppliers showcase the latest products at SEMICON Japan 2012

Leading Japanese equipment and materials suppliers will exhibit at SEMICON Japan 2012 on December 5- 7, along with global key players, at the Makuhari Messe, Japan. Find the latest products and innovations this companies offer to customers globally that enable key technologies for the future including 450mm, EUV, TSV, power devices, and HB-LEDs to name a few. Also, the show will co-locate with a major photovoltaic show, PVJapan 2012 so you can connect to two major microelectronics industries in a single visit.

For more information, including registration and exhibition, visit www.semiconjapan.org/en.

October 3, 2012 – Macroeconomic malaise continues to weigh down global semiconductor sales, although there’s a possible ray of hope for a boost by year’s end thanks to introduction of much-desired electronics devices (hello iPhone 5).

Worldwide sales of semiconductors in August were $24.30 billion, up just a fraction of a percent from the previous month (as they were in July), and down a couple of percentage points from the same month a year ago (also continuing the trend). For the year through August, chip sales are down about -4.6% to $189.46 billion. (The WSTS’ midyear forecast in June, which the SIA now "endorses" in lieu of its own numbers, projected a scant 0.4% increase in 2012.)

The regional sales map remained uneven in August, with month/month pullbacks in Japan and Europe, but a surprising rebound in the Americas — its first M/M growth period since April. Compared with a year ago though, the Americas is still showing weakness (around -9%).

"Global semiconductor sales have held steady in recent months despite strong macroeconomic headwinds, but these challenges have hampered growth," stated Brian Toohey, SIA president & CEO. He also urged "vigorous discussion" between the two US presidential candidates heading into the final weeks of the election period, to enact "government policies to reduce business uncertainty, accelerate the economic recovery and keep America at the forefront of innovation."

Barclays’ CJ Muse breaks down the SIA’s August numbers by device category and end market, determining that almost every sub-segment underperformed in the quarter except NAND thanks mainly to ASP declines. He also points out that with most industry watchers still holding out hope for even 1% growth in 3Q12 (and for the full year 2012), September’s chip sales would have to be gangbusters at 6% growth — and in recent days both Intel and TI have lowered their 3Q outlooks echoing softness (a $1B shortfall for INTC).

Analyzing end market demand, Muse notes that a weak back-to-school period pushed consumer chip sales into negative territory for the first time since the beginning of the year (-4.3% Y/Y), though there was a slight uptick in sales M/M thanks to ASPs.

Chip sales tracking is now entering the critical seasonal period of buildup to make electronics products for year-end holiday sales. And therein lies a ray of hope, at least for some vendors — there’s a new iPhone 5 hitting shelves, and reports of an iPad mini ahead, Muse notes.

October 2, 2012 – Sand 9, a Cambridge, MA-based developer of precision microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) timing technology for wireless and wired applications, is partnering with GlobalFoundries for high-volume manufacturing of its technology, which incorporates silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and through-silicon vias (TSV).

"Partnering with GlobalFoundries allows Sand 9 to meet heightened market demand for the highest-volume mobile applications, including handsets, tablets and other consumer electronics," stated Vince Graziani, CEO of Sand 9. "Our collaboration will ensure a stable, reliable supply chain for all of our customers in mobile as well as in wireline communications infrastructure, cellular base station, and test and measurement markets."

The deal also highlights GlobalFoundries’ MEMS design and manufacturing capabilities, pointed out Raj Kumar, SVP for the foundry’s 200mm business unit & GM of its Fab 7 facility in Singapore (formerly Chartered Semiconductor). "For Sand 9, we have established a very cost-effective and novel MEMS process technology platform integrated with polysilicon through-silicon vias (TSVs) for wafer-level packaging," he noted.

Also read:
– MEMS timing firm Sand 9 lands $3M investment from mobile gear giant Ericsson
– Intel Capital leads Sand 9 funding round, joins board

Examining a Sand 9-provided white paper (circa 2010) reveals more details about its "temperature-compensated crystal oscillator" (TCMO) technology. A silicon-based MEMS resonator is suspended and acoustically decoupled from a silicon substrate using a "special engineered substrate" (an SOI wafer), with a predefined cavity hidden in the handle silicon layer. Through-silicon vias are formed inside that SOI substrate, then the backside routing is prepared for final solder bumping. DRIE etch through the device silicon layer releases the resonator structure — having the buried cavity enables this release to be done "very fast and clean" using dry etching, the company explains, since no sacrificial layer or wet etching chemistry means one less time-consuming material removal process and it also eliminates stiction effects. The CMOS IC wafer and MEMS wafer are then bonded to create interconnects and hermetic seal around the MEMS resonator, followed by deposition of underbump metallization and solder bumps. Electrical and thermal interconnects are made during the bonding process; the TSVs are directly routed through to the IC, not the MEMS resonator.

MEMS oscillators accounted for less than 1% of the $6.3B timing devices market $6.3B in 2011, according to Semico Research, but the firm projects a sparkling ~86% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for both MEMS oscillator sales and unit shipments over the next five years (2011-2016), mostly thanks to demand from smartphones.

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October 1, 2012 – Tezzaron Semiconductor is taking over SVTC Technologies’ wafer fab in Austin, TX, amid reports that the semiconductor/MEMS development organization is cutting back activities in Austin and in California — and perhaps shutting its doors entirely.

In a statement, the Naperville, IL-based 3D IC technology firm acknowledges that days ago SVTC "announced to customers and employees that the [Austin] plant would be closed and liquidated by month’s end." This confirms local reports that SVTC had filed notice with the State of Texas about imminent and permanent layoffs of more than a hundred workers at the former SEMATECH ATDF facility. One report further suggested that SVTC might consolidate its operations in Austin.

More bad news for SVTC may be afoot. Last week local reports surfaced that the group has filed similar notification to authorities in California. That report includes a copy of the actual filing with the Economic Development Department, which lists another 106 layoffs — among them the positions of CEO and CFO, and dozens of directors and managers.

Tezzaron processes some of its wafers at the SVTC Austin fab, and intends to expand the fab’s capabilities to support some of its specialized 3D steps that are currently done elsewhere, a Tezzaron official told SST. While the firm says it will continue to support all other processes and services currently offered at the site, its "main strategy is not changing; our focus is still 3D," the official explained. "This acquisition allows us to consolidate much of our processing in one US location while continuing the fab’s current business model."

SVTC Technologies — née Cypress Semiconductor’s Silicon Valley Technology Center — was spun off in early 2007 with VC/private equity backing, and later that year combined with SEMATECH’s ATDF in Austin, TX.

"This is the only facility of its kind on the continent. It supports product innovations for semiconductors, life sciences, clean energy, aerospace, and defense," stated J.T. Ayers, Tezzaron’s CEO. "When we became aware it might be shut down, we knew we had to work quickly to retain this highly valuable group of people and capabilities."

No terms of the Austin deal were offered, though Tezzaron says it should close within two weeks, during which time the fab will continue normal operations. The Austin fab will become a subsidiary of Tezzaron and be led by David Anderson, SVTC VP and former SEMATECH/ATDF director.

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September 27, 2012 – A device that measures very thin quantities of liquid, such as the synovial fluid in knee joints, and a device that measures change in mass when a microdevice adsorbs small amounts of material earned top honors in Sandia National Labs’ annual student design contest for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices.

Texas Tech took top "novel design" honors with a micro-rheometer device that can measure the behavior of very thin quantities of liquid, such as the synovial fluid in knee joints. The method requires much smaller samples compared to macro-scale rheometers. "It is much easier, and usually less painful, to obtain small quantities of bodily fluids from patients," according to the students’ submission.


Texas Tech proposes to create a micro-rheometer to measure very thin quantities
of liquid, like that found in knee joints. (Image courtesy of Texas Tech U.)

Carnegie Mellon students won in the education category, for a device that measures the (relatively large) change in mass with a microdevice material adsorbtion, which alters the vibrational frequencies of the system. This could identify surface changes in the structure — e.g., water vapor on MEMS devices may reduce the fatigue strength of polysilicon MEMS, while hydrocarbons adsorb onto microrelay contacts and increase their electrical resistance.

Both schools were repeat winners from Sandia’s 2011 MEMS competition. Last year Texas Tech showed off an ingenious, dust-sized dragonfly with surveillance possibilities, while Carnegie Mellon won acclaim for an ultrasensitive microvalve to control very small fluid flows.

Carnegie Mellon students made use of the relatively large change in mass that occurs when a microdevice adsorbs even a small amount of material. (Image courtesy of Carnegie Mellon U.)

The nine-month-long University Alliance Design Competition is a program geared around MEMS design, fabrication and test, with one category emphasizing novel design concepts, and another category emphasizing unique structure design and its use as an educational tool for MEMS or science education. Students developed ideas for a device, created and analyzed a design model, and submitted the design to be judged by Sandia’s MEMS experts and university professors. The designs were fabbed at Sandia’s Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications (MESA) facility using its "Summit V" (Ultra-planar, Multi-level MEMS Technology 5) — a five-layer polycrystalline silicon surface micromachining process (one ground plane/electrical interconnect layer and four mechanical layers). Designs were then shipped back to the university students to test whether the final product matches the purpose of the original computer simulation.

This year’s event attracted nine universities, up from five in 2011, partly due to added participation from Mexican universities: the Air Force Institute of Technology, Arizona State U., Central New Mexico Community College, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional of Mexico City, Carnegie Mellon U., Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Texas Tech U., Universidad de Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Universidad de Guanajuato, U. of Oklahoma, U. of Utah, and Universidad Veracruzana. (The two winners, plus Arizona, Oklahoma, and the AFIT, were the 2011 participants.)

For more information regarding the University Alliance and the design competition, contact Stephanie Johnson at [email protected].

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September 26, 2012 – X-Fab Silicon Foundries says it will invest more than $50M over the next three years in cleanroom space, equipment, R&D, and staff for its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) operations, reflecting an anticipated growth in MEMS services as the company.

The move will consolidate all the company’s MEMS business and activities, rebranded as X-Fab MEMS Foundry, on the company’s campus in Erfurt, Germany. It’s the "next step towards our goal of becoming one of the top three worldwide suppliers of MEMS foundry services," according to CEO Rudi De Winter. [X-Fab placed 10th in Yole Développement’s 2011 MEMS foundry rankings, surging 33% to roughly $16M in revenues, about $31M shy of No.3 Silex Microsystems — but only $8M away from fifth-place IMT.]

"The MEMS sector is a strategic field of X-FAB’s overall activities to serve the growing needs of our customers," De Winter noted in a statement. "Our customers will benefit from the dedicated resources and expertise of a foundry focused solely on advanced MEMS technology, and built on X-FAB’s solid foundation of technical excellence."

Among X-Fab‘s company’s recent MEMS accomplishments:

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September 21, 2012 – Demand for chip tools fell again in August and is off by -30% from its peak in early summer, fulfilling fears that the second half of 2012 will be sluggish for chipmaking investments, according to the latest data from SEMI.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment reported $1.12B in orders worldwide in August (a three-month moving average), down -9.2% from July’s slightly downwardly revised level of $1.23B and down -3.6% from a year ago. Worldwide billings slipped to $1.34B, off by -7.4% from a similarly lowered mark in July and off by -8.4% from the same month in 2011.

For the year through August, chip tool bookings are running about -8% off the same pace in 2011 ($10.97B), with billings off by about -15% at $11.16B, according to SEMI’s historical data. Demand clearly peaked in the spring, flattened in the summer, and has now waned significantly. Global demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment actually started slipping in 2Q12 with softness in just about every region except Taiwan. (As bad as the current pullback is, it’s a far cry from the -40+% dropoff seen toward the end of 2011.)

"The second half of the year continues to show reduced order and billing levels for the 2012 spending cycle," said Dan Tracy, senior director of SEMI Industry Research and Statistics. Industry watchers already were expecting a pullback in demand especially in 3Q12 (and so are the chipmakers themselves), with mixed feelings about a possible bump in 4Q12.

SEMI’s still sticking with its official forecast issued at SEMICON West which predicts a -2.6% decline for the year. "We expect 2012 equipment revenues to decline slightly with total spending for front-end and back-end semiconductor equipment globally remaining at the $40 billion or greater level for the third consecutive year," reiterated Tracy.

SEMI is growing increasingly bullish, however, for 2013, with initial projections of 17% growth in equipment spending.

  Billings Bookings Book-to-bill
March 1,287.6 1,445.7 1.12
April 1,458.7 1,602.8 1.10
May 1,539.3 1,613.7 1.05
June (f) 1,535.7 1,424.3 0.93
July (r) 1,442.8 1,234.6 0.86
August (p) 1,335.5
 1,120.6
 0.84

Semiconductor bookings and billings, 3-month averages. (Source: SEMI)

Flash memory lifetimes are limited by use, because repeated program/erase (P/E) cycles degrade the tunnel oxide which insulates flash memory cells. In principle, heating the oxide will repair the damage but thermal annealing has been impractical because flash memories can’t tolerate the high temperatures and long baking times required.

At the upcoming International Electron Devices Meeting, Macronix researchers will describe how they built flash memories that could heal themselves by means of tiny onboard heaters that provide thermal annealing just at the spots where it is needed. They modified the wordline from a single-ended to a double-ended structure, which enabled current to be passed through the gate to generate Joule heating. High temperatures (>800° C) thus were generated only in immediate proximity to the gate. The devices demonstrated record-setting endurance of >100 million P/E cycles with excellent data retention. Interestingly, the researchers also saw that the heating enabled faster erasing, which is thought to be temperature-independent.

 

The schematic image above shows the structure of the diode-strapped wordline. A PN diode can be formed directly on top of the wordline, and local interconnect can be used to connect to the metal heat plates.