Category Archives: Semiconductors

power design challenges and new product

ON Semiconductor will showcase its latest power efficient product advances at APEC 2013, March 17 – 21, 2013, in Long Beach, California. The new devices are designed for boosting performance and simplifying the design of offline power supplies, AC lighting infrastructure and motor control systems.

Targeted for high efficiency, compact, switch-mode power supplies for power adaptors, the NCP1937is a quasi-resonant (QR) flyback controller device with power factor correction (PFC).  This is the first AC-DC device utilizing a hybrid digital core architecture enabling higher efficiency, increased flexibility and easier system design implementation.  The device incorporates all the features necessary for building a robust and compact PFC stage in combination with a QR flyback stage while minimizing the number of external components.  The quasi-resonant current-mode flyback stage features a proprietary valley-lockout circuitry, ensuring stable valley switching. It has wide voltage range spanning 9 volts (V) to 30 V, plus built-in over-voltage protection, and a skip mode operation which enables higher efficiency in light load conditions.   The NCP1937 will be demonstrated in an 85 watt (W) Notebook Adapter showcasing the industry’s leading <10 milliWatt (mW) no load standby power.

The NCP1255/NCP1254 is a fixed frequency PWM controller designed for applications requiring peak power capability. Offered in SOIC-8 and TSOP-6 packages, it operates with a fixed 65 kilohertz (kHz) switching frequency with the ability to scale the frequency up to 130 kHz based on output load requirements. In light load conditions with the power on the secondary side decreasing, the IC automatically folds back its switching frequency to a minimum level (26 kHz). The inclusion of adjustable over-power protection and adjustable brown-out protection functions make this device ideal for products requiring peak-power capabilities such as printers, and ultrabooks.  The NCP1255 will be demonstrated in a 15 W nominal 55 W peak power printer adapter.

For LED power supply applications, the high functional integration of theNCL30081 PWM controller IC minimizes the number of external components required for AC powered LED lighting designs. It operates in a quasi-resonant mode to enhance overall efficiency and provides precision regulation of the LED current from the primary side. Dispensing with the need for secondary side feedback control, as well as the associated optocoupler and biasing circuitry, the device is specifically intended for very compact space efficient designs utilizing either flyback or buck-boost topologies. It supports step dimming by monitoring the AC line and detecting when the line has been toggled on-off-on by the user to reduce the light intensity in five steps down to five percent dimming.  The NCL30081 will be demonstrating the step dimming functionality and compact system solution in a standard GU10 bulb design.

The NSIC2020 is a linear constant current regulator based on Self-Biased Transistor (SBT) technology. Because these devices do not require the specification of any external components, they can serve as either high or low side regulators, thus offering a streamlined solution that makes the development process more straight forward and maximizes design flexibility. This compact SMB packaged device is capable of regulating current over a wide voltage range (from 0 V to 120 V). Its negative temperature coefficient enables protection of LED emitters from thermal runaway at extreme voltages and currents.

Also on display at the ON Semiconductor booth will be the LV8702V a high efficiency stepper motor driver IC housed in a compact SSOP package and targeted at office automation equipment applications (multi-function printers, copiers, scanners, etc.). It is capable of dramatically lowering no-load power consumption and peak motor current, thereby maximizing energy efficiency in system designs. The company’s latest 1200 V IGBTs using trench field stop topologies and 40 ampere (A) current ratings will be also be featured. Offering both low on state voltage and minimal switching loss, the IGBT is well suited for motor drive control and other hard switching applications.

Dynamic changes to R&D processes, tools, technical challenges, and funding/business models will be highlighted at SEMICON West 2013, along with product displays of the latest semiconductor manufacturing technology, components and subsystems. SEMICON West, the Western Hemisphere’s largest micro- and nano-electronics exhibition and conference, will be held July 9-11 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event will feature over 500 exhibitors, 50 hours of conference programs and more than 30,000 industry attendees.  Registration is now open at www.semiconwest.org without charge until May 15; registration fees apply starting May 16.

The semiconductor industry is simultaneously addressing the most complex challenges in its history: EUV lithography, new transistor architectures, stacked 3D-ICs, and 450mm wafer transition.  At the same time, adjacent markets in LED, MEMS and printed/flexible electronics are approaching technology crossroads — and new, post-CMOS alternatives to extend Moore’s Law are in the early stages of development.  Reconciling these multiple R&D demands are transforming old R&D strategies and accelerating new organizational models, skill set requirements, consortia options, partnership strategies, global sourcing tactics, and other approaches to managed innovation.

SEMICON West addresses these new R&D approaches through a variety of keynote presentations, panel discussions, technical presentations, and collaboration sessions including:

  • Silicon Innovation Forum: Organized by the industry’s leading strategic investment groups, this first-time forum provides a platform to connect new and emerging companies with strategic investors, venture capitalists and industry leaders.
  • Consortia Views:  For the first time anywhere, leaders from the industry’s top consortia — SEMATECH, imec and CEA-Leti — will share their views on collaborative R&D and the future of semiconductor technology.
  • Keynote Perspectives:  Ajit Manocha, CEO, GLOBALFOUNDRIES
  • Essential R&D Process Sessions:  Nano-Defect Detection and Lab-to-Fab Solutions
  • Latest Technology Updates:  Industry leaders will share the latest updates on lithography scaling and productivity, processing requirements for nonplanar transistors, 2.5/3D stacked ICs, and 450mm wafer processing.
  • ITRS Public Sessions:  The most critical technology innovation targets as identified the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.
  • New Technology Sessions:  Learn about the latest R&D opportunities and challenges in LEDs, MEMS, printed/flexible electronics, silicon photonics, and more.

SEMICON West is the annual tradeshow for the micro- and nano-electronics manufacturing industries. Last year, over 30,000 attended the event and over 500 companies exhibited the latest innovations and solutions for advanced manufacturing.  For the sixth year, SEMICON West will be co-located with Intersolar North America, the leading solar technology conference and exhibition in the U.S. Every major semiconductor manufacturer, foundry, fabless company, equipment and materials supplier — plus leading companies in LEDs, MEMS, displays, printed/flexible electronics, PV, and other emerging technologies — attend SEMICON West.

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and microelectronics manufacturing supply chains.  SEMI maintains offices in Beijing, Bengaluru, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. 

Mobile energy storage is critical for everything from the phones and computers we carry, to the soldiers and weapons that protect us – and even to the cars we drive. While lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have established themselves as the leading technology today, exotic ideas such as lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, solid-state and zinc-air batteries offer up to 10 times better energy density. However, most are at early stages of development and none will attain parity with the Li-ion before 2024.

“The next generation of batteries remains mostly in research labs, undergoing fundamental development, and technologies led by Li-air, Li-S, and solid-state are still not yet ready for prime time,” said Cosmin Laslau, Lux Research Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, “Beyond Lithium-Ion: A Roadmap for Next-Generation Batteries.”

“However, customers will ultimately require the top-shelf performance that only technologies beyond Li-ion can provide – and leading companies like BASF, Toyota, and IBM are placing large and early bets,” added Laslau.

Lux Research analysts assessed the next-generation batteries, dispelling hype and identifying obstacles, and built a next-generation energy storage roadmap. Among their findings:

  • A roadmap for adoption. Cost-insensitive military applications will provide the entry point for next-generation batteries around 2020, while consumer electronics will follow a little later with significant adoption of solid-state batteries. However, next-generation batteries will face cost and technology hurdles in transportation.
  • Cost parity in a decade. Next-generation batteries will become cost-competitive with Li-ion in 2024. Solid-state batteries will take until 2021 to reach $409/kWh, the current cost for Li-ion batteries. By 2030, most battery cells will drop in nominal cost to below $200/kWh on the cell level.
  • Three early leaders emerging. Start-ups PolyPlus, Sion Power, and Oxis Energy have received ample funding and made technical headway. PolyPlus, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, has developed a coating for protected lithium electrodes in Li-air and Li-S. Sion Power, backed by BASF, and Oxis Energy, financed by Sasol New Energy, own proprietary organic and polymer electrolytes for Li-S.

The report, titled “Beyond Lithium-Ion: A Roadmap for Next-Generation Batteries,” is part of the Lux Research Mobile Energy Intelligence service.

Lux Research provides strategic advice and ongoing intelligence for emerging technologies.

Growth in the last quarter of 2012 pulled GaAs device revenue to a slight gain for 2012. The Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service (GaAs) Insight, “GaAs Device Industry Closes up in 2012,” explores GaAs device revenue growth and trends. It also presents the revenue performance of leading GaAs device manufacturers and foundries like RFMD, Skyworks, TriQuint Semiconductor, Avago Technologies and WIN Semiconductors.

The Insight concludes that handset growth, particularly smartphones, is responsible for most of the revenue growth in the GaAs device market. As data consumption continues to soar, handsets will remain the primary driver for GaAs device growth. In the short-term, revenue in the GaAs device market is expected to exceed the historical average. In the longer term, the Insight points out that recent developments in CMOS multi-mode, multi-band handset PAs from Qualcomm and others will pose a significant threat to the GaAs device market.

“Smartphones continue to grow faster than the overall handset market. This growth, coupled with more bands and increased GaAs device content remains the single biggest driver for revenue growth in the GaAs device market,” noted Eric Higham, Director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service (GaAs). “In the short-term, we anticipate this combination of factors will drive GaAs device revenue growth above historical averages”.

Asif Anwar, director, Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice, added, “Strong growth in the last quarter of 2012 provides a good starting point for the GaAs industry in 2013. However, recent announcements about CMOS multi-mode, multi-band PAs and envelope tracking will threaten the GaAs device market and these developments will be monitored closely.”

 

ARM Holdings plc, a semiconductor intellectual property (IP) supplier, announces today that Chief Executive Officer Warren East has decided to retire from the company, effective 1 July 2013, after nearly 12 years as CEO and 19 years at the company. Simon Segars, currently President of ARM, will become the company’s new CEO.

Warren East joined ARM in 1994 to establish the company’s consulting business and later became VP of business operations. Within three years, he was appointed to the board as Chief Operating Officer. Warren became ARM’s CEO in October 2001.

Simon Segars, 45, joined the board in January 2005, is president of ARM, and has operational responsibility for the company’s IP divisions. Simon has been with ARM since 1991 and has held several executive roles including EVP Engineering, when he worked on many of the early ARM processors, as well as EVP Worldwide Sales and EVP Business Development. He has international leadership experience having held senior positions for ARM in both the UK and the USA.

“It has been a privilege to lead ARM during such a momentous and exciting time for our industry and I am proud of what the ARM team of employees and partners has achieved together while I have been CEO; ARM is a great company with a strong market position and a unique culture,” Warren East said. “We take a very long-term view about our business, and we believe that now is the right time to bring in new leadership, to execute on the next phase of growth and to plan even further into the future. I have worked with Simon in the senior leadership team for many years and we share a global perspective and belief in the ARM approach to partnership and collaboration; he is an excellent choice to lead ARM.”

“Warren has transformed ARM during his time as CEO,” John Buchanan, chairman of ARM Holdings plc, said. “During Warren’s tenure the company has received royalties for over 40 billion ARM-based chips. As CEO he has created a strong platform for growth and consistently created value for shareholders even in a challenging external environment. On behalf of the board, and the wider ARM team, deep thanks are due to Warren for his passion, service and leadership. The Board is delighted to have someone of Simon Segars’ experience and calibre within ARM to appoint to the role of CEO.”

“I am honored to have been appointed to succeed Warren, who has achieved so much in his time leading the business,” Simon Segars said. “Above all, Warren’s vision of the ARM business model and commitment to the ARM partnership has been inspirational and has created a tremendous platform for future growth. I am keen to lead the Company into the next phase of growth, working even more closely with John, the Board, our employees and our customers as well as continuing to develop the ARM partnership.”

Today at OFC/NFOEC, Kotura, Inc. announced an agreement with a large semiconductor foundry as well as relationships with strategic partners, semiconductor solutions provider Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. and laser supplier BinOptics Corporation. These partnerships will provide Kotura with an effective supply chain to commercialize Kotura’s 100G Optical Engine — a key component in the just-announced industry-first 100 gigabits per second (Gb/s) 4×25 WDM, QSFP+ module.

Kotura will leverage the capabilities of the outside foundry partner for high-volume production of its optical engine — a low-power, integrated, 100 Gb/s chip solution that supports the interconnect fabric for next generation data centers and high performance computing.

"Our silicon photonics solutions resolve price, performance and reliability issues not currently being addressed by existing approaches," said Jean-Louis Malinge, Kotura president and CEO. "In a world full of applications with pressing bandwidth and performance needs, there is tremendous opportunity for silicon photonics to heed the call, starting with the data center market as our primary target. This foundry partnership offers Kotura the fastest and most reliable path to mass production and the ability to scale to meet this demand."

The partnership with Mindspeed enables Kotura to meet the low-power requirements of the QSFP package.

"The market wants a QSFP package because of the small footprint," said Marek Tlalka, director product marketing at Mindspeed. "Integrating 25G quad drivers and TIAs can be quite a challenge. By combining our high-speed, low-power electronics and Kotura’s silicon photonics optical engine, we can meet the stringent power consumption constraints of a 100 Gb/s WDM QSFP module."

Kotura partnered with BinOptics to develop laser arrays, which can be passively flip-chip bonded onto Kotura’s Optical Engine, producing a high-volume, low-cost, electronics-style assembly.

"BinOptics’ Etched Facet Technology allows III-V photonic device facets to be formed with lithographic precision, enabling low-cost passive alignment with silicon photonics," said Dr. Alex Behfar, CEO and co-founder, BinOptics Corporation. "Eliminating active alignment is one of the key ingredients for economical, large-scale rollout of silicon photonics based 100 Gb/s solutions."

 

vacuum pumpMV Products has announced that their high-capacity, modular vacuum pump inlet-exhaust traps can be stacked for semiconductor wafer fabrication processes which produce a lot of heavy particulates.

The MV Multi-Trap 12" Vacuum Inlet Trap is an inlet-exhaust trap that can be stacked for 300mm semiconductor wafer fabricators utilizing LPCVD, PECVD, and ALD processing. Featuring all stainless steel construction with a first stage knock-down baffle, two stacked traps can accumulate up to 2,500 cu. in. of solids, depending upon the process.

Increasing the number of wafer processing runs between maintenance intervals, two stacked MV Multi-Trap 12" Vacuum Inlet Traps provide six stages of user-selectable filter elements. Filter elements include stainless steel and copper gauze, molecular sieve, activated alumina or charcoal, micro-rated pleated polypropylene, and Sodasorb.

Mass-Vac, Inc. specializes in solving the process contamination problems associated vacuum systems that are used with processes such as MOCVD, HVPE, PECVD, or LPCVD which generate high volumes of particulates. These processes are used in manufacturing green products such as solar cells, HB-LEDs, and Li-Ion batteries. Mass-Vac, Inc. is an active member of SEMI and the American Vacuum Society.

Spansion Inc., a developer flash memory solutions for embedded markets, and XMC, China’s fastest-growing 300mm semiconductor foundry, today announced an expanded partnership, to develop and manufacture Spansion 32nm NOR Flash memory. The agreement expands XMC’s current 300mm manufacturing of Spansion’s proprietary 65nm and 45nm flash memory technology.

Demand for flash memory from embedded applications continues to rise as devices become more interconnected and applications are increasingly more feature-rich with enhanced graphics and immersive user interfaces. Continued investment in Flash memory technology is critical as these connected devices demand higher densities, fast read performance, and Spansion-grade quality to ensure consistent operation.

"XMC has proven to be a strong partner for Spansion and is a critical component of our manufacturing strategy. The agreement with XMC will help Spansion meet the industry’s growing demand for advanced flash memory solutions across a range of embedded applications," said John Kispert, president and CEO of Spansion. "The combination of our leading edge 32nm technology and their manufacturing expertise will deliver innovative and high-quality products that will drive differentiation for our embedded customers."

The Spansion and XMC collaboration began in 2008. XMC foundry services, along with Spansion’s flagship manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, are central to Spansion’s fab lite manufacturing strategy. Spansion utilizes world-class flash memory fabs from both existing internal facilities as well as foundry partnerships to create a flexible, cost-efficient manufacturing network.

“Spansion’s MirrorBit product line continues to scale providing performance and cost advantages.  XMC has been a quiet but important part of that success. There is obviously a lot of trust and confidence in the relationship,“ said Joanne Itow, managing director, Semico Research. “The move to 32nm takes the partnership to the next stage, and is a notable milestone for XMC as they establish themselves as a significant player in the industry.”

“Spansion’s flash memory is at the heart of many of the world’s electronics systems. It is a privilege to have them as a partner to drive the technology to smaller process geometries,” said Simon Yang, CEO of XMC. “The partnership is a good combination of our manufacturing prowess and their proven leading edge flash memory products.”

In 1998, Spansion started development of MirrorBit charge trapping technology to provide a scalable alternative to floating-gate technology.

Parallel and serial NOR products based on Spansion 32nm MirrorBit Charge Trap Technology from XMC will be launched in 2015. Spansion recently introduced the industry’s first 8 Gb NOR Flash memory using 45nm technology, and continues to lead the industry with the highest density and highest performance parallel and serial NOR flash memory products for embedded applications. Additional 45nm NOR Flash memory products will be available throughout 2013 and beyond.

Brooks Instrument, a provider of advanced flow, pressure, vacuum and level solutions, has expanded its GF 40/80 Series portfolio of thermal mass flow controllers. Broader capabilities, including increased flow rates up to 50 slpm and a “normally open” valve for non-hazardous gas applications, are ideal upgrades for users of Aera (Hitachi), Celerity, Tylan, Mykrolis, Millipore and Unit mass flow controllers, as well as other competitive devices.

The GF 40/80 Series leads the market in long-term zero stability at less than 0.5% per year. This specification means the device will return more reliable accuracy data for a longer period of time, giving users greater confidence in the numbers reported. The GF 40/80 Series is also available with Brooks’ patented MultiFlo, a powerful technology that enables users to re-program the gas and/or range in minutes without the trouble and cost of removing the mass flow controller from service. Brooks has expanded the flow rates for the GF 40/80 Series from 30 slpm to 50 slpm, making these devices an excellent choice for applications that require a higher flow rate with the flexibility of a MultiFlo-capable mass flow controller.

Newly expanded RS485 communication protocols increase the flexibility and application range of the GF 40/80 Series. These versions of the RS485 protocols are ideal for users of Aera (Hitachi), Celerity, Tylan, Mykrolis, Millipore and Unit mass flow controllers, which are now part of the Brooks product line following its acquisition of Celerity Instrumentation in 2009. These end users can now upgrade to a device that offers better accuracy and repeatability while keeping the same communication protocols.

The GF 40/80 Series also integrates the EtherCAT communication protocol, which is a high-performance, ethernet-based fieldbus system designed for process control applications requiring short data update times with low communication “jitter.” Adopted by leading-edge technology companies, EtherCAT makes it easier to network instrumentation for advanced process control and diagnostics capabilities.

The GF 40 is now equipped with a “normally open” valve for non-hazardous gas applications that require a fully open valve in the event of a process interruption. Normally open valves are desirable in applications where it is preferable for the valve to remain open even if a facility loses power, so that the mass flow controller continues to provide maximum purge gas flow from the system.

The GF 80 also features a new Teflon valve seat. The valve seat is non-reactive, which allows the GF 80 to be used in applications for corrosive and reactive gases.

mass flow controllers

A joint industry/academia consortium, supported by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, has reported the successful conclusion of a three-year project and the release of its design-synthesis tool flow and related litho-friendly cell libraries and evaluation metrics.

The SYNAPTIC research project included eight partner organizations from across Europe and Brazil who worked together to develop innovative regularity-centric design methods and Electronics Design Automation (EDA) tools. The goal of the project was to reduce limitations in both logical and physical implementation effectiveness associated with technology scaling and advanced sub-wavelength lithography.

Through the development of new pattern-aware logic synthesis and implementation techniques, SYNAPTIC addressed critical problems such as systematic variability reduction, DFM (Design for Manufacturing) and yield improvement (at the cell, IP/macro, and system levels), sophisticated area/performance trade-offs, and system-level/architectural predictability and sign-off, for the European semiconductor industry. The goal has been to sustain the scaling predicted by Moore’s Law into advanced nanometer technologies.

The libraries, tools, and methodologies developed within the SYNAPTIC project can enable synthesis and implementation of several designs based on a reduced set of regular layout patterns with similar area, power consumption, and timing performance. These efforts have demonstrated that the beneficial impact of regularity on variability and manufacturability does not have detrimental effects on the other metrics. The yield metric and models developed in SYNAPTIC show that a significant yield improvement can be achieved for large process windows, which immediately translate into cost benefits, increased productivity, and faster time-to-market by reducing the effort on OPC (Optical Proximity Correction) before fabrication. The process flow developed by SYNAPTIC is stable and delivers consistent results, and is ready for an evaluation on industrial designs.

By successfully reaching all the milestones and enabling the exploitation of the regularity concept at different stages of design development and implementation, and in a new class of innovative synthesis and automatic library generation tools, the SYNAPTIC project has been instrumental in aligning the European semiconductor industry to global Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) and Far East foundries, increasing the competitiveness of semiconductor and EDA companies in Europe.

Moreover, by thoroughly disseminating its activities throughout the project, SYNAPTIC has also contributed to making the European academic research in this field more visible worldwide.

The SYNAPTIC Consortium partners include design optimization company Nangate; Europe’s largest IDM, STMicroelectronics; Thales (France), which is the European global technology leader for the aerospace, space, defense, security and transportation markets; and imec (Belgium), which performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Three leading universities, Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain) and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) brought significant and highly specialised technology contributions to the joint research. The final partner, Leading Edge, participated as a consultancy company specializing in the introduction of innovative EDA technologies to the European marketplace.