Device Architecture

DEVICE ARCHITECTURE ARTICLES



EUV litho gets boost from ASML Brion software

09/14/2010 

Brion Technologies, a division of ASML, debuted the Tachyon NXE software to optimize predictive modeling for ASML EUV scanners. EUV scanners enable smaller, faster, cheaper and more energy-efficient semiconductors. This article includes a podcast interview on the technology.

Wafer fab equipment: Who's spending in 2011-2012, who's not

09/13/2010 

It's déjà vu all over again for semiconductor wafer fab equipment spending, says Barclay's CJ Muse, as the industry seems to be repeating the 2004-2006 cycle of two strong years sandwiching a flat one.

SRC TECHCON awards Purdue, UCSB research accolades

09/13/2010 

Professor Mark Lundstrom of Purdue University is the 2010 recipient of the Aristotle Award given by SRC and presented at its TECHCON technology conference. Professor Li-C Wang, University of CA at Santa Barbara, received the Technical Excellence Award. We interview the winners.

Cu/low-k extendability work compares Cu and Al anodes

09/10/2010 

Professor Joel Plawsky and student Michael Riley of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute present on low-k dielectric.Professor Joel Plawsky and student Michael Riley of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be presenting a paper titled “Experimental analysis of copper diffusion into porous SiCOH” at the Techcon 2010 conference. In a podcast interview, they outline the scope of their interconnect research on copper and porous SiCOH and its significance to the industry.

Organic transistors reap benefits of nano Ag

09/08/2010 

PolyU Researchers show that sandwiching a simple layer of silver nanoparticles can significantly improve the performance of organic transistors. This is expected to cut down the cost of memory devices such as touchscreens and e-books and improve their performance.PolyU Researchers show that sandwiching a simple layer of silver nanoparticles can significantly improve the performance of organic transistors. This is expected to cut down the cost of memory devices such as touchscreens and e-books and improve their performance.

All-SiC VJFET power module developed by SemiSouth

09/08/2010 

 SemiSouth Laboratories describes development of an all-SiC-based power module in “Low Switching Energy 1200V Normally-Off SiC VJFET Power Modules.” A multi-chip power module offers energy efficiency above 30kW.

Researchers: SiOx just fine for sub-10nm memory switch

09/03/2010 

Researchers at Rice U. say they've figured out that new switching memory they built with electrically manipulated 10nm graphite strips doesn't actually need the graphite -- good ol' reliable silicon oxide will do just fine.

Strain-gating piezotronics: Nanowires enable new piezoelectric logic devices

09/03/2010 

archers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new class of electronic logic device in which current is switched by an electric field generated by the application of mechanical strain to zinc oxide nanowires.

Charge-trapping NAND Flash memory: Elpida and Spansion start production

09/02/2010 

Elpida Memory Inc. and Spansion created a charge-trapping 1.8V, 4GB single-level cell NAND Flash memory. Elpida plans to combine NAND flash memory with Mobile RAM to sell mobile consumer products, while Spansion is targeting embedded and select wireless markets.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm analog/mixed-signal production design flow kit out soon

09/01/2010 

GLOBALFOUNDRIES teamed with Cadence Design Systems to create an open-access 28nm Analog/Mixed-Signal (AMS) production design flow development kit.

What Intel's soft 3Q means: For INTC, peers, customers

08/30/2010 

Intel's lowered 3Q outlook was at least expected, if not overdue, according to analysts and market watchers, who break down the news and what it means for consumer technology markets and equipment/materials suppliers.

Samsung to unseat Intel in chip sales in four years

08/27/2010 

Is Intel soon to be unseated as the world's top semiconductor maker? The numbers say it could happen in less than four years, according to IC Insights.

SiC, MOSFET package from IXYS improves power, weight

08/26/2010 

IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ:IXYS) integrated silicon carbide (SiC) technology and super junction MOSFET technology into a single package, enabling increased power density and higher efficiency in fast switching power supplies and solar inverter applications. The MKE product line is said to allow easier mechanical layouts and reduce parasitic losses over separate discrete package designs.

AMAT Eterna FCVD goes beyond SOD with bottoms up approach to C-free gap-fill: Interview

08/25/2010 

Applied Materials (AMAT) Eterna flow CVD for semiconductor fab.Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) today released Eterna, a new flowable CVD (FCVD) technology. Ajay Bhatnagar, director, global product management in the Gap Fill Dielectric Division, explains in-depth how it differs from conventional CVD. The technology is run on AMAT's Producer Eterna FCVD system. He also explains how it is being applied to new device architectures such as DRAM vertical transistors, NAND vertical bit stacks, and FinFETs.

What's inside Applied Materials' flowable CVD tool?

08/25/2010 

Applied execs played coy about the "unique" technology behind their new Eterna FCVD tool, which targets a $400M market (and twice that in a couple of years), but analysis of what was said offers some insights into how it works.

Anti-fuse memory cell patent granted to Sidense

08/23/2010 

Sidense, developer of logic non-volatile memory (LNVM) IP cores, announced that the USPTO granted Sidense Patent Number 7,755,162, "Anti-fuse Memory Cell." The '162 patent adds to the Company's patent portfolio covering its 1T-Fuse memory technology.

Analysts' take: AMAT 3Q10 numbers, marketshare gains and flash dreams

08/20/2010 

Analysts break down some of the more important points of Applied Materials' 3Q10 numbers and discussions. Key takeaways: A few key marketshare wins, NAND flash is about to explode, and any macro sluggishness hasn't materialized yet in chip tool demand.

Samsung, Seagate SSD pact: It's all about timing

08/17/2010 

Samsung and Seagate's joint push into enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSD) may be a little late, but there's still a lot of opportunity especially at the next technology node, according to analysts. This article includes a new podcast interview with Samsung's director of sales for storage products from DISKCON 2010.

Lyric Semiconductor launches probability processing for flash memories

08/17/2010 

Lyric Semiconductor Inc., a DARPA- and venture-funded MIT spin-out, launched a new technology called probability processing, which could deliver a fundamental change in processing performance and power consumption.

Modeling energy and reliability of a CNT-based WSN on an HPC setup

08/16/2010 

Rohit Pathak and Satyadhar Joshi analyzed the effect of innovations in nanotechnology on wireless sensor networks and modeled CNT-based sensor nodes from a device prospective. A WSN model was programmed in Simulink-MATLAB and a library developed. Average energy consumption for the system has been formulated and its reliability shown holistically. Changes are needed in existing sensor node structure to improve efficiency and the assimilation of CNT-based devices in a WSN. Finally, the authors comment on the challenges and factors of reliability.




WEBCASTS



Environment, Safety & Health

Date and time TBD

The semiconductor industry is an acknowledged global leader in promoting environmental sustainability in the design, manufacture, and use of its products, as well as the health and safety of its operations and impacts on workers in semiconductor facilities (fabs). We will examine trends and concerns related to emissions, chemical use, energy consumption and worker safety and health.

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Wafer Processing

Date and time TBD

As the industry moves to 10nm and 7nm nodes, advances in wafer processing – etch, deposition, planarization, implant, cleaning, annealing, epitaxy among others – will be required. Manufacturers are looking for new solutions for sustained strain engineering, FinFETs, FDSOI and multi-gate technologies, 3D NAND, and high mobility transistors.

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