Tag Archives: semiconductor

Flagello to receive Zernike Award at SPIE Advanced Lithography

Donis Flagello, president, CEO, and COO of Nikon Research Corporation of America (NRCA), will be presented with the 2017 Frits Zernike Award for Microlithography on Monday 27 February during SPIE Advanced Lithography in San Jose, California. The award, presented annually for outstanding accomplishments in microlithography technology, recognizes Flagello’s leading role in understanding and improving image formation in optical lithography for semiconductor manufacturing.

A prominent member of the industry since the early 1980s and a longtime SPIE Fellow, Flagello has primarily focused on the rigorous application of physics to lithography modeling and problem solving. Early in his career, while at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, he developed the first practical test for measuring flare in optical lithography tools and made major contributions to high numerical aperture (NA) modeling including vector and polarization effects, and radiometric correction. At ASML he played an important role in providing analysis of aberrations for new systems and high-NA imaging effects due to polarization.

Another notable aspect of his career, Flagello’s presentations at lithography conferences and papers in various journals have inspired a better understanding of optics and resist behavior and helped drive optical lithography forward, colleagues said. “His presentations are known for their combination of humor with a deep understanding of the complex interactions between physical optics and lithographic process technology,” said David Williamson, an NRCA Fellow and previous Frits Zernike Award winner. “His combined theoretical and practical production experience and knowledge are rare in this field.”

—E.K.

Photoelectric measure of atomically thin stacks

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A team led by researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered a breakthrough in how to measure the electronic structures of stacked 2D semiconductors using the photoelectric (PE) effect. Materials scientists around the world have been investigating various heterostructures to create different 2D materials, and stacking different combinations of 2D materials creates new materials with new properties.

The new PE method measures the electronic properties of each layer in a stack, allowing researchers to establish the optimal structure for the fastest, most efficient transfer of electrical energy. “It is extremely exciting to be able to see, for the first time, how interactions between atomically thin layers change their electronic structure,” says Neil Wilson, who helped to develop the method. Wilson is from the physics department at the University of Warwick.

Wilson formulated the technique in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Warwick, University of Cambridge, University of Washington, and the Elettra Light Source in Italy. The team reported their findings in Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601832).

—E.K.

CSP Market Forecast – Strong

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Chip-Scale Packages (CSP) continue to be in strong demand for IC needing the smallest form-factors for applications including automotive, industrial applications to mobile phones and wearable electronics, according to leading market research firm TechSearch International. TechSearch’s latest CSP market forecast shows a 8% CAGR from 2015 to 2020, despite a slowing growth rate for smartphones.

One of the categories with the strongest growth is the quad flat no-lead (QFN) package with a CAGR of 8.6%. QFNs are a low-cost, low-profile package found in a wide range of products from automotive and power devices. An analysis of the Out-Sourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) market in China provides insight into expansion plans and market shares.

Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packages (FO-WLP) with many variations are now winning slots in many new mobile devices. New advanced packages such as JCAP’s FO-WLP are highlighted in the latest Advanced Packaging Update, along with the use of TSMC’s FO-WLP for Apple’s A10 application processor. The report also examines trends in stacked die CSPs, laminate-substrate CSPs, and package-on-package (PoP) with a market forecast for each. See: http//www.techsearchinc.com.

—E.K.

Dan Rose departs material realm

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Daniel J. Rose, Ph.D.
November 7, 1937 – September 20, 2016

With sadness I post that Daniel J. Rose, Ph.D.—founder of Rose Associates—passed away on September 20, 2016, due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Dan Rose received a Ph.D. in materials engineering from the University of British Columbia, and subsequently spent five years managing packaging manufacturing operations at Fairchild Semiconductor. He worked with and become friends with industry luminaries such as Intel’s founder Robert Noyce, and National Semiconductor’s founder Charlie Sporck.

In February of 1970, he founded Rose Associates, which initially provided engineering and manufacturing support to the semiconductor industry, establishing factories in the US and assembly plants in the Far East. In 1977, Rose Associates began conducting market research in electronic materials. In January of 1985, Rose Associates began publishing the Electronic Materials Report (EMR) monthly newsletter, and In 1986 held its first annual Electronic Materials Conference.

Dan Tracy, Ph.D.— SEMI Senior Director, Industry Research & Statistics—was one of Rose’s associates who joined the trade organization in 2000 when it acquired Rose Associates’ business. Tracy wrote a wonderfully heartfelt remembrance as a LinkedIn Pulse article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dr-daniel-j-rose-phd-dan-tracy?trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_ARTICLE_POST).

—E.K.

ASM’s Haukka ALD Award

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Dr. Suvi Haukka, executive scientist at ASM International, located in Finland, was awarded the ALD Innovation prize at the ALD 2016 Ireland conference (Figure), as chosen by the conference chairs. Haukka has had a lifetime career in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), starting at Microchemistry Ltd. with ALD pioneer Dr. Tuomo Suntola in 1990, and now holding over 100 patents.

Conference co-chairs Simon Elliott, Tyndall National Institute of Ireland (left) and Jonas Sundqvist, Lund University of Sweden (right) acknowledge Suvi Haukka from ASM International N.V. (center) as recipient of the “ALD Innovation Prize” at the 16th International Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD 2016) held last month in Dublin, Ireland. (Source: ALD 2016)

Since ASM bought Microchemistry in 1999, Haukka has worked on the manufacturability of ALD processes for the semiconductor industry. Today, ALD technology is essential for the high-volume manufacturing (HVM) of advanced ICs, with growing demand for the fabrication of nanoscale 3D devices such as finFETs and 3D-NAND Flash cells.

As reported by Riikka Puurunen in his ALD History Blog, Haukka joins a short list of technology luminaries who have been previous recipients of the prize:
* 2011 Roy Gordon (Harvard University),
* 2012 Markku Leskelä (University of Helsinki),
* 2013 Steven George (University of Colorado),
* 2014 Hyeongtag Jeon (Hanyang University), and
* 2015 Gregory Parsons (North Carolina State University).

More on the ALD 2016 conference can be read in the travel report blog.

[DISCLAIMER: Ed Korczynski and Jonas Sundqvist also work for TECHCET CA, and were co-chairs of the 2016 Critical Materials Conference.]

—E.K.

The Last Technology Roadmap

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After many delays, the last ever International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) has been published. Now that there are just a few companies remaining in the world developing new fab technologies in each of the CMOS logic and memory spaces, each leading-edge company has a secret internal roadmap and little motivation to compare directions within fiercely competitive commercial markets. Solid State Technology Chief Editor Pete Singer covered these developments in his blog post early last year.

Rachael Courtland at IEEE Spectrum provides a great overview of the topic and interviews many of the key contributors to this last global effort. The article provides a nice graph to show how the previously predicted (in the just-prior ITRS 2013 edition) continued physical gate length reduction of CMOS transistors is now expected to stop in 2020. Henceforth, 3D stacking of transistors—perhaps built with arrays of Gate-All-Around NanoWires (GAA-NW)—will be the only way to get more density in circuitry but it will come with proportionally increasing cost.

As Gary Patton, CTO and SVP of Worldwide R&D for GlobalFoundries, mentioned during the 2016 Imec Technology Forum in Brussells, “We will continue to provide value to our customers to be able to create new products. We’re going to innovate to add value other than simple scaling.”

The 17 International Technology Working Groups (ITWGs) were replaced in 2015 by 7 Focus Teams in the last ITRS: System Integration, Heterogeneous Integration, Heterogeneous Components, Outside System Connectivity, More Moore, Beyond CMOS and Factory Integration. The final reports from each Focus Team are available for free download from Dropbox.

The IEEE Rebooting Computing Initiative, Standards Association, and the Computer Society announced a new International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) on 4th of May this year. Paolo Gargini is leading this work that began with the partnership between the IEEE RC initiative and the ITRS, with aspiration to build “a comprehensive end-to-end view of the computing ecosystem, including devices, components, systems, architecture, and software.”

In parallel to the IRDS efforts, the Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap activities will continue as sponsored by IEEE Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society (CPMT), SEMI and the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS). Bill Bottoms is leading this collaboration with other IEEE Technical Societies that share interest in the Heterogeneous Technology Roadmap as well as to organizations outside IEEE that share this common vision for the roadmap.

—E.K.

Broadening Scope of SEMICON

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Once upon a time, SEMICONs were essentially just for semiconductor manufacturing business and technology, and predominantly CMOS ICs. Back when we followed public roadmaps for technology to maintain the cadence of new manufacturing nodes in support of Moore’s Law, it was sufficient to focus on faster transistors connected with tighter wires. Now in an era that is at least partially “More-than-Moore”—as we like to refer to heterogeneous integration of non-CMOS technologies into commercial ICs—SEMICON West 2016 will focus on technologies beyond silicon CMOS such as MEMS and flexible organic semiconductors.

Alissa Fitzgerald, founder and managing member of AM Fitzgerald & Associates, will present on some of these themes Wednesday afternoon during the “What’s Next in MEMS and Sensors: Innovations to Drive the Next Generation of Growth” session (Track 2) of SEMICON’s Advanced Manufacturing Forum. Much of that growth is expected to be in sensors, microprocessors, ultra-low-power supplies, and communications chips to support the Internet of Things (IoT) connected by high-speed 5G data networks.

Flexible/Hybrid Electronics Forum at SEMICON West this year includes two full days of excellent presentations on new technologies that include thinned device processing, device/sensor integrated printing and packaging, and reliability testing and modeling. The following is the full list of forums this year:

Advanced Manufacturing,
Advanced Packaging,
Extended Supply-Chain,
Flexible/Hybrid Electronics,
Silicon Innovation,
Sustainable Manufacturing,
Test, and
World of IoT.

Partner programs include focused forums discussing trends in technology, markets, and the business of commercial IC fabrication. The industry’s default center of “More Moore” R&D is now imec in Belgium, and invited attendees of the imec technology forum (ITF) in San Francisco happening on July 11th the day before the start of SEMICON West will learn about the latest results in CMOS device shrinking from finFETs to nanowires. The next evening, French R&D and pilot manufacturing center CEA-Leti will lead a workshop detailing how to partner with the organization to bring sensor-based “More-than-Moore” technologies to market. Thursday morning will feature the Entegris Yield Breakfast Forum discussing the need for new materials handling solutions due to “Yield Enhancement Challenges in Today’s Memory IC Production.”

As the official event website summarizes: We’ve deepened our reach across the full electronics manufacturing supply chain to connect you with more key players — including major industry leaders like Cisco, Samsung, Intel, Audi, Micron, and more. New players, demand generators, systems integrators, and emerging industry segments — all connecting in one place. Keynote presentations will be provided by Cisco Systems, Kateeva, and Oracle.

—E.K.

Trefonas Earns 2016 Perkin Medal

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The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced on May 5, 2016 that Peter Trefonas, Ph.D., corporate fellow in Electronic Materials at Dow Chemical Co (NYSE:DOW), has won the 2016 SCI Perkin Medal. This honor recognizes Trefonas’ contributions in the development of chemicals that enable microlithography for the fabrication of microelectronic circuits. Trefonas will receive the medal at a dinner in his honor on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, at the Hilton Penn’s Landing Hotel in Philadelphia.

Trefonas made major contributions to the development of many successful products which are used in the production of integrated circuits spanning device design generations from 2 microns to 14 nanometers. These include photoresists, antireflectant coatings, underlayers, developers, and ancillary products. At the most recent SPIE Advanced Lithography conference he was part of a team that presented on the use of a resolution extension material, “Chemical trimming overcoat: an enhancing composition and process for 193nm lithography.”

He is an inventor on 61 US patents, has over 25 additional published active U.S. patent applications, is an author of 99 journal and technical publications, and is a recent recipient of both the 2014 ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award and the 2014 SPIE Willson Award. His research career began at Monsanto, and moved via acquisitions by Shipley, Rohm&Haas, and Dow.

—E.K.

RFID Playing Cards “Best Product” at Printed Electronics Europe

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Cartamundi, imec and Holst Centre (set up by imec and TNO) recently won the Best Product Award at Printed Electronics Europe for their ultra-thin plastic RFID technology integrated into Cartamundi’s playing cards. In each card, the RFID chip has a unique code that communicates wirelessly to an RFID reader, giving the cards in the game a unique digital identity. The jury recognized the potential of this technology to enhance printed electronics applications for the Internet-of-Things (IoT), as well as being a gamechanger <RIMSHOT> for the gaming industry.

Chris Van Doorslaer, CEO of Cartamundi, said, “The new technology will connect traditional game play with electronic devices like smartphones and tablets. As Cartamundi is committed to creating products that connect families and friends of every generation to enhance the valuable quality time they share during the day, this technology is a real enabler.” Imec and Cartamundi engineers will now explore up-scaling of the technology using a foundry production model.

“This is a thrilling development to demonstrate our TOLAE electronic technology integrated in the product of a partner company. TOLAE stands for Thin, Oxide and Large-Area Electronics”, stated Paul Heremans, department director of thin-film electronics at imec and technology director at the Holst Centre. “Our prototype thin-film RFID is thinner than paper—so thin that it can be invisibly embedded in paper products, such as playing cards. This key enabling technology will bring the cards and traditional games of our customer in direct connection with the Cloud. This achievement also opens up new applications in the IoT domain that we are exploring, to bring more data and possibilities to applications such as smart packaging, security paper, and maybe even banknotes.”

—E.K.

Omhi kept us Ultra-Clean

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Sadly, I just recently learned from the UCPSS 2016 website that Ohmi-sensei—Professor Doctor Tadahiro Ohmi—passed away in Sendai on 21 February 2016. As the guru of ultra-clean technology, he established the global Ultra Clean Society in 1988, founded the International Symposium of Semiconductor Manufacturing (ISSM) in 1992, served as program committee member of the UCPSS between 1992 and 2006, and was an IEEE Fellow. Ohmi was a Professor of New Industry Creation Hatchery Center at Tohoku University, after serving as a Professor at the Electronic Engineering Department, School of Engineering at Tohoku U.

Ohmi was most famous for asserting that IC manufacturing yield could be 100% if only every tool and tube in the fab were built with ultra-clean surfaces, and if all direct-materials and fluids flowing in the fab were ultra-clean. In the 1980s when IC designs and fab processes were relatively simple and HVM yields were in the 30-60% range, huge improvements came from removing “random” particles from dirty surfaces. Soon enough by the mid-1990s “clean enough” was found to be the pragmatic response to the experience of diminishing returns after yields were in the 90% range. Most famously for posterity, in 1993 Ohmi edited “Ultraclean Technology Handbook: Ultrapure Water, Vol.1”.

I first met him when UltraClean Technology, Inc. (UCTT) was founded in California in 1996 to weld ultra-clean steel from parent company Mitsubishi in a Class-1 cleanroom, and he was the genius bringing his vision of a better world to the rest of us. However, eventually UCTT separated from Mitsubishi and added Class-100 and Class-1000 assembly areas to provide “clean enough” technology…heresy to the Guru of ultra-clean; I never met him again when I worked for the company as a product manager in 2004.

As covered by EETimes in 2002, Ohmi could clearly see that something new was going to be needed in fab technology, but his vision for a way forward was an unrealizable dream:

Ohmi said his comprehensive process, from design through chip making, would create devices with 10 times better performance than today’s chips. At the same time, he said, it would squeeze design and production time to 1/40, clean room space to 1/5 and production cost to 1/10 of what’s now required.

Throughout his career he continued to look for breakthroughs to enable new generations of semiconductor manufacturing technology, recently supervising a project to develop a “next-generation flat panel display.”

An extraordinarily prolific inventor, his name is on an astonishing 592 issued US patents, based on 795 US applications filed, the most recent on December 21st of last year.

—E.K.