07/06/2006 

07/03/2006  The Correct-A-Chip ball grid array (BGA) adapter enables an operator to mount a 0.8-mm pitch device to a PCB assembled for 1.0-mm-pitch devices. The bottom of the adapter mounts to a PCB with a BGA pad footprint of 1.0-mm pitch, while the top accepts BGA devices with 0.8-mm pitch.

07/03/2006  By Meredith Courtemanche, assistant editor

A recent report analyzing delivery time length and prices of laminate flip chip build-up substrates found that increased demand for the substrate in 2005 created supply deficiencies. TechSearch International, who created the report, expects the problem to continue through 2006, and possibly into 2007 and 2008 as well.

07/01/2006  Liquid immersion lithography (LIL) has catapulted to the forefront of all lithography discussions recently.

07/01/2006  From semiconductor lithography to the imaging of living cells, optical techniques are being challenged by alternative approaches.

06/26/2006  Visitors to SEMICON West once again will have the opportunity to conveniently meet with a range of entrepreneurs with new ideas at the Technology Innovation Showcase. This year SEMI has expanded it to three separate and more focused areas -- devoted to innovations in DFM and frontend processing, MEMS and nanotechnology, and final manufacturing technologies. Here's the rundown on a few intriguing innovations picked by a volunteer committee of industry executives to have the most potential.

06/26/2006  June 26, 2006 - Seeking to provide nanoscale repair solutions to the photomask industry, NanoInk Inc. and SII NanoTechnology Inc. will modify NanoInk's dip-pen nanolithography technology and integrate it with SII's photomask repair instruments and nanomachining platforms.

06/23/2006 

06/16/2006  June 16, 2006 - Balazs Analytical Services, a division of Air Liquide Electronics US, has introduced a new analytical technique that can provide trace analysis of metal concentrations in water and process chemicals down to parts-per-quadrillion (ppq) -- 1ppq equivalent to one in a million billions.

06/12/2006  June 12, 2006 - NEC Electronics America Inc., Santa Clara, CA, says it has developed 55nm standard CMOS process technology (dubbed "UX7LS) to be used with next-generation, ultralow-power consumption systems-on-chips (SoC), as well as the company's CMOS-compatible DRAM technology.

06/08/2006  June 8, 2006 - Fresh off a $300M infusion to support expansion at its Tianjin facilities, Chinese flagship foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) said its Shanghai subsidiary has closed a five-year, $600 million secured term loan facility with a consortium of international and Chinese banks.

06/07/2006  ArF immersion lithography has started to reveal defectivity and overlay numbers comparable to dry ArF lithography, indicating that the technology is rapidly maturing and will soon be ready for introduction in volume manufacturing.

06/06/2006  June 6, 2006 - Brion Technologies and Crolles2 Alliance partners STMicroelectronics, Philips Semiconductors, and Freescale Semiconductor, have incorporated Brion's Tachyon LMC lithography manufacturability verification technology into production on a fully automated 65nm process flow, and agreed to continue working to develop optical-proximity correction (OPC) technology for 45nm device fabrication.

06/06/2006  We are entering a new era, in which nano-fabrication is moving beyond IC fabrication. Chasing Moore's Law is still an important challenge, but there are now other interesting challenges, such as making electronics ubiquitous, particularly in the medical field, and harnessing Nature's self-assembly methods. These were among the paths followed at the Electron, Ion, & Photon Beam Technology & Nanofabrication (EIPBN) held May 29 to June 2 in Baltimore, MD.

06/05/2006  June 5, 2006 - JEOL Ltd. reportedly is investing 1.8 billion yen (about US $16 million) to build a new facility that will double its production of electron-beam lithography equipment.

06/05/2006  June 5, 2006 - SEMI has published eight new technical standards for the semiconductor, flat-panel display (FPD), and MEMS manufacturing industries, including safety guidelines for hydrogen peroxide storage and handling systems, specifications for critical dimension (CD) measurement information data for photomask manufacturing, and test methods for measurement of the resistivity of resin black matrix for LCD color filters.

06/05/2006 

05/31/2006  May 31, 2006 - Toshiba Corp.'s semiconductor company is using Takumi Technology Corp.'s automated layout modification methodology for mask data preparation design flow in sub-65nm IC manufacturing, the companies said.

05/26/2006  May 26, 2006 - Nantero Inc., Phoenix, AZ, and ON Semiconductor will pick up where Nantero and LSI Logic left off with work to integrate carbon nanotubes into CMOS fabrication. ON Semi acquired LSI Logic's facility in Gresham, OR, earlier this year, where the technology was being developed.

05/26/2006  May 26, 2006 - Analysis from two firms predicts a soft market for lithography equipment in 2008, after leading-edge chipmakers are through placing initial orders for next-generation lithography tools.