01/08/2009  Technology-driven growth is still possible in the current downturn, according to SST's poll of executives from across the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain. Even during an economic slump, they remain optimistic about two things: the continuing need to innovate, and the ineveitable upturn.

01/08/2009  To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, nothing focuses the mind like an economic meltdown. The semiconductor industry and its capital equipment suppliers were already in the midst of a severe downturn as we entered the fourth quarter of 2008. Softening consumer demand and overcapacity in memory caused prices to plummet. Overlay the global credit crisis, and our industry faces challenges with a depth and breadth we've rarely had to face, even given our volatile history.

01/08/2009  The macroeconomic issues that plagued the second half of 2008 will continue to impact the semiconductor and MEMS markets in 2009, specifically in segments that are automotive and consumer-product driven. Despite the effects, companies in these markets remain committed to innovation, and in turn, are expected to continue to invest in new manufacturing technologies (e.g., 3D/TSVs and nanoimprint lithography) to bring to market novel devices.

01/08/2009  To successfully maneuver in today's restless economic waters, companies must possess a stellar balance sheet with a strong cash position, and provide leading-edge technology.

01/08/2009  Amid the gloomy outlook on IC demand in the coming quarters, many chip manufacturers are cutting back on their investments to build capacity. However, it is at this time -- when demand is at its softest -- that the wisest of chip manufacturers are continuing to make strategic investments in new manufacturing technologies and methodologies in order to position themselves to quickly ramp up on new chip designs when semiconductor demand inevitably swings upward once again.

01/08/2009  As the global economic tide starts to recede, it exposes many high technology manufacturing challenges that were otherwise hidden. In the semiconductor industry, these challenges are often opportunities for innovation -- and the situation we face in lithography today is an excellent example.

01/08/2009  In the quest to develop products with higher functionality at lower cost, the semiconductor value chain is struggling to cope with the increasingly complex technologies and expenditures needed to develop leading-edge CMOS products. Though the nature of these challenges is not new, their intensity is unprecedented.

01/08/2009  Chipmakers are trying many paths toward high-k metal gate dielectric (HK+MG) CMOS for 32nm and beyond, and papers presented at IEDM 2008 in San Francisco, CA, showed steadily improving results even though the routes may vary. Still, getting to uniform manufacturable devices presents some tough challenges.

01/06/2009  ASM International and SAFC's Hitech division have signed a partnership targeting atomic layer deposition (ALD) source materials for advanced ultrahigh-k (ULK) insulators targeting the 3x manufacturing node.

12/19/2008  Wednesday morning at IEDM was an endurance test, with nine consecutive papers on 22, 32, and 45nm devices. A lot of strained silicon, and not a few strained attendees! Rather than cherry-pick, here's a run-through of Session 27.

12/16/2008  December 16, 2008: Heidelberg Instruments announced the sale of a μPG101 table top maskless laser patterning system to the Alberta Center for Advanced MNT Products, Canada. The system will be used for prototyping and fabrication of various devices including biosensors and microfluidics.

12/16/2008  December 16, 2008: IMEC, Europe's largest independent nanoelectronics and nanotech research center, introduced a monolithically integrated 11-megapixel micromirror array for high-end industrial applications at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco on Monday.

12/16/2008  Dec. 15, 2008 - In a paper discussed at this week's IEDM, researchers from IMEC reveal a monolithically integrated 11-megapixel 10cm²micromirror array, double the pixel density of comparable micromirrors, and a 10312 cycle mechanical lifetime, also a record, they claim.

12/15/2008  In an exclusive daily blog for SST, Chipworks' Dick James soaks in the first day of IEDM with dense presentations of 22nm CMOS presentations.

12/15/2008  Intel's 32nm logic technology will be described in a paper to be presented at the IEDM conference this week by Sanjay Natarajan, the company's director of 32nm CMOS technology development.

12/09/2008  Brion Technologies, an ASML company, has developed a suite of products to optimize the performance of diverse scanners so that challenging chip patterns can be manufactured in parallel, on old and new tools, at high volume.

12/02/2008  December 2, 2008: The University of Colorado< has been awarded U.S. Patent number 7,426,067 "Atomic layer deposition on micro-mechanical devices," which has been exclusively licensed to ALD NanoSolutions Inc.

12/02/2008  December 2, 2008: Cambridge NanoTech, a leader in atomic layer deposition (ALD) science and equipment for research and industry, has expanded its leadership team with the promotion of Dr. Ganesh Sundaram to vice president of technology and Roger Coutu to vice president of engineering.

12/01/2008  Merging contamination control technology with garment comfort and ease of use reduces the risks to cleanroom operations.

11/26/2008  Elpida Memory says it has completed development of a 50nm DDR3 SDRAM that's twice as fast as Samsung's version, with what the company says is the lowest power consumption available (1.2V operation).