Issue

It's no secret that most middle-school and high-school students in the US have little interest in math and science.

The increasing number of CMP consumables suppliers has led to many possible combinations of pads, copper, and barrier slurries.

Solid State Technology asked materials experts to discuss the new dynamics driving the materials business.

Introduced as an alternative CMOS technology in 1978, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) offered the potential for high speed, low power consumption, soft-error reduction, latch-up immunity, manufacturing process simplification, and improved scaling.

The manufacture and future development of integrated circuits and devices face many technological challenges, some of which are materials-related, while others are related to process integration.

An optical technique based on the laser generation of surface acoustic waves allows noncontact monitoring of electroplated copper thickness on product wafers.

Detection of moisture contamination in hydride gases, such as ammonia used for epitaxial growth, has become a significant concern for manufacturers of III-V compound semiconductors.

Through-mask electrodeposition is receiving increased attention in microelectronic applications.

Wafer-handling systems in semiconductor process equipment can significantly limit overall tool reliability.