Issue



Table of Contents

Solid State Technology

Year 2004
Issue 4

DEPARTMENTS

Publishers Letter


The best of both worlds

It's rare that you can have the best of both worlds, but that's exactly what Solid State Technology offers our readers.


Editorial


Shifting costs may weaken suppliers

At this year's International Strategy Symposium, speakers from major equipment and materials companies pointed out that R&D and other costs have moved upstream in the semiconductor supply chain, from chipmakers to their equipment and materials suppliers.


World News


World News


Tech News


Technology News


Interconnect


Challenges and advances for CMP consumables

In the early days of CMP, most of the focus was on developing the technology as a relatively stable process and enabling its usefulness, particularly for dielectric CMP.


Product News


Product News


Perspectives


Is it time to re-tool the business model?

Solid State Technology asked experts about the growing perception that R&D is becoming too commercialized while the industry struggles to make innovation profitable.


FEATURES

Cover Article


Vacuum technology: Forces of change keep reshaping vacuum systems in ion implant

Since they were introduced into semiconductor processing in the 1970s, ion implanters have been characterized by change. An explosion of implanter architectures has occurred in the last decade.


Metrology


Gate process control using spectroscopic ellipsometry

Metrology techniques such as atomic force microscopy and cross-sectional tunneling electron microscopy, while able to provide full 2D profile metrology with the requisite precision, have inadequate throughput to allow for proper statistical sampling necessary to control a volume manufacturing line.


Packaging Assembly


Probing the issues for Cu/low-k wire bonding

The introduction of low-k and ultralow-k dielectric films in copper-interconnect structures presents serious challenges in advanced device test, assembly, and packaging.


EUROPEAN-TECHNOLOGY

Bio Chips


Micro-system platforms/new materials for biosensor applications

Microelectronic-based biosensors consist of a physicochemical transducer in direct contact with a biological recognition element such as antibodies, DNA probes, cells, neurons, and so on.


Etch


Deep silicon etching used for key MEMS building blocks

Etch requirements for four basic deep Si processes — bulk, precision, SOI, and high aspect ratio — are presented and contrasted.


Wafer Cleaning


Using a biased-ICP reactor for PR strip and Cu barrier removal

A 2-in-1 integration scheme — in which the barrier removal and photoresist strip are done in situ following dielectric etch — is proposed.