Issue

High-precision inspection for 300mm; Ion implanter for 300mm; Airborne contaminants in DUV lithography; Optical metrology module...

A listing of industry events, covering November 2001 to April 2002.

While new device technology gets the major press and public acclaim, it takes the creativity and innovation of the manufacturing sector to bring new developments into the commercial world.

Worldwide semiconductor sales sagged again for the month of August, falling to $10.49 billion, 3.4% less than July 2001's $10.96 billion, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), San Jose, CA.

With a $50 million investment in a program that began in 1999, Amkor Technology, Chandler, AZ, has now fully implemented a high-density semiconductor back-end process that integrates package, assembly, and test.

Arash of new fab investments in China, boosted by friendlier trade relations with the US, heralds the beginning of a chipmaking industry on the Mainland. The region, however, has had a chipmaking base — albeit a small one — dating back to the mid-1950s, when discrete device development began, and there have been milestones ever since.

Trying to discern a one-size-fits-all industry outlook for the Asia Pacific region is like trying to follow the logic in an M.C. Escher drawing. Just when you think you've found where the path is going, you tumble head first in the opposite direction.

For a chipmaker, the frustration is palpable and measurable: production lines sitting idle — costing millions in potential revenue — awaiting a special component or a new production tool. These unacceptable delays are exacerbated by the frustration of equipment suppliers, who simply can't get what they need any faster from their component suppliers.

This year, the semiconductor industry will meet yet another technological milestone — the introduction of 193nm lithography into production lines. Just a few years ago, 193nm was seen as the last gasp of optical lithography. Today, it is seen as a mere stepping-stone to the greater challenge of 157nm.

To take full advantage of the SOI structure, device architecture and design issues must be addressed. While circuit design is achieved with standard CAD tools, specific modeling is required to take into account the physical design of the devices and unusual electrical characteristics.

Plasma states of equipment can be monitored using a wavelet in conjunction with a radio-frequency impedance-match monitor system. This method helps prevent any failure in plasma during etch and deposition processing, which could critically diminish process performance.

Electroplating copper from various sources using different additives results in different surface film chemistries. During subsequent polishing, the post-CMP results such as removal rate, dishing, erosion, and surface defects can vary widely, even if identical sets of CMP consumables and parameters are used.

Measuring and baselining plasma parameters via automated, software-controlled plasma system fingerprinting, instead of relying on best-known methods, provides effective in situ process measurement and control that offers rapid return on investment.

A method for optimizing the control of organic additives in a plating bath for copper interconnect applications is achieved by careful choice of the CVS cycling parameters and the supporting electrolyte makeup.

Asian giant China may be getting the lion's share of attention as an up-and-coming semiconductor powerhouse, but relatively tiny neighbor Korea is quietly establishing itself as a potential provider of tools and materials, with a plethora of increasingly sophisticated toolmakers within the country's borders.

As an industry, we expect optical lithography to run out of capability any day, so we want a replacement technology to be ready just in time. This has been going on for nearly 25 years. Some people think the demise of optics is only a fear, that we will never need a replacement technology. History is on their side. This view supports the "Optics Forever" roadmap.

Dongbu Electronics seems jinxed with the world's worst timing. It was bad enough that the company built some of the industry's biggest cleanrooms and jumped into the foundry business just as the industry nosedived.

The GaAs market is widely considered the fastest growing arena of semiconductor technology. During 2000, it experienced some 60% growth over 1999, with device shipments totaling more than $18 billion.