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In 2014, the MEMS sector represented an $11.1B business for Si-based devices. According to Yole Développement (Yole) latest MEMS report “Status of the MEMS Industry”, the MEMS industry is preparing to exceed $20B by 2020.

“We have seen different market leaders in the past and the competition is still very open,” said Jean-Christophe Eloy, President & CEO, Yole. “But 2014 will be remembered for the emergence of what could be a future “MEMS Titan”: Robert Bosch (Bosch),” he added.

Under this new analysis entitled, “Status of the MEMS Industry” report Yole proposes a deep understanding of the MEMS markets trends and players dynamics. The More than Moore market research and strategy consulting company announces its 2014 MEMS manufacturers and foundries ranking and proposes an overview of the future game-changers including new devices, disruptive technologies, 300mm wafers, sensor fusion and new markets.

mems market forecast

Bosch’s MEMS revenues have increased by 20 percent to top $1.2B, driven by consumer sales. STMicroelectronics’ revenue is thus now lagging $400M behind. Compared to 2013, the top five companies remain unchanged and together they earn $3.8B, around a third of the total MEMS business. However, Bosch’s dominance is clear, as its revenues now account for around one-third of that figure. Among the 10 or so MEMS titans that are currently sharing most of the MEMS market, Yole distinguishes the “Titans with Momentum” from the “Struggling Titans”

Titans with Momentum group includes Bosch, InvenSense and others.

“Bosch’s case is particularly noteworthy as it is today the only MEMS company in dual markets – namely automotive and consumer – that has the right R&D/production infrastructure,” said Dr Eric Mounier, Senior Technology & Market Analyst, MEMS devices & Technology at Yole.

STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Knowles, Denso and Panasonic are part of the second group, “Struggling Titans.” These companies are currently struggling to have an efficient value growth engine.

A third family is the upcoming “Baby Titans” like Qorvo and Infineon that have grown significantly in the past couple of years and could become serious MEMS players.

Yole has analyzed the three “Brick Walls” players have to overcome to develop a significant MEMS business. The first is to launch a first MEMS product on the market. The second is moving from one to multiple MEMS product lines to diversify a company’s portfolio. The last is the move from being a device maker to a system maker with a successful MEMS business. So far, only Bosch has achieved a very successful transition.

Yole also announces: “New MEMS devices are emerging.” Under its analysis, the consulting company considers gas and chemical sensors. Such devices are based on semiconductor technologies. But MEMS is a further improvement that can reduce size by half or more and also cut costs, thus opening up new opportunities. According to Yole’s analysis, MEMS-based gas sensors will be increasingly used in applications with formfactor/cost issues, particularly in wearables and then consumer applications such as smartphones.

Another example is MEMS micro mirrors. Yole explains: “They are attracting new interest from the market for optical datacom, with Calient achieving impressive growth, or human-machine interfaces, as demonstrated by Intel’s acquisition of Lemoptix.”

Under its analysis on the MEMS & Sensors industry, Yole and its team took the opportunity to exchange with Jeanne Forget, Global Marketing Director, Bosch Sensortec and Dr Frank Schafer, Senior Manager of product management for automotive micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS) at Robert Bosch on the evolution of the MEMS markets and the ability of Bosch, in the last 20 years and for the next decade, to build and maintain its unique leadership on MEMS industry. Full discussion is available on i-micronews.com, MEMS & Sensors news.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $83.1 billion during the first quarter of 2015, an increase of 6.0 percent compared to the first quarter of 2014. Global sales for the month of March 2015 were $27.7 billion, 6.0 percent higher than the March 2014 total of $26.1 billion and 0.1 percent lower than last month’s total. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“Despite macroeconomic challenges, first quarter global semiconductor sales are higher than they were last year, which was a record year for semiconductor revenue,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “The Americas region posted its sixth straight month of double-digit, year-to-year growth to lead all regional markets, and DRAM and analog products continue to be key drivers of global sales growth.”

Regionally, sales were up compared to last month in Asia Pacific/All Other (3.1 percent), Europe (2.7 percent), and China (1.0 percent), which is broken out as a separate country in the sales data for the first time. Japan(-0.4 percent) and the Americas (-6.9 percent) both saw sales decrease compared to last month. Compared to March 2014, sales increased in the Americas (14.2 percent), China (13.3 percent), and Asia Pacific/All Other (3.8 percent), but decreased in Europe (-4.0 percent) and Japan (-9.6 percent).

“Congress is considering a legislative initiative called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) that would help promote continued growth in the semiconductor sector and throughout the U.S. economy,” Neuffer continued. “Free trade is vital to the U.S. semiconductor industry. In 2014, U.S. semiconductor company sales totaled $173 billion, representing over half the global market, and 82 percent of those sales were to customers outside the United States. TPA paves the way for free trade, and Congress should swiftly enact it.”

March 2015
Billions
Month-to-Month Sales
Market Last Month Current Month % Change
Americas 6.23 5.80 -6.9%
Europe 2.88 2.95 2.7%
Japan 2.55 2.54 -0.4%
China 7.75 7.83 1.0%
Asia Pacific/All Other 8.33 8.59 3.1%
Total 27.74 27.71 -0.1%
Year-to-Year Sales
Market Last Year Current Month % Change
Americas 5.08 5.80 14.2%
Europe 3.08 2.95 -4.0%
Japan 2.81 2.54 -9.6%
China 6.91 7.83 13.3%
Asia Pacific/All Other 8.27 8.59 3.8%
Total 26.15 27.71 6.0%
Three-Month-Moving Average Sales
Market Oct/Nov/Dec Jan/Feb/Mar % Change
Americas 6.73 5.80 -13.8%
Europe 3.01 2.95 -1.7%
Japan 2.80 2.54 -9.1%
China 8.03 7.83 -2.5%
Asia Pacific/All Other 8.57 8.59 0.2%
Total 29.13 27.71 -4.9%

About SIA

Applied Materials, Inc. and Tokyo Electron Limited today announced that they have agreed to terminate their Business Combination Agreement (BCA). No termination fees will be payable by either party.

The decision came after the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) advised the parties that the coordinated remedy proposal submitted to all regulators would not be sufficient to replace the competition lost from the merger. Based on the DoJ’s position, Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron have determined that there is no realistic prospect for the completion of the merger.

“We viewed the merger as an opportunity to accelerate our strategy and worked hard to make it happen,” said Gary Dickerson, president and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. “While we are disappointed that we are not able to pursue this path, our existing growth strategy is compelling. We have been relentlessly driving this strategy forward and we have made significant progress towards our goals. We are delivering results and gaining share in the semiconductor and display equipment markets, while making meaningful advances in areas that represent the biggest and best growth opportunities for us.

“I would like to thank our employees for their focus on delivering results throughout this process. As we move forward, Applied Materials has tremendous opportunities to leverage our differentiated capabilities and technology in precision materials engineering and drive a significant increase in the value we create for our customers and investors.”

IC Insights recently released its March Update to the 2015 McClean Report.  The Update includes a review of IC company sales by headquarters location.  In this example, Samsung’s sales from its fabrication facility in Austin, Texas, are counted as sales from South Korean companies.  Intel’s sales from its fabs in China, Ireland, and Israel are included among U.S. companies, etc.  As shown, U.S. companies held a 55 percent share of the total worldwide IC market in 2014, which includes sales from IDMs and fabless IC companies. The total does not include foundry sales.  South Korean companies captured an 18 percent share and Japanese companies placed third with a 9 percent share. Chinese companies accounted for only 3 percent of total IC sales in 2014 (Figure 1).

IDM fab sales Fig 1

 

Among IDMs (companies with wafer fabs that manufacture their own ICs), U.S.-headquartered companies accounted for slightly over half of worldwide sales followed by companies based in South Korea, Japan, and Europe. Taiwan companies (not including foundries) held only a 2 percent share.

Over the next couple of years, NXP’s purchase of Freescale (expected to close later this year) and Infineon’s purchase of IR will likely boost the European share of worldwide IDM IC sales by a few percentage points at the expense of U.S. share.  In contrast, Europe is expected to lose fabless IC company marketshare in the next few years due to Qualcomm’s acquisition of CSR, Europe’s second-largest fabless IC supplier, and Intel’s purchase of Lantiq, Europe’s third-largest fabless IC supplier (Figure 2).

IDM fab sales Fig 2

 

U.S. companies held the dominant share of fabless IC sales last year, although its share was down from 69 percent in 2010.  The largest increase in fabless IC marketshare came from Chinese companies, which held a 9 percent share in 2014 compared to only 5 percent in 2010.

Further details on IC sales by region and by company, including IC Insights’ final sales ranking of the top 50 IDMs and top 50 fabless IC companies for 2014, are included in the March Update to The McClean Report—A Complete Analysis and Forecast of the Integrated Circuit Industry.

Smaller and more powerful medical systems are driving up sales of ICs, sensors, and other devices for the medical semiconductor market.  IC Insights believes medical semiconductor sales growth will strengthen this year and next before sliding back in the next expected economic slowdown in 2017 (Figure 1). Between 2013 and 2018, worldwide medical semiconductor sales are projected to rise by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3 percent, reaching $8.2 billion in the final year of the forecast.  In the 2008-2013 period (which included the 2009 downturn), medical semiconductor sales grew by a CAGR of 6.9 percent.

medical semiconductor sales

The IC portion of the medical semiconductor business is expected to rise by a CAGR of 10.7 percent to $6.6 billion in 2018 while the marketshare for optoelectronics, sensors/actuators, and discretes (O-S-D) is forecast to grow by an annual rate of 20.3 percent to $1.6 billion that year (primarily due to strong demand for solid-state sensors and optical imaging devices).

ICs and other semiconductor technologies continue to play key roles in reshaping and redefining medical systems. With more medical imaging systems being digitized and healthcare equipment running under computer control, IC-driven advancements are happening almost as quickly as they are in mobile phones, and many consumer electronics. Government certification can slow some system introductions. The scaling of IC feature sizes, system-on-chip (SoC) designs, improvements in sensors, and powerful analog frontend (AFE) data converters are reducing the size of medical diagnostic equipment and the cost of using them.

Developments of new medical systems for imaging and diagnostics, treatment, and surgery are heading in two different directions as equipment makers respond to growing pressures for lower costs and increased availability of healthcare worldwide. In one direction, new medical equipment is becoming smaller and less expensive so that systems can be used in the rooms of hospital patients, clinics, and doctor offices. These systems cost one-quarter to one-tenth the price of large diagnostic equipment—such as traditional MRI and CT scanners, which can cost $1 million and are normally installed in medical-imaging centers or in dedicated hospital examination rooms.

Also, lower-cost wearable medical systems and fitness monitors, which can wirelessly transmit vital signs and other readings to doctors or be used as “activity trackers” for health-conscious individuals, are seeing tremendous growth. In some cases, medical and fitness-monitoring applications can be performed directly by smartphones using their embedded sensors and downloaded software apps. However, medically certified mobile healthcare devices are usually required in most countries for monitoring patients and the elderly in their homes. The information is sent to doctors via wireless connections to cellphones or the Internet.

The second major trend in medical equipment is the development of more powerful and integrated systems, which are expensive but promise to lower healthcare costs by detecting cancer and diseases sooner and supporting less invasive surgery for quick recovery times and shorter stays in hospitals. Computer-assisted surgery systems, surgical robots, and operating-room automation are among new technologies being pursued by some hospitals in developed markets.

High growth in lower-cost systems along with the rising price tag of more sophisticated hospital equipment in developed country markets is expected to increase total medical electronics systems sales by a CAGR of 8.2 percent between 2013 and 2018, to $70.1 billion in the final year of the forecast.

Additional details on the IC market for medical and wearable electronic is included in the 2015 edition of IC Insights’ IC Market Drivers—A Study of Emerging and Major End-Use Applications Fueling Demand for Integrated Circuits.

The industrial semiconductor market will post a 9.7 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next several years as revenue rises from $34.8 billion in 2013 to $55.2 billion in 2018, according to IHS, a global source of critical information and insight. Increased capital spending by companies and continued economic growth, especially in the United States and China, and will help spur demand and drive sales growth for industrial semiconductors.

Based on the latest information from the Q4 2014 Industrial Semi Market Report from IHS Semiconductors and Components Service, factory automation, building and home control and commercial aircraft are driving demand for industrial semiconductors. In fact, industrial semiconductor sales posted 4.7 percent growth in the third quarter (Q3) of 2014 alone compared to the previous quarter. By the end of 2014 the market grew an estimated 16.8 percent over the previous year. Demand was especially strong for optical LEDs, which grew 23.4 percent, rising from $6.3 billion to $7.7 billion. Discrete power transistors and thyristors posted 13.4 percent growth, rising from $5.5 billion in 2013 to $6.3 billion in 2014.

ihs industrial semi report

 

Industrial OEM factory revenues were expected to grow 8.3 percent in 2014 on increased sales in the building and home-control market. High-growth categories include LED lighting and IP cameras and other digital video surveillance products.

“Because of strong growth in the industrial segment, semiconductor companies are paying more attention to this market as more chips are being used in applications that did not previously use semiconductors,” said Robbie Galoso, principal analyst for IHS. “Growth in the industrial segment has also been buoyed by a gradual acceleration in the global economy, which continues to boost industrial equipment demand, especially from the United States and China.”

The global economy was strong in 2014 and, led by the United States, it is expected to flourish through 2018. U.S. economic growth is broad-based than in other regions, with a more stabilized housing market, improved consumer finances and credit, and increased capital spending. U.S real gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to reach 2.4 percent in 2014, 3.1 percent in 2015 and 2.7 percent in 2016.

The United States accounted for 30.5 percent of all semiconductors used in industrial applications in 2013. China is the second largest industrial chip buyer, purchasing about 14 percent of all industrial semiconductors. Its economy will grow 7.3 percent in 2014, 6.5 percent in 2015 and 6.7 percent in 2016.

“Stronger economic growth and increased capital spending in the United States and China is good news for industrial semiconductor manufacturers because they are the leading purchasers of industrial semiconductors,” Galoso said. “A solid economy and robust industrial equipment demand will further boost sales of optical semiconductors, analog chips and discretes, which are the three largest industrial semiconductor product segments.”

LED demand shines

Revenue from optical chips for industrial applications will grow from $8.6 billion in 2013 to $15.9 billion in 2018. The optical chip segment includes LEDs for general lighting, which represented 72 percent of the optical category in 2013, and will reach 78.4 percent in 2018. Optocouplers used in motor drives in factory automation and energy distribution, conversion and storage, is the second biggest product category within optical integrated circuits (ICs).

Analog semiconductor revenue will increase from $6.7 billion 2013 to $9.9 billion in 2018, while discretes increase from $6.4 billion to $8.6 billion. The analog semiconductor segment includes voltage regulators and reference, data converters, amplifiers and comparators, and interface ICs, which are used in factory automation, motor drives, and energy conversion and storage.

Image sensors are the smallest category in the optical chip segment. These sensors are currently transitioning from charge-coupled-device (CCD) image sensors to complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors that are widely used in security cameras, medical imaging equipment and military devices.

Industrial semiconductors with the strongest compound annual growth rates from 2013 through 2018 will include logic semiconductors at 13.4 percent, optical semiconductors at 13 percent and sensors and actuators at 10.8 percent.

Logic ICs are widely used in automation, including programmable logic controllers, digital control systems and communication and networking that extend across various markets, machine vision, and military applications.

Growth drivers

“The robust growth in demand for industrial semiconductors over the next three years will be driven by a wide range of products and segments,” Galoso said. “These products include 3D printers, factory automation products, commercial aircraft, LED lighting, digital IP cameras, climate control devices, renewable energy products, medical electronics and wireless application-specific testers.

Industrial 3D printers is a high growth category that will help drive industrial semiconductor usage in the coming years. It includes equipment used to manufacture objects through an additive process of laying down successive layers of material, until the entire object is created.

Avionics will continue to lead growth in the industrial segment. The commercial aircraft market offset the military aircraft market in the third quarter 2014. Total avionics revenue was expected to finish 2014 with 16.9 percent growth.

Led by China and the United States, the factory automation segment has grown over the past five quarters. The segment is forecast to reach 5.9 percent growth in 2014.

IC Insights’ March Update to the 2015 McClean Report (being released later this month) refreshes the forecasts for 33 major IC product categories through 2019.  The complete list of all 33 major IC product categories ranked by the updated forecast growth rates for 2015 is shown in Figure 1.  Eleven product categories (led by Automotive Special Purpose Logic, DRAM, and Automotive Application-Specific Analog devices) are expected to exceed the 7 percent growth rate forecast for the total IC market this year.  Five of the eleven categories are forecast to see double-digit growth in 2015.  The total number of IC categories forecast to register sales growth in 2015 drops slightly to 27 products from 28 in 2014.

IC Insights forecasts a solid growth year for automotive-specific ICs.  In addition to Automotive Special Purpose Logic and Automotive Application-Specific Analog, “intelligent” cars are contributing to growth in the 32-bit MCU market. Driver information systems, throttle control, and semi-autonomous driving features such as self-parking, advanced cruise control, and collision-avoidance are some of the systems that rely on 32-bit MCUs.  In the next few years, complex 32-bit MCUs are expected to account for over 25 percent of the processing power in vehicles.

Automotive is forecast to be among the strongest electronic systems market in 2015.  The automotive segment is expected to register a compound annual growth rate of 6.5 percent in the 2014-2019 timeperiod compared to projected CAGRs of 6.8 percent for communications, 4.3 percent for consumer, 4.2 percent for computer, 4.5 percent for industrial, and 2.7 percent for government/military.  Despite automotive being one of the fastest growing electronic system markets over the next five years, automotive’s share of the total IC market is forecast to be only 8 percent in 2015 and remain less than 10 percent through 2019.

Big gains in the DRAM average selling price (ASP) the past two years resulted in greater-than-30 percent growth for the DRAM market in both 2013 and 2014.  DRAM ASP growth is expected to subside this year but demand for mobile DRAM is forecast to help this memory market category grow another 14 percent, placing it second among the 33 IC product categories shown, according to the newly refreshed forecast.

IC Insights 0312 Fig 1

 

Growth of Cellphone Application MPUs (10 percent) is forecast to remain near the top on the growth list for a fifth consecutive year. Meanwhile, the previously high-flying Tablet MPU market is forecast to sputter to just 3 percent growth in 2015 as demand for tablets slows and ASPs decline. Other IC categories that support mobile systems are expected to see better-than-industry-average growth in 2015, including gains of 9 percent for NAND flash and 8 percent for Power Management Analog.

Increased sales of medical/personal health electronic systems and the growth of the Internet of Things will help the markets for Industrial/Other Application-Specific Analog and 32-bit MCU devices outpace total IC market growth in 2015, as well.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design, today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $28.5 billion for the month of January 2015, the industry’s highest-ever January total and an increase of 8.7 percent from January 2014 when sales were $26.3 billion. Global sales from January 2015 were 2 percent lower than the December 2014 total of $29.1 billion, reflecting normal seasonal trends. Regionally, sales in the Americas increased by 16.4 percent compared to last January to lead all regional markets. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“After a record-setting 2014, the global semiconductor industry is off to a promising start to 2015, posting its highest-ever January sales led by impressive growth in the Americas market,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Global sales have increased on a year-to-year basis for 21 consecutive months and remain strong across most regions and product categories.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (16.4 percent) and Asia Pacific (10.7 percent), but decreased in Europe (-0.2 percent) and Japan (-8 percent). Sales decreased compared to the previous month in Asia Pacific (-0.8 percent), Europe (-2 percent), the Americas (-3.3 percent), and Japan (-6.4 percent).

January 2015
Billions
Month-to-Month Sales
Market Last Month Current Month % Change
Americas 6.73 6.51 -3.3%
Europe 3.01 2.94 -2.0%
Japan 2.80 2.62 -6.4%
Asia Pacific 16.59 16.46 -0.8%
Total 29.13 28.53 -2.0%
Year-to-Year Sales
Market Last Year Current Month % Change
Americas 5.59 6.51 16.4%
Europe 2.95 2.94 -0.2%
Japan 2.84 2.62 -8.0%
Asia Pacific 14.87 16.46 10.7%
Total 26.25 28.53 8.7%
Three-Month-Moving Average Sales
Market Aug/Sep/Oct Nov/Dec/Jan % Change
Americas 6.41 6.51 1.5%
Europe 3.21 2.94 -8.2%
Japan 3.01 2.62 -13.1%
Asia Pacific 17.05 16.46 -3.5%
Total 29.68 28.53 -3.9%

More than any other industry, the semiconductor business is defined by rapid technological change.  As a result, a constant and high level of investment in R&D is essential to the competitive positions of semiconductor suppliers.

Figure 1 shows IC Insights’ 2014 ranking of semiconductor companies by R&D spending. Among the top 10 R&D spenders in 2014, five were based in the U.S., three from the Asia-Pacific region, and Japan and Europe each had one company represented.  The list includes five IDMs, four fabless suppliers, and foundry operator TSMC.

Intel topped all chip companies in R&D spending in 2014, accounting for 36% of the top-10 spending and 21 percent of the $56.0 billion in total worldwide semiconductor R&D expenditures.  The industry’s two largest IDMs—Intel and Samsung—continue to emphasize internal production capacity for advanced ICs in leading-edge wafer fabs. Consequently, spending on R&D programs at the two IC giants has kept growing, but at different rates in recent years.  This is partly due to Samsung’s ability to hold down some costs by participating in IBM’s Common Platform joint development alliance, which also includes GlobalFoundries as an R&D partner.

Fabless IC supplier Qualcomm kept pace with Intel to remain the second-largest spender, a position it first achieved in 2012.  Qualcomm showed the largest percentage increase among the top 10 suppliers with a 62 percent boost in its R&D spending in 2014.  Fabless suppliers Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Broadcom had the highest R&D spending as a percent of sales ratios in 2014 at 31.3 percent, 28.5 percent, and 28.2 percent, respectively.  Broadcom’s spending in 2014 declined for the first time since 2003, while Nvidia’s 2014 spending increased just three percent, but both companies have consistently spent in the range of 30 percent of revenue on R&D the past several years.

top RD semi

 

TSMC’s 15 percent R&D spending increase in 2014, along with a decline in spending at Toshiba and ST, moved the company up two slots to number 5 in the ranking. As a result of the growing number of IC manufacturers adopting the fab-lite business model or becoming completely fabless, TSMC joined the group of top-10 R&D spenders for the first time in 2010.  Micron and MediaTek also moved up in the ranking.  MediaTek became a top-10 spender following its acquisition of fellow Taiwanese fabless supplier MStar in early 2014 (the ranking shows the combined results of MediaTek and MStar).

Five other IC companies had R&D spending of at least $1.0 billion in 2014 but did not make the top 10 ranking. These included Texas Instruments, $1.36 billion; SK Hynix, $1.33 billion; Marvell, $1.18 billion; AMD, $1.06 billion; and Avago, $1.00 billion.

Additional details on semiconductor R&D spending and other technology trends within the IC industry are provided within the IC industry are provided in The McClean Report—A Complete Analysis and Forecast of the Integrated Circuit Industry (released in January 2015), which features more than 400 tables and graphs in the main report alone.

At next week’s SPIE advanced lithography conference, to be held in San Jose, Calif., Feb. 22-26, imec will present breakthrough results on Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) process development. Together with semiconductor equipment supplier Tokyo Electron and Merck, a chemical and pharmaceutical company that acquired AZ Electronic Materials in May 2014, imec has significantly improved DSA defectivity in the past year, approaching single-digit values.

Additionally, the partners have developed a DSA solution for a via patterning process compatible with the 7nm technology node. Furthermore, imec has developed a new chemo-epitaxy flow for 30nm and 45nm pitch hexagonal holes patterning using a single 193nm immersion exposure, envisioning DSA patterning for the storage-node for DRAM applications.

Reducing defectivity in DSA and improving patterning reliability is one of the main roadblocks to creating an industrially-viable DSA patterning process to push 193nm immersion litho beyond its current limits. Imec and its partners, Merck and Tokyo Electron, have made significant progress on this aspect, achieving best-in-class defectivity values of 24 defects/cm2.

“Over the past few years, we have realized a reduction of DSA defectivity by a factor 10 every six months,” stated An Steegen, senior vice president of process technologies at imec. “Together, with Merck and Tokyo Electron, providing state-of-the-art DSA materials and processing equipment, we are looking ahead at two different promising DSA processes that will further improve defectivity values in the coming months. Our processes show the potential to achieve single-digit defectivity values in the near future without any technical roadblocks lying ahead.”

Imec, Merck and Tokyo Electron also achieved breakthroughs in two other barriers in the development of DSA patterning solutions. First, decomposition of an N7 compatible via layer was achieved.  This required a novel templated DSA process with polystyrene (PS)-wetting sidewalls of the template pre-pattern. This process allows to significantly reduce the critical dimension (CD) of the template, in comparison to using the conventional a polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA)-wetting scheme. Second, an etch process has been developed to transfer the small vias (~15nm CD) into the underlying hard mask with excellent open hole rate.

imec image005

Furthermore, imec has developed a new chemo-epitaxy flow for patterning of highly dense 45nm pitch hexagonal hole arrays. The process paves the way to single patterning 193nm immersion lithography in DRAM applications. Cost is crucial in standalone memory, and DRAM scaling will heavily rely on advanced patterning techniques enabling ≤ 45nm storage node pitch with a minimal number of steps for D14 and beyond.

imec image006

“In today’s consolidating semiconductor landscape, equipment and material suppliers are playing a key role in tackling the scaling challenges and accelerating technology advancements. Our progress on DSA process development is a testament to this, and the result of a deeply concentrated collaboration with Tokyo Electron and Merck, providing the advanced process tooling and materials knowledge paramount to achieve these breakthroughs.” added Steegen. “As an answer to the evolutions in the industry, we are setting up a supplier hub, aiming to offer a neutral, open innovation R&D platform that closely involves suppliers at an early process step and module development stage and allows for efficient cost sharing, minimized risk and optimized return on investment for all in the semiconductor ecosystem. Following recent announcements concerning imec’s equipment supplier hub, which has already resulted in research acceleration, we are now increasing our efforts to build a material supplier hub, which will be a focus in 2015.”

On October 26-27, 2015, imec will organize, in collaboration with SEMATECH, EIDEC and CEA-Leti, the 1st International Symposium on DSA. The aim of the symposium is to identify key remaining challenges for insertion of DSA into semiconductor manufacturing and to identify potential solutions. More information http://www.dsasymposium.org/