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By Julian West

Process power and reactive gas subsystems for semiconductor manufacturing equipment have grown at a CAGR of 21% since 2013. The segment growth is considerably above the critical subsystems industry average of 9.5% and is attributable to higher demand for vacuum processing equipment over the period.

Process power and reactive gas subsystems now account for approximately 12% of all expenditures on critical subsystems used on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, up from 7% in 2013. The main driver of this exceptional growth has been the rise in vacuum processing steps (deposition and etch) during the manufacturing processes of both logic and memory devices. Most deposition and etch processes require an RF generator to provide a plasma energy source in the chamber, increasing demand for tools with power subsystems such as RF power supplies and matching networks.

Multiple patterning and the advent of 3D NAND in high-volume manufacturing have significantly increased the number of deposition and etch processing steps and, in the case of 3D NAND, longer and more difficult etch processes are requiring a wider range of power solutions. Further analysis shows that 3D NAND has been the principle growth catalyst, with the total share of power subsystems going to memory applications increasing 8 percentage points since 2013. Memory applications now account for almost half of all power subsystems demand in 2018.

Interestingly, investigation of power subsystems by tool type reveals that a clear majority of power subsystems (60%) find their way on to etch tools with only 40% on deposition tools. This can be explained by the fact that more delicate etch processes can require multiple RF power solutions per tool, whereas deposition does always use plasma energy sources, for example in thermal deposition processes.

Despite the staggering growth performance of the power subsystems segment over the past five years, we expect the growth rate to moderate significantly in the run-up to 2023. Now that 3D NAND has been adopted in high-volume manufacturing, we expect the rate of increase in vacuum/plasma processing steps to slow down. The introduction of EUV also has the potential to taper demand for vacuum processing equipment. However, it is not expected the reverse the trend as multiple patterning techniques will still be needed in conjunction with EUV to achieve the desired improvements in device density and performance. The future growth trend for power and reactive gas subsystems is forecast to be in line with the critical subsystems industry average at approximately 2.0% CAGR until 2023.

Originally published on the SEMI blog.

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) today announced delivery of automotive-grade DesignWare® Controller and PHY IP for TSMC’s 7-nanometer (nm) FinFET process. The DesignWare LPDDR4x, MIPI CSI-2 and D-PHY, PCI Express® 4.0, and security IP implement advanced automotive design rules for TSMC 7-nm process to meet the stringent reliability and operation requirements of ADAS and autonomous driving system-on-chips (SoCs). The delivery of automotive-grade IP in TSMC’s 7-nm process further extends Synopsys’ broad portfolio of ISO 26262 ASIL Ready IP solutions in FinFET processes, which has been adopted by more than a dozen leading automotive companies. The IP meets stringent AEC-Q100 temperature requirements, delivering high reliability for automotive SoCs. In addition, the included automotive safety packages with Failure Modes, Effects, and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA) reports enable designers to save months of development effort and accelerate SoC-level functional safety assessments.

“TSMC’s and Synopsys’ long history of successful collaboration has enabled our mutual customers to benefit from the latest technology advancements to help them achieve their performance, power, and area goals,” said Suk Lee, TSMC senior director of the Design Infrastructure Marketing Division. “Delivering automotive-grade DesignWare IP for TSMC’s 7-nanometer FinFET process underscores Synopsys’ continued commitment to providing designers with the quality IP necessary to meet their aggressive design goals and get products to market faster.”

“Developing automotive-grade IP requires intensive knowledge and strict processes to ensure the IP meets stringent ISO 26262 functional safety and AEC-Q100 reliability standards,” said John Koeter, vice president of marketing for IP at Synopsys. “Synopsys continues to make significant investments in developing automotive-qualified IP for the most advanced processes, such as TSMC’s 7-nanometer, to help designers accelerate their SoC-level qualification effort for functional safety, reliability, and automotive quality.”

Visionary keynote speakers and industry luminaries will share insights on Smart technologies that are shaping the future at SEMICON Japan 2018, the largest and most influential exhibition in Japan for electronics manufacturing. Registration for SEMICON Japan, at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo on December 12-14, is now open for the exhibition and programs.

Themed “Dreams Start Here,” SEMICON Japan 2018 reflects the promise of AI (artificial intelligence), Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart technologies.

SEMICON Japan 2018 is the gathering place to connect the people, technologies and business across the electronics manufacturing supply chain, from semiconductor manufacturing to autonomous cars, robotics and other Smart applications.

Representing segments across the supply chain, the industry visionaries will present at SEMICON Japan’s SuperTHEATER in seven keynote forums, all with simultaneous English-Japanese translation.

Opening Keynotes – Alternative Future Envisioned by New Leaders 

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Motoi Ishibashi

CTO of Rhizomatiks, a leading media art company in Japan that staged the Rio Olympic Games closing ceremony. It will orchestrate the opening performance at SEMICON Japan 2018.

 
 

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Toru Nishikawa

President & CEO of Preferred Networks, a deep-learning research startup conducting collaborative research with technology giants including Toyota, Fanuc, NVIDA, Intel and Microsoft.
 

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Semiconductor Executive Forum – Views by Top Three in the Era of Smart World 

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Dr. Yasuo Naruke

President and CEO of Toshiba Memoryrepresenting memory sector

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Thomas Morgenstern

Senior VP and GM of GLOBALFOUNDRIESrepresenting foundry sector

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Junko Sunaga

President of Qualcomm Japan representing fabless sector

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SMART Transportation Summit – The Future Created by SMART Innovation 

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Takashi Imai

President and CEO of Toyota Info Technology Center

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Kazuyuki Iwata

Operating officer, Energy & Mobility Management System Executive LPL,

at Honda R&D

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Hajime Kumabe

Executive director, Engineering Research

and Development Center, at Denso
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Klaus Meder

President and representative director of Bosch
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Additional SEMICON Japan 2018 highlights include:

  • SEMI Market Forum on the growing China and global semiconductor ecosystem with speakers from IHS Markit and SEMI.
  • SMART Technology Forum on the front line of AI with speakers from the University of Tokyo, Microsoft Japan, Amazon Web Services and DefinedCrowd.
  • Manufacturing Innovation Forum on EUV lithography with speakers from ASML and Xilinx.
  • Mirai (future) Vision Forum on how advanced science and technology could transform the human body with speakers from Leave a Nest and more.

SEMICON Japan Sponsors

  • Platinum sponsors include Disco Corporation, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Screen Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Electron Limited.
  • Gold sponsors include Advantest, Applied Materials, Ebara, Fasford Technology, Hitachi Chemical, JSR, Kokusai Electric, Lam Research, Nikon, and Tokyo Seimitsu.

For more information and to register for SEMICON Japan, click here.

Recognizing the importance of obsolescence mitigation in embedded and industrial systems, two of the biggest names in advanced storage, memory and semiconductor technologies have teamed up to ensure the continuous supply of legacy DDR2 memory modules in the market. ATP, a leading manufacturer of high-performance industrial memory and storage solutions, will collaborate with global semiconductor leader Micron Technology, Inc. to continue manufacturing Micron DDR2 SO-DIMMs, UDIMMs and RDIMMs after Micron announced end-of-life (EOL) notices for these modules.

According to the collaboration agreement, ATP will produce DDR2 DRAM modules for customers that cannot upgrade to newer-generation platforms and still maintain the use of platforms supporting these memory types. With DDR2 still widely deployed in the US, Japan and Europe, ATP and Micron expect these markets to benefit significantly from the consistent supply of DDR2 memory for industrial/embedded systems installed in high-reliability and mission-critical environments. All modules will be manufactured, tested and validated by ATP, according to the equivalent specifications and testing/validation processes of the respective Micron part number.

“Micron is dedicated to maximizing customers’ infrastructure investments by ensuring prolonged support for legacy systems and applications. Our proven partnership with ATP gives our customers the benefit of receiving similar Micron products and services to support their current platforms while ATP ensures the stability of their operations well into the future,” said Kris Baxter, vice president, Micron Technology, Inc.

“A long product cycle is vital to the sustainability of industrial business operations,” said Marco Mezger, vice president, ATP Electronics, Inc. “The DDR2 Continuity Program demonstrates ATP’s enduring partnership with Micron as well as our shared commitment to extend supply stability, not only of the latest-generation products, but also of legacy memory modules to continue supporting the memory requirements of customers that are not yet able to make the transition. Through this collaboration, customers will be assured of steady supply to support their operations.”

The DDR2 Continuity Program will be implemented on a staggered basis within three manufacturing phases. DDR2 DRAM modules from ATP will be available in select form factors and densities starting Q4 2018. Please check with your ATP contact for specific module configurations with ATP longevity extension or send an email to [email protected].

Molex Electronic Technologies, LLC, a global manufacturer of electronic solutions, announced today that the company has agreed to acquire the Connected Vehicle Solutions (“CVS”) division of Laird Limited, owned by funds managed by Advent International.

Laird CVS specializes in the design, development and delivery of vehicle antenna systems, smart device integration and vehicle connectivity devices.

These solutions will enhance Molex’s capabilities and support the development of agile connected vehicle technology ecosystems featuring the innovative 10Gbps Ethernet backbone for automotive OEMs building next-generation, intelligent vehicles.

“There is tremendous demand for seamless end-to-end network integration across hardware, software and services in the automotive industry,” said Tim Ruff, senior vice president, Molex Business Development. “Laird CVS expands our geographic reach and strengthens our ability to support automotive OEMs seeking to introduce future-ready vehicles with critical functionality while still containing costs. It aligns with our strategy to provide groundbreaking solutions for a growth market.”

Laird’s world-class expertise and custom-engineered solutions enable customers to transform vehicle connectivity across the globe, making the company a trusted partner to the world’s leading automotive OEMs.

“Our team is excited about the opportunities this transaction creates to combine our technology expertise and experience with that of Molex to help automotive OEMs anticipate and meet the complex challenges of keeping vehicles connected on the move, especially as we continue to move closer to a future where autonomous vehicles are commonplace,” said Steven Brown, president, Laird Connected Vehicle Solutions.

Jones Day acted as Molex’s legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor. For Advent, Weil Gotschal acted as legal advisor and Goldman Sachs and Citibank as financial advisors. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory clearances.

STATS ChipPAC Pte. Ltd. (“STATS ChipPAC” or the “Company”), a provider of advanced semiconductor packaging and test services, announced Friday that the Board of Directors of its holding company, Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd (‘JCET’) has appointed Dr. Lee Choon Heung as Chief Executive Officer (‘CEO’) for JCET Group, as well as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman for STATS ChipPAC.

Dr. Lee brings to JCET a wealth of expertise and veteran leadership with 20 years of extensive semiconductor packaging and test experience. Dr. Lee served in several senior management positions at Amkor Technology Inc. including head of their R&D centre, head of global procurement, group vice president, senior vice president and Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Lee, holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Solid State Physics from Case Western Reserve University, currently holds 59 industry patents, and has published 19 academic papers around the world.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring on board an industry leader of the calibre of Dr. Lee Choon Heung as our new JCET Group CEO,” stated JCET Chairman, Mr. Wang Xinchao. “We are confident in his ability to lead JCET as we continue our growth in both technology and scale moving forward,” continued Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang will continue in his role as Chairman of JCET Group.

The JCET Board of Directors and the management team also expressed their utmost gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Han Byung Joon and Mr. Lai Chih-Ming for their outstanding leadership and valuable contributions during their tenure at STATS ChipPAC. Dr. Han is resigning as chairman of the board of STATS ChipPAC. Mr. Lai will now serve in a new role as executive vice president of JCET Group.

Canon Marketing Japan Inc. (CEO: Masahiro Sakata) has signed an exclusive distribution agreement in Japan with ClassOne Technology Inc. (CEO: Byron Exarcos) and it will start receiving orders for ECD tool Solstice® in 2018.

ClassOne Technology Inc. is a supplier of wet process equipment for the 200mm and smaller semiconductor industry. The Solstice® platform delivers the highest quality plating of Au, Ni, and Cu at low cost, as well as variety of wet process functionality, such as metal lift off, resist strip, Au de-plating, UBM etch, and anodization.

Solstice® is available in 2-, 4-, and 8-chamber variants, and provides industry-leading uniformity and throughput with the smallest footprint, automation capability, controllability, and lowest cost of ownership. Solstice® is ideally suited to growing customers who need to move from ≤200mm wet bench processing to high-volume automated single-wafer production.

The agreement with ClassOne Technology will assist CMJ in expanding its business in the high-growth segment of high speed optical communication, 3D sensing including ToF, high frequency power devices, and related device markets. CMJ offers extensive experience in introducing the highest quality equipment from around the world and will provide world-class technical and field support for ClassOne products after system delivery.

IC Insights’ September Update to The McClean Report shows that as a result of a 51% forecasted increase in the China pure-play foundry market this year (Figure 1), China’s total share of the 2018 pure-play foundry market is expected to jump by five percentage points to 19%, exceeding the share held by the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Overall, China is forecast to be responsible for 90% of the $4.2 billion increase in the total pure-play foundry market in 2018.

Figure 1

With the recent rise of the fabless IC companies in China, the demand for foundry services has also risen in that country.  In total, pure-play foundry sales in China jumped by 26% last year to $7.5 billion, almost triple the 9% increase for the total pure-play foundry market.  Moreover, in 2018, pure-play foundry sales to China are forecast to surge by an amazing 51%, more than 6x the 8% increase expected for the total pure-play foundry market this year.

Although all of the major pure-play foundries are expected to register double-digit sales increases to China this year, the biggest increase by far is forecast to come from pure-play foundry giant TSMC.  Following a 44% jump in 2017, TSMC’s sales into China are forecast to surge by another 79% in 2018 to $6.7 billion. As a result, China is expected to be responsible for essentially all of TSMC’s sales increase this year with China’s share of the company’s sales more than doubling from 9% in 2016 to 19% in 2018.

As shown in Figure 2, much of TSMC’s sales surge into China has come over the past year, with 2Q18 sales into the country being almost double what they were in 3Q17.  A great deal of the company’s recent sales surge into China has been driven by increased demand for custom devices going into the cryptocurrency market.  It turns out that many of the large cryptocurrency fabless design firms are based in China and most of them have been turning to TSMC to produce their advanced chips for these applications.  It should be noted that TSMC includes its cryptocurrency business as part of its High-Performance Computing segment.

Figure 2

While TSMC has enjoyed a great ramp up in sales for its cryptocurrency business over the past year, the company has indicated that a slowdown is expected for this business in the second half of this year.  It appears that the demand for cryptocurrency devices is highly dependent upon the price for the various cryptocurrencies (the most popular of which is Bitcoin).  As a result, the recent plunge in the price for Bitcoins (going from over $15K per Bitcoin in January of this year to less than $7K in September), and other cryptocurrencies as well, is lowering the demand for these ICs.  Moreover, since TSMC realized from the beginning that the cryptocurrency market was going to be volatile, the company did not adjust its capacity plans based on the recent strong cryptocurrency demand and does not incorporate cryptocurrency business assumptions into its forecasts for future long-term growth.

Picosun Group, a global provider of ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) thin film coating solutions, and Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO) report excellent quality titanium nitride (TiN) deposited with Picosun’s plasma-ALD technology.

In microelectronic component manufacturing, the ohmic contact between metallic and semiconducting material layers is critical regarding the component functionality and lifetime. Typically, pure metals such as titanium have been employed as the metallic material, but they have certain drawbacks which is why titanium nitride has been proposed as the substitute. TiN is metallic as well, and its conductivity and thermal stability are better than those of pure titanium metal, but to obtain high quality TiN films, the manufacturing method and conditions are critical.

This is where Picosun’s remote plasma ALD (RPEALD) technology shows its strength. In Picosun’s approach, the plasma source is located on a high enough distance from the substrate, so that instead of aggressive ion bombardment, highly reactive radicals react at the substrate surface. This allows low process temperatures without thermal stress or physical ion damage to the substrate and enables deposition of also conductive materials without the risk of short-circuiting, or gas back-diffusion into the plasma source. The right selection of precursor chemicals and plasma gases guarantees high purity TiN films with very low oxygen content and work function, low sheet resistivity, exact stoichiometry, and high uniformity (*). Furthermore, the process window is wide regarding the process parameters and temperature, enabling the process to be introduced on a large variety of substrate materials.

“We are happy to report these excellent TiN results to our customers in micro- and optoelectronic industries. TiN is a central material in their applications, especially in components manufactured on GaN and on small, up to 200 mm diameter Si wafers. Picosun is specially dedicated to providing cost-efficient, turn-key production solutions for up to 200 mm wafer markets. We would like to welcome you all to meet us at the 4th China ALD conference which takes place 14-17 October 2018 in the city of Shenzhen, and where we are again the platinum sponsors, to discuss further how our ALD technology could improve your products and enable new breakthroughs in your industry,” say Mr. Edwin Wu, CEO of Picosun Asia Pte. Ltd. and Mr. Jurgen Yeh, CTO of Picosun China Co. Ltd.

“It is always a pleasure to work with Picosun. The quality of their ALD equipment is outstanding and enables us to develop cutting-edge ALD processes to be introduced to our other collaboration partners in the industries. An immensely important benefit in using PICOSUN™ ALD tools is also the smooth scalability of the processes to production scale, as all PICOSUN™ ALD systems, from R&D units to full-scale industrial production platforms share the same core design and operating principles,” continues Prof. Sunan Ding from the Nano-X lab of SINANO.

SINANO and Picosun have been collaborating since the beginning of 2017. The goal of the collaboration is to develop advanced micro- and optoelectronic components such as HEMTs (high-electron mobility transistors) and laser diodes, and lithium ion batteries utilizing ALD in their joint lab in Suzhou, one of China’s most prominent hubs for electronics and other high-tech products manufacturing. The lab is equipped with several state-of-the-art PICOSUN™ ALD systems. The collaboration is further supported by Picosun’s local subsidiary, Picosun China Co. Ltd. also located in Suzhou.

Mark Lipacis, Managing Director of Jefferies Group LLC and a leading analyst in identifying semiconductor industry trends and opportunities, will present a featured keynote during the GSA Silicon Summit – East, being held Tuesday, October 9 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The inaugural conference is presented by the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership (Saratoga Partnership), Saratoga County, NY’s economic development agency; the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), a leading voice for the worldwide semiconductor industry; and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), a regional economic and business development organization.

A top executive with the world’s only independent full-service global investment banking firm, Lipacis will discuss “The 4th Tectonic Shift in Computing – The Next Growth Opportunity for Semis.” Highlighting the technical innovations that translate to tectonic shifts in computing, his remarks will focus on the current evolution to a parallel processing/Internet of Things (IoT) model, driven by improvements in parallel processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

“Mark Lipacis is a thought leader with a deep market research expertise in edge computing and IoT. We look forward to Mark’s closing keynote and the important insights that he will share on the 4th tectonic shift in computing and the new opportunities it brings for the semiconductor industry and end markets,” said Dr. Shrikant Lohokare, Executive Director and Senior Vice President, GSA. “As rapid innovation continues to disrupt computing, and the impact of the semiconductor industry ripples through the world of business, his outlook will be of particular significance in addressing challenges and harnessing opportunities.”

“With the presence of GLOBALFOUNDRIES marking Saratoga County as a global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, Silicon Summit – East is the ideal venue for Mark Lipacis to present a worldview of the latest industry evolution in computing,” said Marty Vanags, President of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership. “We are eager to hear his vision for the future, and in the process, to connect companies throughout the supply chain with opportunites to locate and grow high-tech business in Saratoga County.”

Lipacis has 18 years of experience in equity research, having joined Jefferies Group LLC in 2011 from Morgan Stanley, where he spent four years as a senior semiconductor analyst, and most recently as a managing director. In 2010, he was a runner-up in the institutional investor analyst survey, ranked number three in the Greenwich Associates poll, and ranked highly in previous Wall Street Journal and Starmine Polls – including being recognized as the number one semiconductor stock picker by Starmine in 2009. Previously, he was a first vice president and senior semiconductor analyst at Prudential, and prior to that a director and lead communicatons semiconductor analyst at Merrill Lynch.

Scheduled to deliver the opening keynote is Dr. Gary Patton, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Worldwide Research and Development at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. A well-recognized industry leader in semiconductor technology R&D with over 30 years of semiconductor experience, Patton is responsible for GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ semiconductor technology R&D roadmap, operations and execution. His address will discuss “Market Drivers for Moore and Beyond Moore Semiconductor Technologies.”

The Networking Break Sponsor for GSA Silicon Summit – East is Micron. Gold Sponsors are Analog Devices, BBL and National Grid. Complete information about the event, including the program and sponsorship opportunities, can be found at https://www.gsaglobal.org/2018sse/.

GSA Silicon Summit – East was created through a strategic alliance established last year by the Saratoga Partnership and GSA. The event, with a theme of “Harnessing Emerging Semiconductor Market Opportunities,”  is designed to promote partnerships and drive efficiencies that advance semiconductor technology and business, while also informing the regional ecosystem on growth opportunities.