Tag Archives: letter-wafer-business

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design – in consultation with Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) – today presented its University Research Award to professors from University of California, Berkeley and University of Texas at Dallas in recognition of their outstanding contributions to semiconductor research.

Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu, TSMC Distinguished Professor in Microelectronics in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley, received the honor in technology research, while Dr. Kenneth O, professor of engineering at UT Dallas, was recognized for design research.

“We are pleased to honor Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their pioneering work that has helped advance the semiconductor industry,” said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, director of IBM Research, and 2014 SIA chairman. “Research is the lifeblood of our industry as we endeavor to advance electronics to new levels of productivity. We salute Dr. Liu and Dr. O for their achievements.”

“SRC’s mission is to seed innovation and help provide the people and ideas to keep its members and the U.S. semiconductor industry competitive, and Dr. Liu and Dr. O are ideal examples of this collective effort,” said SRC President Larry Sumney. “We commend these accomplished researchers for their roles in our university research engine that has made the U.S. the cradle of discovery and technology development.”

Dr. Liu, a member of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute and Chair of the EECS Department at UC Berkeley, earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, she worked as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. Dr. Liu’s current research activities include nanometer-scale logic and memory devices for energy-efficient electronics; she currently leads research on millivolt nanomechanical switches under the NSF Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science. More on Dr. Liu’s career can be found here.

Dr. O received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Before joining UT Dallas, he was a professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. O is researching devices, circuits and systems in CMOS for sub-millimeter wave and THz applications. Dr. O is the Director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE) funded by SRC, the state through its Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Texas Instruments Inc., the UT System and UT Dallas. More on Dr. O’s career can be found here.

SPTS Technologies, an Orbotech company, and a supplier of advanced wafer processing solutions for the global semiconductor industry and related markets, today announced it was awarded ‘Supplier of the Year – Front End Equipment’ at this year’s Infineon Supplier Day held in Munich.

Rated and ranked among peer companies against Infineon’s standard evaluation criteria, including feedback from operational and management staff in their fabs and R&D teams, SPTS won the prestigious award over 20+ front end equipment companies. The award was presented to Kevin Crofton, President – SPTS Technologies & Corporate VP – Orbotech, by Hans-Dirk Loewe, Senior Vice President – Front End Fab Operations at Infineon, who congratulated SPTS for winning the award and added that SPTS exemplifies what they need in a business partner.

Kevin Crofton commented, “This kind of feedback and level of customer satisfaction is the goal of everyone at SPTS, and this distinguished award is a real testament of the quality and performance of our support teams across all disciplines. This is the second time in three years that SPTS has been presented with this award by Infineon, and we are extremely proud to receive this type of recognition from such a discerning global customer.”

Infineon Technologies was ranked first for the eleventh time in a row, according to a study carried out by IHS Inc, a business information provider. SPTS Technologies is a preferred supplier and partner to Infineon, and provides etch, deposition and thermal wafer processing equipment to Infineon’s Villach, Dresden, Regensburg and Kulim fabs.

AKHAN Semiconductor Inc. and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have reached an exclusive licensing agreement on a patent portfolio that will provide AKHAN with the intellectual property to become a fully-integrated semiconductor designer, developer and manufacturer. The agreement covers the life of the patents, providing AKHAN with a competitive advantage in becoming the first company to fully develop the entirety of the diamond semiconductor process allowing full scale commercialization across a wide range of commercial applications.

“We’re thrilled to take the next step in bringing diamond semiconductors to the market in a scalable way,” said Adam Khan, CEO and founder of AKHAN Semiconductor, Inc. “Our exclusive license for these patents positions AKHAN Semiconductor very favorably in the next-generation semiconductor market. Our capabilities in the market are unmatched, and this agreement gives us the exclusive rights to develop or license product lines that will serve faster supercomputers, advanced aviation and satellite technology, as well as develop superior radar communication and next-generation telecommunication technologies.”

With today’s announcement, AKHAN will be able to exclusively expand the capabilities of the diamond semiconductor platform, allowing for improved performance and thermal efficiency of existing silicon-based devices. The agreement will enable and define the future of semiconductors through incorporation with other next-generation high-performance materials such as graphene, sapphire, and quartz, which means far greater market addressability and vertical integration of AKHAN’s business and far greater market serviceability for its current and potential customers.

The standalone patent portfolio covers critical semiconductor processes such as deposition, which is the process of depositing a layer of polycrystalline diamond on a semiconductor wafer, as well as doping, which refers to the process of intentionally introducing impurities into an extremely pure semiconductor for the purpose of modulating its electrical properties. The portfolio also covers the forming of circuit elements such as transistors, capacitors and resistors, which are then connected to form complex circuits, such as memory devices, logic devices and microprocessors. Finally, the patents cover the integration of electronic circuits that are built on a single semiconductor base material or single chip.

The agreement is the result of more than two years of collaboration between AKHAN Semiconductor and Argonne National Laboratory. The company and researchers from Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials first collaborated on development of the low-temperature diamond deposition technology as well as diamond semiconductor research that demonstrated improved current carrying capability and dramatically reduced thickness. In addition to cementing AKHAN’s position in the market as the lead producer of next-generation semiconductor technology, the agreements are also part of a public-private partnership model that national labs have used to move research from the lab to market applications quickly.

“This agreement represents a stellar example of how Argonne is partnering with industry to move our technology into the marketplace,” said Argonne Director Dr. Peter Littlewood. “The investment that the American people continue to make in basic science continues to pay dividends in marketable technologies that have the potential to transform entire industries.”

The license agreement comes on the heels of an announcement made by the Governor’s office in September which supported a proposed $15 million investment in northern Illinois by AKHAN Semiconductor. AKHAN will receive approximately $3.5 million in state investment support and has pledged to create 80 jobs in two years, with the potential for many more. AKHAN is currently expanding its domestic and international operations, and the company will use the funds to help relocate and expand its corporate and manufacturing headquarters in Illinois.

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) today announced that Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, has joined SRC’s Trustworthy and Secure Semiconductors and Systems (T3S) program.

T3S is a new SRC-targeted research effort aimed at developing cost-effective strategies and tools to design and manufacture chips and systems that are reliable, trustworthy, secure and resistant to attack, tampering or counterfeiting. With the increasing reliance on connected mobile and embedded devices, and the lengthy and global supply chain, the ability to provide assurance that hardware systems do what they are intended to and nothing else is more important than ever.

Qualcomm Technologies joins other T3S industry participants, including Freescale, Intel Corporation, Mentor Graphics and Texas Instruments. T3S is a targeted and affordable option that is open to companies that are not already members of SRC.

“As a leader in mobile technologies and security, Qualcomm Technologies is always looking at new ways to collaborate with the industry and academia to build more secure products and is pleased to be joining SRC’s T3S initiative,’ said Karim Arabi, Vice President of Engineering, Qualcomm Technologies.

T3S is collaborating with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to jointly fund university research on Secure, Trustworthy, Assured and Resilient Semiconductors and Systems (STARSS).

This collaboration substantially increases the impact of the T3S investment and enhances the value of the federal program by utilizing funding and connecting industry and academia. STARSS recently announced a first set of projects at 10 universities totaling nearly $4 million and is soliciting a second round of proposals to be funded in 2015.

“The objective of T3S is to develop techniques and tools that provide assurance from end-to-end of the semiconductor design and manufacture process,” said SRC President and CEO Larry Sumney. “We are pleased to have Qualcomm Technologies, with its significant mobile and wireless expertise, participating in the program.”

In July during SEMICON West 2014, James C. Morgan, chairman emeritus, Applied Materials, Inc., announced a challenge where he would match up to $500,000 in donations to the SEMI Foundation to secure $1 million of funding support for workforce development.  With generous “Morgan Challenge Matchmaker” contributions, the SEMI Foundation recently reached its goal of $1 million for workforce development.

Contributors to the SEMI Foundation through the “Challenge Grant” included: Art Zafiropoulo, Ultratech; Rick Wallace, KLA-Tencor; Martin Anstice, Lam Research; Archie Hwang, Hermes Epitek; LT Guttadauro, Fab Owners Association; T.J. Rodgers; and the Urbanek Family Foundation.   A “success” party took place on October 18 at Ferrari Silicon Valley, hosted by Art Zafiropoulo, CEO of Ultratech.

As part of the challenge grant success party, six graduates of SEMI’s High Tech U program gave short narratives on the impact that HTU had on their lives.  Of the six students who attended, two have jobs in high tech, three are majoring in an undergraduate STEM program and one has returned to school to get his masters in civil engineering. Lisa Anderson said that 76 percent of HTU students who attended HTU between 2006 and 2010 are now employed in a STEM field.

The SEMI HTU alumnus spoke about the program giving them their first-ever exposure to direct STEM and semiconductor equipment industry experience or confirmed and deepened their developing interest in STEM education after seeing the linkage to industry delivered by HTU’s volunteer instructors.  Each former HTU student was clear that the SEMI HTU was an important experience  that shaped their later decisions on pursuing STEM-based careers.

“I’m pleased and honored by the generosity of the donors in meeting my challenge grant,” said Jim Morgan. “They will make it possible for thousands of young people to learn about the importance of math, science and the opportunities in high-tech careers through the phenomenal High Tech U program. Now the High Tech U program can proceed to the next level and achieve even greater impact.”

The SEMI Foundation supports STEM education and promotes career awareness in the areas of semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing and technology. Through High Tech U, the SEMI Foundation has conducted more than 170 programs for both students and teachers with a combined impact on more than 350,000 individuals.  High Tech U programs consist of a three-day “hands-on” science-based curricula and interactive professional skills development program. SEMI held 20 programs in 2013 in Europe, Japan, Korea and the United States.  The Foundation plans to expand the impact of the High Tech U franchise through enhanced program development, portal-based student engagement and tracking, industry employment information assistance and other improvements.

Jim and Becky Morgan; Lisa and Art Zafiropoulo

Denny McGuirk, SEMI (left); Art Zafiropoulo,Ultratech (center) accepting his award for his Million Dollar Challenge Donation of $100,000; Dana Ditmore, SEMI Foundation (right).

“Jim and Becky Morgan epitomize leadership and generosity through their tireless work to foster education,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “We commend his numerous contributions to SEMI, our industry, and the youth who will occupy high-tech careers in the future. We encourage others to support the SEMI Foundation.”

Morgan has an extensive history in business and philanthropy. He is chairman emeritus of Applied Materials. He previously served as chairman of the board from 1987 to 2009, and as chief executive officer from 1977 to 2003. Morgan is the recipient of the 1996 National Medal of Technology, IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s “Spirit of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award.” Morgan was vice chairman of the President’s Export Council in 2003. He was appointed to the 2002 U.S.-Japan private Sector Government Commission. From 1996 to 1997, Morgan served on the Commission on U.S. Pacific Trade and Investment Policy. From 1988 to 1992, he served on the National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors.

For more information on the SEMI Foundation and High Tech U, visit www.semi.org/Foundation

Graphene Frontiers LLC, a developer of graphene materials and device technology, announces the issuance of a key industry patent. U.S. Patent 8,822,308, titled “Methods and Apparatus for Transfer of Films among Substrates,” covers the transfer of graphene films between surfaces using roll-to-roll manufacturing processes.

“We were aggressively pursuing this patent and securing it is a testament to the hard work and resiliency of the entire team,” Graphene Frontiers’ CEO Mike Patterson said.

This was the final hurdle in creating a cost-effective production process for graphene. With Graphene Frontiers’ etch-free transfer solution, manufacturers now have the option of not dissolving or consuming the substrate metal.

The approach is also compatible with other materials, and is particularly useful for nanomaterials, which are often difficult to develop.

“Graphene is a remarkable material, but it is only a building block,” Chief Science Officer Bruce Willner said. “The ability to handle graphene and place it among other materials – where and how we want – is critical to taking advantage of this technology.”

Recently, the company entered into an agreement to ramp-up production with The Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany NY. It’s an alliance that will increase the amount of employees working at the company, as well as form relationships with potential buyers.

Graphene Frontiers is a nanotechnology materials and device company based in Philadelphia. Graphene Frontiers has developed innovative and exclusive manufacturing processes that makes it economically viable for companies to begin using graphene, the revolutionary nanomaterial with potential for disrupting numerous industries with its unique sensitivity and mechanical properties.

SEMATECH, the global consortium of semiconductor manufacturers, today announced that Dr. Ronald Goldblatt has been named President and Chief Executive Officer by the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Goldblatt has served as acting President and Chief Executive Officer since April 2014.

“Ron has distinguished himself as a results-oriented leader through his ability to meet significant challenges in his first six months, and we are fortunate to have a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry,” said SEMATECH Chairman William Rozich. “Ron has a vision of how to drive the next stage of innovation and growth that will establish a solid foundation for SEMATECH’s future and we are eager to move forward under his leadership.”

Dr. Goldblatt joined SEMATECH as Vice President of Technical Strategy and Operations in September 2013. Previously, he served as Distinguished Engineer and Senior Manager of Advanced Silicon Science and Process Technology for IBM Research and Microelectronics Division in Yorktown Heights, NY. Under his leadership, he led successful efforts in transforming IBM’s semiconductor research cleanroom, supporting early prototyping of breakthrough technologies and developing leading-edge semiconductor technologies. In addition to his deep expertise in leading major business initiatives, Dr. Goldblatt has extensive experience in leading and developing executive management teams.

“In order to move the industry forward and deliver value to our members, we must act aggressively to capture and capitalize on new opportunities that will position SEMATECH as an industry leader,” said Goldblatt. “By focusing on flawless execution of our operating strategy, we will leverage the full capabilities of our technical programs and deliver long-term value to our members and the industry at large.”

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today announced it will expand its manufacturing capacity in Chengdu, China, with a 300mm wafer bumping facility. The addition of this manufacturing process in Chengdu further increases TI’s 300mm analog capacity and its ability to support customer demand.

TI announced the new operation today in concert with an event celebrating the grand opening of its seventh assembly/test (A/T) facility. The 358,000 square-foot A/T facility was purchased from UTAC Chengdu Ltd. in December 2013 and is now qualified and in production using advanced quad-flat no-leads (QFN) packaging technology.

TI’s manufacturing investment in China began in 2010 with the opening of the company’s first wafer fabrication plant in Chengdu. TI extended its investment with the adjacent A/T facility, opening today. TI will now further extend its operations in Chengdu with a 300mm wafer bumping facility on its Chengdu High-tech Zone (CDHT) campus.

“The CDHT has been a dynamic area of economic development in West China, offering a strong environment for investment and government service,” said Kevin Ritchie, senior vice president of TI’s Technology & Manufacturing Group. “We’re pleased to extend our 300mm manufacturing capabilities at our world-class Chengdu facility to further ensure continuity of supply to our customers and support their growth.”

Wafer bumping is a manufacturing process for advanced packaging technologies, which is completed prior to assembly. The process replaces wire bonding as the interconnection by applying solder, in the form of bumps, or balls, to a device at the wafer level. Nearly 40 percent of TI’s wafer production is manufactured using bump techniques.

This investment plan does not change TI’s capital spending forecast. The company continues to expect its capital spending levels to remain about 4 percent of revenue.

TI has served a broad array of customers in China for more than 27 years. In addition to its manufacturing footprint in Chengdu, TI has established 18 offices providing sales and applications support, four R&D centers and a product distribution center in Shanghai.

TI has manufacturing operations throughout the world, including the United States, Mexico, Germany, Scotland, China, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. Its 300mm operations include the industry’s first 300mm Analog wafer fab in Richardson, Texas as well as its DMOS6 wafer fab in Dallas and bump operations in the Philippines and Dallas.

SEMI today announced that Tetsuro (Terry) Higashi, chairman, president and CEO of Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award, inspired by the late Bob Graham. He will be honored for outstanding achievement in semiconductor equipment and materials marketing during ceremonies on December 3 at SEMICON Japan 2014 in Tokyo.

Terry Higashi will receive the 18th SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award for being a catalyst in the development of the advanced semiconductor research infrastructure in Albany, New York; setting a new standard for partnerships with his trusted relationship-style with customers; as well as his early efforts to globalize the company he leads and promote a collaboration model of industry engagement.

“Higashi-san is recognized as a leader and visionary throughout the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “His significant marketing leadership has served to energize the industry, and as a result he has had an impact extending far beyond his own company.”

Factors considered by the award selection committee in the evaluation of nominees include: marketing contribution, market growth considerations, value to the customer, and strategic importance to the industry. Many prominent industry executives representing both customers and competitors that commented during the committee’s due diligence process noted that, during the course of Higashi’s 35-year career, he championed the concept of a connected Value Chain with customers, suppliers, employees, and industry colleagues.

His encouragement of open platform initiatives and industry collaboration helped bring customers and suppliers closer together, increase the return on R&D investments, and focus research spending on the most challenging technical and economic challenges of Moore’s law. His leadership was vital to driving cooperation among SEMI members and their customers at innovation centers and consortia around the world that have helped the industry share risk and drive technology roadmaps.

Higashi is recognized as an early proponent of global business model among Japanese equipment company leaders. Early in his management tenure, at a time when the industry was transitioning from regional markets served by local suppliers to a truly global manufacturing supply chain, Higashi supported the transformation of TEL from a domestic trading company to a major, international equipment manufacturer. His global vision for regionally based sales, support and marketing grew to be among the most effective and respected in all regions.

Higashi also has an established record of industry stewardship. He was elected to the SEMI International Board of Directors in 1999 and served as Chairman of the SEMI Board from 2004 to 2005. He was named Director Emeritus of the Board in 2010. He also served as Chairman of SEAJ (Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan) from 2005-2011, and currently serves as its Vice Chairman.

Tetsuro (Terry) Higashi serves as the Chairman, President and CEO at Tokyo Electron Limited. He joined the company in 1977, having served as the President & CEO since 1996. He has worked in a variety of senior management positions. Higashi received an undergraduate degree from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan and a master’s degree from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji City, Tokyo.

The SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award was inspired by the late Bob Graham, the distinguished semiconductor industry leader who was part of the founding team of Intel and who helped establish industry-leading companies Applied Materials and Novellus Systems. The Award was established to honor individuals for the creation and/or implementation of marketing programs that enhance customer satisfaction and further the growth of the semiconductor equipment and materials industry.

Eligible candidates are nominated by their industry peers and are selected by an award committee. Previous recipients of this SEMI award include: Art Zafiropoulo (2000), Jim Healy and Barry Rapozo (2001), Jerry Hutcheson and Ed Segal (2002), Steve “Shigeru” Nakayama (2003), Edward Braun (2004), Archie Hwang (2005), Aubrey C. (Bill) Tobey (2006), Richard Dyck (2007), Richard Hong (2008), Peter Hanley (2009), Martin van den Brink (2010), Franz Janker (2011),  Dan Hutcheson (2012), JC Kim (2013), and Winfried Kaiser (2014).

Reno Sub-Systems (Reno) today announced that it has closed its first venture funding round with Intel Capital, early stage Canadian venture capital organization Innovacorp and other investors. Support from these investors will help Reno’s efforts to bring innovative technologies to market and enable next generation advanced semiconductor manufacturing process technology nodes.

Reno designs, develops and delivers sub-systems used to control process systems made by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including vacuum-based chambers to deposit and etch specialty materials needed in advanced integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. Reno’s initial sub-system offerings provide RF-power generation and matching, process gas delivery and high- vacuum process control that radically changes the processing speed, range, development and total cost of ownership.

“Reno impresses us as a young company working to advance Moore’s Law,” said Bob Bruck, Vice President and General Manager of Global Supply Management at Intel. “We are pleased to support their efforts to develop innovative solutions for semiconductor capital equipment sub-systems.” Intel Capital’s investment was led by Director Sean Doyle.

“Demand for integrated circuits continues to grow exponentially. Reno has developed evolutionary technologies that allow semiconductor manufacturers to fulfill market demand – faster and at a lower cost than the competition,” said Gregory Phipps, managing director of investment at Innovacorp. “Innovacorp is excited to join Intel Capital in supporting Reno and its growth and commercialization objectives.”

“We are very grateful that our investors understand and support our vision to create radically better solutions to address the manufacturing challenges facing the global micro-electronics industry,”