06/16/2011 

Applied Materials (AMAT) unveiled the extension of its Reflexion GT chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system to include planarization of tungsten films. Sidney Huey, director, CMP product manager, CMP Division, Silicon Systems Group at Applied Materials, discusses the tool and the technology.

06/15/2011 

Avto Metals' Avto Quantum Transistor (AQT) modulates electrical signals via a tunneling electron either constructively or destructively interfering with electrons' wave function in a gate material. Avto credits a "unique surface geometry" for the transistor's properties.

06/13/2011 

IBM researchers built an integrated circuit (IC) fabricated from wafer-scale graphene on SiC, integrating a graphene transistor with other electronics circuits.

06/10/2011 

What is being called an "explosion" and/or "flash fire" at one of Intel's Chandler, AZ fabs injured eight people earlier this week (June 7), according to multiple reports.

06/09/2011 

Yole Développement forecasts the temporary wafer bonding process growth and worth through 2016, and explains why there are so many process options, and who is working on them.

06/08/2011 

FormFactor (NASDAQ:FORM) introduced its new generation of the SmartMatrix 300mm full wafer contact probe cards for DRAM device test. The SmartMatrix 100XP probe card uses FORM's MicroSpring 3D MEMS contact technology and increases probe card parallelism to over 850 die, enabling single touchdown DRAM wafer test.

06/07/2011 

FSI International Inc. (Nasdaq:FSII), surface conditioning equipment supplier, won orders for multiple ORION single wafer cleaning systems. A memory maker will use the ORION in wet photoresist strip and etch and a foundry will use it for backend-of-line (BEOL) processes, like cleaning film stacks.

06/02/2011 

The requirement for CMP slurry to perform consistently during the wafer polishing process has resulted in a push on the part of IC manufacturers to improve slurry metrics. Marty Mason, Vantage Technology Corp., explains how on-wafer slurry conditions can differ from slurry measurements, and new advances to rectify measurements.

06/02/2011 

Sharon Stiefel, IHS iSuppli, reports that a cushion in the semiconductor supply chain helped balance out off-line fabs in Japan following the Sendai-area earthquake and tsunami. As fabs ramp back up, or products are transferred to lines in other facilities, Q2 should avoid component shortages as well. But will the disaster be the end of just-in-time inventory management?

06/01/2011 

Semiconductor Research Corporation and UCLA researchers developed design-dependent process monitoring for semiconductor wafer manufacturing. They expect the method to save 15% of semiconductor fab costs and boost productivity, potentially increasing per-chip profits by 12%. The yield improvement could equal that of a technology node, said one researcher.

06/01/2011 

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) will install more EV Group (EVG) wafer bonding tools to research and develop advanced manufacturing processes for next-generation micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) devices, especially on 200mm wafers.

06/01/2011  Using complementary metrology techniques, the authors determined the thickness, composition and relaxation of SiGe and Si:C layers. Paul Ryan, et al., Jordan Valley Semiconductors, Durham, UK

06/01/2011  Utilizing a high-productivity combinatorial technique, the best formulation and process window for post-via etch residue removers was determined. Rekha Rajaram, et al., Intermolecular Inc.; Barry Chen, et al.,ATMI, Inc., Danbury, CT and Round Rock, TX

06/01/2011  The capabilities of advanced motion controllers enable OEMs to achieve high-performance requirements. Cameron Sheikholeslami, ACS Motion Control, Eden Prairie, MN

06/01/2011  As the global supply chain deals with wafer size transition, pre-competitive collaboration will continue to be the best path towards economic efficiency and industry rationality, and Standards play a major role. Jonathan Davis, SEMI, San Jose, CA.

05/31/2011 

Mike Besnard, ATMI, speaks about evolving the high-productivity combinatorial research method to vet wafer processing tools for the ramp to high-volume, not just to screen semiconductor materials. He caught up with ElectroIQ.com at The ConFab.

05/31/2011 

Building "cumulative headwinds" -- inflation, consumer skepticism, energy costs, and Japan recovery -- are causing semiconductors and display manufacturers to push out near-term orders, according to Applied Materials execs laying out their 2Q11 books and future projections. They also describe who's spending and who's not, why solar equipment is a concern, and what are three keys for bridging the 450mm wafer-size transition.

05/25/2011 

In an SST-exclusive series of blogs, imec reports from its International Technology Forum this week in Brussels. Geert Vandenberghe talks about how EUV lithography is at a readiness crossroads, but he feels "fairly secure" about its current capabilities.

05/25/2011 

Semiconductor die and packaging specialist Chip Supply Inc. is changing its name to Micross Components, which reflects the acquisition of Chip Supply last November by Micross Components. Micross provides specialist products and services for high-reliability and state-of-the-art electronics for high-reliability, industrial, and commercial applications.

05/24/2011 

GT Solar International Inc. (NASDAQ:SOLR) introduced the ASF100 advanced sapphire growth system, which produces larger 100kg sapphire boules in the standard furnace chamber. Larger sapphire boules can enable lower costs for LED chips.