nanochip fab solutions
July 2016
Cars and Chips— How Automotive Innovation Is Driving Semiconductor Manufacturing
Ali Salehpour
Cars and chips. Less than a decade ago this would not have been the most obvious of pairings, but this will be a key driver of our industry today. And as you’ll read in the following pages, we’d better fasten our seatbelts and gear up: it’s going to be an exciting ride!
Cover Story: Driving Innovation—Cars & Electronics Converge
David Lammers
Fortunately for the semiconductor industry, the outlook for automobiles includes an unprecedented array of innovations that require significantly greater numbers of electronic devices. From the cameras, sensors, and image processors needed for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in conventional autos, to sophisticated power electronics used in electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced sensor technologies for autonomous “self-driving” vehicles, the automotive and semiconductor industries are more tightly linked than ever.
Automotive ICs Lead Market Growth
Nanochip Staff
In the current slow-growth period for the overall semiconductor industry, the automotive IC sector is a relatively bright light. With electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features leading the way, analysts say the semiconductor content in vehicles is set to increase at a healthy pace.
Automotive Power Device Market Amps Up
Benjamin Lee
Automotive power electronics are emerging as one of the semiconductor industry’s key drivers. These electronics include power devices that are at the heart of a new breed of electric vehicles (EVs) capable of going 200 miles or more between charges.
Stepping Back from the Canvas
Avi Edelstein and Helen Armer
The FabVantage 360™ evaluation provides valuable data for use in prioritizing projects and quantifying ROI. It o ffers an easy, e ffective way to reveal how a customer’s tool performance and fab operations compare to the world’s best-in-class facilities.
New High-Productivity EPI Chamber for Thick Silicon Epitaxy
Carlos Caballero
Semiconductor technology is undergoing a sea change as proliferating mobile technologies and the growing Internet of Things broaden the use of semiconductors in more products across more market segments than ever before.
Piezo Effect Boosts MEMS Microphones, Fingerprint Sensors
Mike Rosa, Ph.D.
The MEMS industry is getting a push from companies interested in taking advantage of the piezoelectric e ffect to build next-generation microphones and fingerprint sensors—two high-volume products that could have a major impact on the 200mm semiconductor landscape.
Vita Controller Helps Users Get Even More From 200mm Producer Tools
Jeffrey Dietz and Florent Ducrot
Vita’s high computational bandwidth brings a growing number of advanced capabilities to Applied’s popular and versatile legacy platform.
Inline SEM Electron Beam Review Accelerates LTPS Display Yield Ramps
Kerry Cunningham
Inline inspection-based analytical techniques adapted from high-volume semiconductor manufacturing can help manufacturers of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) LCD and flexible OLED displays. During production ramp-up, the use of a new technology under development at Applied Materials —electron beam review (EBR)—will enable display manufacturers to achieve optimum yields faster than traditional methods, allowing them to capture millions of dollars in revenue and avoid costly yield excursions.
New Preventative Maintenance Service Option
John DeWitt
Preventive maintenance (PM) can maximize tool availability and minimize the risk of sudden increases in operating costs—provided it is timely and effective. Data from Applied Materials Managed Service Agreements shows that tools which receive appropriate PM according to Applied’s guidelines demonstrate an average improvement in scheduled uptime in the range of 3–5% over those which do not.
New Aeris-S Technology Helps Increase Subfab Safety While Reducing Emissions
Andreas Nueber, Michael Cox, John Dickinson, Jim L’Heureux and Dustin Ho
The fabrication of advanced gate stacks and complex device geometries increasingly depends on new processes, chemistries and materials that generate substantial volumes of hard-to-treat and potentially dangerous waste byproducts in chamber effluent.
The Last Word
David Lammers
Ah, there is nothing like the future of Moore’s Law scaling to get the blood boiling, and the discussions at the recent Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (ASMC 2016) in Saratoga Springs, New York were especially lively.