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.
压电效应推动 MEMS 麦克风、 指纹传感器发展
Mike Rosa, Ph.D.
业内公司正在利用压电效应打造下一代麦克风和指纹传感器，从而推动微机电系统 (MEMS)产业的蓬勃发展 — 这两种大批量生产的产品 可对 200 毫米半导体市场前景产生重大影响。
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.