The July/August issue of Small Times is out and starting to hit subscriber mailboxes and inboxes, with hundreds of copies also set for distribution at Semicon West.
As readers of Chip Shots know, I don't shy away from blatant self-promotion when appropriate. (I even created a category for it.) In the case of the new Small Times, I'm proud to point you to the cover story I wrote, with the cover tagline "Semi targets small tech" and the feature headline "Semi suppliers court MEMS, PV, emerging markets." Editor in chief Barbara Goode also name-drops me several times in her "Letter from the Editor," so my ego feels nice and massaged right now.
The gist of the feature is what some selected large and small(er) "traditional" chipmaking tool suppliers and service/consultancies are doing in the MEMS, solar-cell, and other emerging/parallel market sectors. Applied's foray into photovoltaics gets some ink, as do microelectromechanical efforts from the likes of Lam, Tegal, ASML, Nanometrics, and ASML. Evans Analytical Group (EAG) provides a materials characterization lab perspective, while Abbie Gregg offers some pearls of wisdom from her experience advising a wide range of micro/nanoelectronics customers.
Like most features of this ilk, I conducted lengthy interviews with the sources, so there was at least as much left out as included in the final piece. But this blog provides me a venue to post some "leftovers" (and to continue blatantly promoting myself). So here are some quotes that were left, as they say in nearby Hollywood, on the cutting-room floor.
First, a few extra words from Vince Franceschi, EAG's VP of marketing, about parallels and differences between semiconductor and emerging market customers:
"We have observed some parallels between the nonsemi sectors and the semiconductor industry, including materials used, basic questions asked, and challenges faced in going from development to commercially viable production. Most unique requests or challenges result from the introduction of more "exotic" materials and the many different chemical states possible that lack established references....
"....We have not observed significant differences in terms of mindsets, attitudes, etc. between semi and nonsemi markets. Everyone focuses on compressing cycle time and getting reliable product to market as soon as possible....
"Differences in the types of material analyzed for the various markets can mean that more consultation is required to understand the specific requirements of analyses for the newer markets. This can take additional time both in discussions before and after the analysis, as well as for data interpretation and report preparation."
Craig Hunter, GM of thin-film products in Applied's solar group, weighs in on the role that standards should play and key standards focus areas in solar-cell manufacturing:
"Significant cost reduction requires alignment of a dedicated supply chain, and it is very difficult to do that without some level of standards. In crystalline silicon PV, a de facto set of standards has emerged surrounding wafer size, but not much else. In thin-film PV there really have been no standards at all. We are excited that there seems to be an emerging standard around the use of Gen 8.5 size motherglass for thin-film silicon PV lines. This would be a big positive development for the growth of thin film."
Here's what Jackie Seto, managing director of Lam's MEMS/3-D biz unit, had to say about challenges facing MEMS fabs as they move from niche, low-volume production to consumer, high-volume manufacturing:
"Speaking for deep silicon etch, one of the key challenges companies will have is that the etch equipment that they have used for low-volume manufacturing is not really scalable to high volume. It is best suited for research and pilot production. For high-volume manufacturing, the equipment and the processes need to be closer to CMOS where issues like etch rate, profile, and uniformity consistency wafer-to-wafer and chamber-to-chamber have already been solved."
Keith Best, a director in ASML's Special Apps group, cited a couple of cool non-CMOS apps they've worked on lately:
"We have recently worked with a number of interesting non-CMOS applications. For example, imaging of biomaterials for DNA chips and patterning nanotube ribbons for nonvolatile RAM applications. These applications required process and hardware solutions that were really out-of-the-box in order to bring them from lab to fab."
Finally, a few words from Abbie Gregg, bosswoman of consultancy/engineering services company, AGI, about what kinds of work her company's being asked to do of late:
"We see a large demand for both cost modeling and technology transfer assistance. More companies are needing help with make vs. buy decisions as well as determining how much to vertically integrate their inventions in terms of manufacturing. Many of our recent projects include determining which components are easily outsourced and helping clients find best quality, best pricing for these elements. In addition, the foundry model allows many clients to outsource manufacturing of their products, once we help them locate the right manufacturing partners and develop an appropriate technology transfer package. These trends can bring new products to market quickly and at good prices. We are also helping these clients ensure their intellectual property and “know how†is protected by advising them on which elements of their process and designs must remain closely held, and how to place effective "walls" around this IP."
Outsourcing...did she say, outsourcing? Here's one last shameless plug: Please try and attend the Semicon West panel I'm moderating tomorrow (Tuesday, July 17) at 1030 a.m. in the Moscone's Esplanade Hall, "The Next Big Outsourcing Thing: Process Development and Modules."
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