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Tool Order: Mattson wins strip system order for 32nm HKMG development

20 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Suprema photoresist strip systemMattson Technology has gained an order for its Suprema photoresist strip system from a global semiconductor manufacturer for high-k and metal gate (HKMG) strip application development for 32nm logic devices. Mattson said that it had already shipped the tool and that the customer is expected to be in pilot production in the latter half of 2009. Read more >>

IMEC to tackle flash memory scaling with RRAM focus

15 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Resistive switching in an experimental metal oxides (MOx) RRAM elementDuring IMEC’s Annual Research Review Meeting, the R&D facility said it had begun research on resistive RAM (RRAM) cells to tackle the pending scaling challenges of conventional flash memory cells. Research is being focused on stack optimization (including the choice of top and bottom electrode and of the metal oxide), RRAM cell scaling and RRAM integration in a crossbar RRAM array. Read more >>

IMEC demonstrates fully functional 3D stacked ICs

14 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
IMEC: Test-chip taped for assessing design rules and models for 3D-SIC technology.IMECs research into 3D-SIC (3D stacked IC) technology has reached a new milestone with the announcement that it has recently demonstrated the first functional 3D integrated circuits obtained by die-to-die stacking using 5µm Cu through-silicon vias (TSV). The work was carried out on 200mm wafers using its 130nm CMOS process with the inclusion of a Cu-TSVs process. Read more >>

SSE Group could see profit turn to loss on equipment order push-outs

13 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
SSE Sister Semiconductor Equipment SSE Group N.V. has said that its subsidiary SSE, Sister Semiconductor Equipment, GmbH has had equipment order push-outs due to the challenging conditions in the semiconductor industry. These push-outs could cause the company to incur a net loss for it current fiscal year compared to previous expectations of  it turning a profit on expected sales of €8.5 million. Read more >>

Numonyx expects NOR flash from Elpida’s 300mm fab by mid-09

10 October 2008 | Wafer Processing | Comments (1)
Elpida E300 fabNumonyx and Elpida have formally entered into a supply contract for NOR flash, which will see Elpida become a foundry partner for Numonyx’s NOR flash at Elpida’s 300mm fab E300 in Hiroshima, Japan. The required technology transfer has started, with initial production expected in the middle of next year, the company said. Read more >>

Innovative Silicon reveals Z-RAM memory gate lengths can reach 12.5nm

10 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Z-RAM devices programming window At the 2008 IEEE International SOI Conference, Innovative Silicon, Inc. (ISi), said that it had demonstrated Z-RAM cells based on Multiple-gate SOI MOSFETS (MUGFETs) with gate lengths down to 50nm and fin widths down to 11nm. Simulations had shown that the basic operational principles are effective on Z-RAM cells with gate lengths down to 12.5nm and fin widths of 3nm. These are the smallest silicon dynamic memory devices ever reported, with the largest programming window, the company said. Read more >>

Ultratech buys group of RTP patents from IBM

09 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Ultratech's advanced Laser Spike Annealing (LSA) technology Ultratech has acquired a range of fundamental patents from IBM, related to rapid thermal annealing. Other patents include temperature control and metrology aspects of the process. Read more >>

Panasonic and Renesas use HKMG with ultra-low-k for 32nm SoC devices

09 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Panasonic and Renesas Technology Long-standing technology partners Panasonic and Renesas Technology have said they expect to use metal gates and high-k dielectrics for the gate structure with a new ultra low-k dielectric for the interconnect on 32nm SoC devices for future mobile and digital home appliance products. Read more >>

NEXX Systems licenses Alchimer’s eG ViaCoat technology for TSV applications

09 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Stratus plating platformNEXX Systems has taken out a license for Alchimer's eG ViaCoat Cu seed material for through-silicon via (TSV) applications. Alchimer will supply NEXX with process recipes for eG ViaCoat and the use of chemistries to optimize wet Cu TSV metallization. This is the first licensing agreement related to 300mm tools, according to Alchimer. Read more >>

Entrepix offers CMP and SEZ process expertise to UK and Ireland

07 October 2008 | Wafer Processing
Entrepix offers CMP and SEZ process expertise to UK and Ireland Entrepix has expanded its CMP and SEZ processing services as well as tool refurbishment offerings to the UK and Ireland with the announcement that it will team with UK based Semi Scenic UK Ltd. According to the company, the two countries are increasingly reliant on trailing edge technologies, while still developing novel technologies and therefore a growing market for Entrepix. Read more >>