Direct-write, maskless, lithography using e-beams is not ready for 22nm node IC manufacturing, and the SPIE BACUS presentations show EbDW issues include data transfer and inspection.

HP and Hynix JVA for ReRAM chips, based on HP titania memristor as covered by BetaSights April 2010, with R&D fab in Korea to start work on integration on 300mm silicon wafers for 2013 IC chips

ALD/CVD systems for new materials R&D by Altatech Semiconductor sold to Fraunhofer IZM ASSID and ENAS for 3DIC and high mobility research using liquid injection of precursors.

HP Labs in Palo Alto has been leading the development of the “memristor,” and researchers there have finally discovered the underlying mechanism for the formation of devices that can function as memory cells, logic circuits, and potentially even real artificial intelligence (AI)! Disclosing these results in his plenary speech to the attendees at the Nanocontacts […]

The upcoming Spring Materials Research Society (MRS) Meeting in San Francisco will feature a separate “Nanocontact and Nanointerconnects Workshop” to explore the biggest secret about the smallest devices: for the near-term there’s nothing better than standard metal. The workshop will address both theoretical and experimental approaches to formation, carrier transport, and reliability, and so will […]

The SPIE’s 7th Frits Zernike Award for Advances in Optical Microlithography goes to M. David Levenson, BetaSights Litho & DFM Editor, in recognition of one of the most important developments in lithography resolution enhancement of the last twenty years, the phase shifting mask (PSM). About 30 years ago at the IBM San Jose Lab, Levenson […]

The IEEE’s International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) is still the place to see the latest micro- and nano-electronics research targeting commercial markets. On December 8, 2009, French researchers from Leti/Minatec showed “3D sequential CMOS integration” as <600°C processing of PFETs using a (110) orientation FDSOI layer that was transferred on top of NFETs made using […]

Intermolecular, the company that brought combinatorial chemistry to semiconductor manufacturing R&D, has expanded its focus to look at ways to improve basic manufacturing processes for photovoltaic (PV) fabs. “I think that the PV devices of 10 years from now will look significantly different from those of today,” said Intermolecular vice president and general manager of […]

IMEC/F-IZM/SUSS/TM vs. SEMATECH/Leti/EVG/Brewer. The leading R&D consortia have aligned (pun intended) with leading equipment and materials suppliers to create ultra-thin silicon wafer handling technologies for 3D ICs. With the ability to shrink circuit dimensions in 2D becoming ever more difficult, most of the world’s IC fab leaders are evaluating the use of the 3rd dimension. […]

At the SEMICON West 2009 Device Scaling TechXPOT, moderated by this editor, SEMATECH’s Ray Jammy reviewed the latest results in scaling CMOS transistors. “We are litererally running out of atoms,” explained Jammy. “You can see the number of atoms in a gate dielectric.” When you have such thin layers, how do you control device parameters? […]