The challenge of making wafers with ever-smaller circuit features has been complicated by the growing demand for micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). The ability to create numerous MEMS devices on a single wafer reduces their manufacturing costs considerably. This report explores the adoption of plasma etching techniques from mainline semiconductor manufacturing.

One accepted technique that allows wafer manufacturers to keep pace with the technological demands of their trade is etching by electron-beam lithography. This article from the Advantest Web site explores the fundamentals of this approach and its direct-write variation to allow companies to make the best process and equipment-purchase choices.

Looking for information on semiconductor testing that goes way beyond the superficial? The Basic Testing of Semiconductor Devices covers the gamut from fundamental principles to the instruments and techniques to help you succeed. It provides procedures for testing diodes, bipolar transistors, SCRs, and MOSFETs for catastrophic failures like shorts and opens.

Measuring nanoscale circuit features requires rethinking the techniques we use. To ease the transition, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing a new approach based on small-angle x-ray scattering. A detector examines the scattering results, looking for diffraction peaks. This document describes the method and explores its application.

In the race for next generation non-volatile memory, magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) is winning supporters because of its speed and reliability — particularly its hardness to radiation. Achieving adequate capacity, however, will require a package-on-package (PoP) architecture. The challenge becomes how to isolate device layers to maximize the storage on each device.

Finding new substrate solutions for semiconductor devices becomes increasingly difficult as the circuit density increases. The polyimide film that has represented the standard dielectric layer can't cope with the mechanical and thermal demands of ever-smaller circuits. Dupont has developed a liquid polyimide that will provide the solution in many applications.

The most tantalizing way to reduce our dependence on energy sources ranging from petroleum to toxic battery technologies is to develop cost-effective photovoltaic cells. Until now, however, their efficiency has remained discouragingly low. MIT Technology Review describes some new materials that increase cell efficiencies by capturing much lower-energy photons.

Learning how to work with a new semiconductor material requires understanding its internal structure. Materials scientists initial assumptions about that structure can differ greatly from reality. Researchers at Ohio University reported on the workings of promising new semiconductor gallium nitride. However, not everyone agrees with their results.

Ever wonder if you could survive on what our ape ancestors ate? The BBC News describes an experiment that confined nine volunteers to a UK zoo. For 12 days they ate only what was available in the distant past — nuts and fruits, supplemented in the second week with some oily fish to mimic a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.