Semiconductor Fabrication News

What happens when the pace of Moore's Law exceeds the limits of silicon physics? For years semiconductor manufacturers have sought the ultimate replacement. This Semiconductor International article explores some of the alternatives considered by engineers and the techniques they used to determine relative success. Where do you think the answer lies?

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In the push to increase circuit performance, copper wires connecting the die to the chip package are becoming a bottleneck. While other wire materials might offer marginal improvements, the next generation of semiconductors will require more innovation. Replacing copper wires with mini-lasers could permit signal transfer at the speed of light.

IC Packaging techniques grew up around the characteristics of tin-lead solder. The move to higher-melting-point, lower-wetting lead-free alloys has challenged the assumptions that drove both development and the resulting solutions. Europe's Electronic Packaging and Production describes some of the equipment and techniques that have emerged to cope with transition.

Power-conversion ICs are particularly susceptible to junction heating. Today's drive to increase power density makes things worse. A Techonline article describes the issues involved and the manufacturing techniques to address them. The article deals with National's switching converters, but the principles described apply to all comparable components. [A short registration may be required.]

Engineers use Verilog to describe the logic of semiconductor devices. But as circuits become more complicated, the challenge becomes how to verify that Verilog's logic is correct before committing the design to silicon. A joint development initiative between Mentor Graphics and Cadence has created the Open Verification Methodology (OVM) to provide solutions.

Microscopes are designed to examine small objects in confined spaces. As circuit elements and their possible defects shrink, however, observing those elements in three dimensions and precisely measuring them become ever more important. Test & Measurement World explores developments in microscopy that will verify the integrity of next-gen semiconductors.

If you plan to make a system-on-a-chip (SOC), you need a manufacturing process that ensures reliable, accurate, and repeatable results. Depending on your SOC's architecture, how do you decide which process to choose? This EDN article outlines pros and cons, and presents a selection path to the best option.

Most developments in semiconductor manufacturing depend on technology that at least cursorily resembles existing approaches. Here, The Economist describes a technique that emerged from an attempt to make something like a bionic eye. It incorporates previously incompatible materials that can combine to create a very different type of circuit.

When Is Green Not Green?

Setting out to save the planet isn't always as simple as it seems. And my ideas are greener than yours, right? Sometimes one person's methods are totally incompatible with someone else's. Consider this case from California, where a homeowner's sequoia trees are casting a shadow on the neighbor's solar panels. According to the San José Mercury News, Santa Clara County decreed that solar power trumps trees, even sequoias.

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Chips Chips Everywhere

Microchips will soon populate everything from clothing to window drapes. This raises issues of ethics, security, and privacy. What types of precautions are you taking to minimize possible negative consequences?