Semiconductor & MEMS Fabrication News

One of the two most power-hungry features of any battery-driven electronic product is its display. (The other is the hard disk drive). Now, a team of scientists at Johns Hopkins University have found a material that can reduce that load. A form of sodium beta-alumina, it exists as a conductor under certain conditions and as an insulator under others. Initially a liquid, allowing easy deposition on printed circuits, it becomes a transparent film when heated. Because it operates at low voltages, when used in a hand-held application such as a book reader, it requires much less power than conventional semiconductors, extending battery life.

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The MEMS Module addresses design issues that arise in the micro-world. It models physical phenomena in actuators and sensors plus microfluidic and small piezoelectric devices. The module includes analyses in the stationary and transient domains as well as eigen-frequency, parametric, quasi-static, and frequency-response analyses. Learn more.

How do you design the tiniest semiconductors so that they work together efficiently with the highest possible yield out of manufacturing and the lowest possible failure rate? You perform simulations that would overwhelm the most powerful stand-alone computer by running them on a network like the UK's e-science grid, which consists of thousands of computers working together.

Manufacturers designing products for the ubiquitous "cloud" need microprocessors powerful enough to perform many tasks simultaneously. With that in mind, Intel has developed a single chip that contains 48 cores. An engineer with the company describes the devices as clouds of computers on a single piece of silicon. Intel expects eventually to adapt the process to build devices with more than 100 cores.

The explosion of potential MEMS applications has challenged manufacturers to find production methods that can guarantee both the quality and profitability necessary to maintain a viable operation. This paper from Memsstar's Tony McKie describes how techniques for MEMS fabrication have evolved to accomplish that goal. He points out the similarities with CMOS manufacture, as well as the late-stage aspects that make the MEMS process unique.

The ever-shrinking features of digital circuits have freed up real estate, initiating a dramatic rise in the number and variety of available mixed-signal devices. This comprehensive analysis from Electronic Design offers a survey of the products that have emerged in the past year, showing both how far the industry has progressed and the likely path of future development.

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Pure water has a very low — but not quite zero — electrical conductivity. This conductivity provides insight into fundamental properties of pure water used in chip fabrication for semiconductors, intravenous solutions for pharmaceuticals, and in high-pressure boilers for power generation. More.

Sensonor Technologies is now launching their low-power SP300-series with programmable embedded µC and LF interface, ideal for remote or inaccessible operation. Pressure, acceleration, temperature, and voltage sensors are included. Read more: SP300.

The In-Motion™ Solution: MEMS Package for Wyko® NT9000 Series Optical Profilers enables detailed characterization of MEMS and other micro-devices during operation, including optical switches, micro-mirrors, and accelerometers. Slow-motion video provides a visual display of sample movement in 3D, providing fast static, and dynamic surface metrology on a single system. Learn more.

Ever-increasing device complexity presents a distinct challenge: making sure that those intricate devices will work properly. To quote Star Trek's Montgomery Scott, "The more they complicate the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." This item from Cadence describes a new tool that can dramatically reduce the effort required to simulate and verify new designs. One of its most powerful features is the ability to alternate between simulation and analysis to iterate toward a viable solution.

One drawback to testing several devices in parallel is the number of resources necessary to make the tests as efficient as possible. In this short video from National Instruments, David Hall describes lowering test costs when performing RF testing on four devices by using a single power meter instead of requiring a vector signal analyzer for each device.

Manufacturing processes have been moving toward extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to replace deep ultraviolet lithography for a number of years. In a recent presentation for an International Electron Devices Meeting on scaling issues, however, Director Burn Lin of TSMC Lithography implored attendees to modify that strategy. He contends that the large energy requirements of the EUV approach will ultimately cause its downfall. Instead, he proposes devoting more resources to developing a multi-column, e-beam, direct-write approach.

Looking at company movement among Gartner's top 10 IC rankings for 2009 can help describe the progress of the industry and its technology. Hardly surprisingly, Intel came in first for the 18^th year in a row. Less obvious was the designation of Advanced Micro Devices as a "winner" in the semiconductor sweepstakes. This article from EE Times invites readers to submit their own assessments.

In addition to the wide offering of Silicon Wafers and high quality Thin Film processing, Rogue Valley Microdevices now provides full device fabrication. Our MEMS and Microelectronic fabrication capabilities include mask design and Layout, Photolithography, Thin Films, Oxide and nitride plasma etch, KOH Etch, and Metal Lift Off.

National Cable Molding offers custom cable assemblies with integral-molded connectors. These assemblies have superior mechanical durability as well as better sealing action. Their products are designed mainly for the medical environment, where quality is at the top of every list.

You work your heart out and your company doesn't appreciate your efforts. Have you been passed over for a promotion? Are you working ridiculous hours to get things done (approximately) on time? Is it time to raise your voice? To seek other employment? This piece from hr.com presents a variety of symptoms of professional burnout, how to recognize what they mean to you, and how to decide your next course of action. [A short registration may be required.]

The media has buzzed with news of virtual reality for many years. Yet despite the hype, it has never progressed beyond a curiosity at high-tech playgrounds. This video from Euronews describes the edge of the current technology, offering insight into how it has developed, the technology's future, and its potential applications.

Working Separately Closer Together

Do you agree with some industry experts that the recent settlement between Intel and AMD will be the last word on the matter? Cross-licensing agreements and settlements represent a step in the right direction, but will they be enough for AMD to pull itself out of the doldrums of the past few years? How will the results affect the way you work?