Semiconductors

TSMC's 3D-stacked system-on-integrated chips (SoIC) advanced packaging technologies is set to evolve rapidly. In a presentation at the company's recent technology symposium, TSMC outlined a roadmap that will take the technology from a current bump pitch of 9μm all the way down to a 3μm pitch by 2027, stacking together combinations of A16 and N2 dies. TSMC has a number of advanced packaging technologies, including 2.5D CoWoS and 2.5D/3D InFO. Perhaps the most intriguing (and complex) method is their 3D-stacked system-on-integrated chips (SoIC) technology, which is TSMC's implementation of hybrid wafer bonding. Hybrid bonding allows two advanced logic devices to be stacked directly on top of each other, allowing for ultra-dense (and ultra-short) connections between the two chips, and is primarily aimed at high performance...

GlobalFoundries & Everspin Extend MRAM Pact to 12nm

GlobalFoundries and Everspin have announced that the two have extended their Spin-transfer Torque (STT-MRAM) joint development agreement (JDA) to 12LP (12 nm FinFET) platform. The extension will enable GlobalFoundries...

4 by Anton Shilov on 3/13/2020

TSMC & Broadcom Develop 1,700 mm2 CoWoS Interposer: 2X Larger Than Reticles

With transistor shrinks slowing and demand for HPC gear growing, as of late there has been an increased interest in chip solutions larger than the reticle size of a...

18 by Anton Shilov on 3/4/2020

A Big Bet on SOI: GlobalFoundries Preps Another Supply Agreement for 300mm SOI Wafers

Having dropped out of the race for leading-edge manufacturing technologies in order to focus on specialty fabrication processes, GlobalFoundries has pinned some big hopes in manufacturing RF-SOI chips for...

26 by Anton Shilov on 2/27/2020

GlobalFoundries' 22FDX with MRAM is Ready

GlobalFoundries on Thursday said that it had completed development of its 22FDX (22 nm FD-SOI) technology with embedded magnetoresistive non-volatile memory (eMRAM). The technology can be used for a...

7 by Anton Shilov on 2/27/2020

Samsung Starts Mass Production at V1: A Dedicated EUV Fab for 7nm, 6nm, 5nm, 4nm, 3nm Nodes

Samsung Foundry has started mass production of chips using its 6LPP and 7LPP manufacturing processes at its new V1 fab. The new facility employs one of the industry’s first...

30 by Anton Shilov on 2/20/2020

ASML Ramps Up EUV Scanners Production: 35 in 2020, Up to 50 in 2021

ASML shipped 26 extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) step-and-scan systems to its customers last year, and the company plans to increase shipments to around 35 in 2020. And the ramp-up...

22 by Anton Shilov on 1/23/2020

TSMC Boosts CapEx by $1 Billion, Expects N5 Node to Be Major Success

TSMC is on track to begin high-volume production of chips using its 5 nm technology in the coming months, the company said in its conference call last week. While...

40 by Anton Shilov on 1/22/2020

Samsung’s Fab in Hwaseong Suffers Power Outage

Samsung had to stop production of DRAM and V-NAND memory at its fab near Hwaseong, South Korea, due to power outage earlier this week. Damage caused by disruption of...

48 by Anton Shilov on 1/2/2020

Japan Partly Removes Restrictions on Photoresists Exports to South Korea

Marking a thawing of relations between the Japanese and South Korean governments, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has partially removed export restrictions on photoresists to...

16 by Anton Shilov on 12/23/2019

Intel Hires Fab Veteran, Former GlobalFoundries CTO Dr. Gary Patton

Intel has hired Dr. Gary Patton, the former CTO at GlobalFoundries and an ex-head of IBM Microelectronics business. Dr Patton was leading Global Foundries leading edge processes before that...

21 by Anton Shilov on 12/11/2019

Panasonic to Sell Semiconductor Business to Nuvoton

Panasonic has announced plans to almost completely withdraw from semiconductor business and sell all of its related assets to Taiwan-based Nuvoton Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Winbond Electronics...

6 by Anton Shilov on 11/29/2019

SMIC Begins Volume Production of 14 nm FinFET Chips: China’s First FinFET Line

SMIC has started volume production of chips using its 14 nm FinFET manufacturing technology. The largest contract maker of semiconductors in China is the first company in the country...

15 by Anton Shilov on 11/14/2019

GlobalFoundries and SiFive to Design HBM2E Implementation on 12LP/12LP+

GlobalFoundries and SiFive announced on Tuesday that they will be co-developing an implementation of HBM2E memory for GloFo's 12LP and 12LP+ FinFET process technologies. The IP package will enable...

13 by Anton Shilov on 11/5/2019

Sony to Build New Fab to Boost CMOS Sensor Output

Sony this week has revealed that the company will be building a new semiconductor fab to boost output of its CMOS sensors, as part of a broader effort to...

16 by Anton Shilov on 11/1/2019

GlobalFoundries and TSMC Sign Broad Cross-Licensing Agreement, Dismiss Lawsuits

GlobalFoundries and TSMC have announced this afternoon that they have signed a broad cross-licensing agreement, ending all of their ongoing legal disputes. Under the terms of the deal, the...

27 by Anton Shilov on 10/28/2019

Intel Files Antitrust Suit Against SoftBank-Controlled Firm Over Patent Aggregation

Intel this week filed an lawsuit against Fortress Investment Group, a patent assertion entity controlled by SoftBank. Responding to a series of patent infringement lawsuits that Fortress has brought...

21 by Anton Shilov on 10/23/2019

TSMC: 5nm on Track for Q2 2020 HVM, Will Ramp Faster Than 7nm

TSMC’s 5 nm (N5) manufacturing technology is projected to provide significant benefits when it comes to performance, power, and area scaling, which is why the contract maker of semiconductors...

27 by Anton Shilov on 10/23/2019

New Tools Simplify Development of 2.5D Multi-Die 7nm Designs at Samsung Foundry

Advanced packaging technologies simplify production and increase performance of highly-complex multi-die SoCs as the semiconductor industry is looking at chiplet approach as an alternative to large dies that take...

5 by Anton Shilov on 10/22/2019

TSMC Radically Boosts CapEx to Expand Production Capacities, To Reach $14B For 2019

Forecasting strong demand for its 5 nm and 7 nm class process technologies in the coming years, TSMC has announced that it's increasing its capital expenditure for 2019 by...

18 by Anton Shilov on 10/18/2019

EUV Demand is Up: EUV Device Manufacturer ASML Beats Sales Estimates

Between the smartphone revolution, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, the demand for cutting-edge chips has never been higher. And if you have any doubts about that, then...

46 by Anton Shilov on 10/16/2019

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