Leading Edge Semiconductors – Technology Trends Cutting Across All Device Types
ABSTRACT
DRAM, Logic, and NAND are the three main leading-edge products driving the semiconductor industry. Each product type faces it owns challenges to continue scaling be it bits per unit area for memory, or transistors per unit area for logic. While all three-product types face different challenges they are all turning to the same solutions.
3D Layer based scaling is driving up bit density for 3DNAND, and Logic and DRAM will likely adopt it as well by the end of the decade.
Wafer bonding is being adopted for 3DNAND to separate the memory and logic process elements into separate wafers that are then bonded together. Logic is adopting wafer bonding for backside power delivery. Later this decade DRAM is also expected to separate the memory and logic portions of the process flow onto separate wafers that are then bonded together.
Finally, molybdenum didn’t get much attention until relatively recently but is now being looked at for 3DNAND word lines, DRAM bit lines, and logic vias with initial adoption expected by 2026.
In this paper I will explore how each of these technologies is being implement and the impact of them on each device type.
BIOGRAPHY
Scotten W. Jones (Scott) has over 40 years of experience in the semiconductor and MEMS industries. Scott has designed, built, and run wafer fabs, been co-general manager of a semiconductor division and vice president of engineering at a MEMS start-up. As founder of IC Knowledge LLC, Scott served as president for 23 years building IC Knowledge into the world leader in cost and price modeling of semiconductors. In late 2022 IC Knowledge was acquired by TechInsights where Scott now serves as President of Semiconductor Manufacturing Economics and a Senior Fellow. Scott's expertise is in semiconductor and MEMS technology, cost and economics and he has widely published in these areas as well as leading the development of world leading cost and price models and more recently carbon models. Scott has published widely on semiconductors and MEMS and is a frequent contributor to www.semiwiki.com as well as speaking at leading conferences.