ULVAC

Tracking and quickly diagnosing COVID-19 infections, working from home and telemedicine recently came into sharp focus as technology executives and other subject matter experts from microelectronics heavyweights recently gathered for the first-ever virtual SEMI CTO Forum to explore how the microelectronics industry and their own companies can leverage future technology trends to drive growth. Themed Intelligent Medtech and Wearable Technologies, the forum drew CTOs from ARM, Babblelabs, Brewer Science, Dell, Dow/Dupont, E-Ink, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Lam Research, KLA, Microchip, ON Semiconductor, Qualcomm, Tokyo Electron, Ulvac, Veeco and Xilinx. The event is designed as a strategic driver of pre-competitive innovation. Following are key takeaways from the forum. Microfluidics Promises to Speed COVID-19 Diagnosis More than 240 companies worldwide are developing microfluidics solutions to improve diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and other conditions, said forum speaker Dr. Kurt Petersen, a member of Band of Angels, Silicon Valley's oldest angel investment group, with an illustrious background1 in technology. And their innovations are bearing fruit. Cepheid, a company founded by Dr. Petersen, has developed a disposable microfluidic cartridge, Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2, used by doctors to swab the inside of a patient’s mouth. Highlighting the vital role of MEMS in medical electronics, the tiny powerful devices are behind a test that can detect COVID-19 infection in under 40 minutes. Dr. Petersen also cited a few examples of implantables and injectables under development, including: In vivo chemical sensing: Profusa developed a continuous glucose monitoring sensor via an optical patch. Glaucoma pressure monitors: Injectsense built a silicon chip the size of a grain of rice that is embedded in the eye to measure eye pressure. Retinal implants: Second Sight implanted a 60-electrode array chip that projects images onto the retina to improve vision. Microelectronics Takes Aim at Battling COVID-19 The event’s CTO roundtable, a platform for discussing societal and technology issues, revealed microelectronics technology will likely give rise to solutions for combatting pandemics and new business opportunities both in the short and long run. Areas of the greatest interest included: Tracking and Security: Infection tracking accuracy is key to limiting the spread of viruses yet comes with inherent privacy and security challenges. The consensus view of the executives was that developing trusted hardware capabilities is critical for adoption of accurate infection-tracking technologies. Remote Operation: Executives expect working from home or the use of telehealth to continue building momentum long after pandemic. To give staying power to the remote communications at the heart of these trends, microelectronics ecosystems will need to boost compute performance, both at the edge and in the cloud, while increasing bandwidth to enable applications such as augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and advanced data analytics. Edge intelligence: The challenge of remote communications spans both people and the Internet of Things (IoT). Questions persist about how hundreds of billions of sensors will connect to the cloud and how much power they will consume. The need to push computing to where data is generated – at the edge – is rising and the necessary underlying technologies will only come by combining various forms of distributed computing and analytics. The microelectronics industry’s ability to seize these opportunities will only be possible with huge strides in innovation, raising concerns among the CTOs about the financial viability of cutting-edge devices because of increasing device complexity and R D costs. Technology partnerships and collaborations – an area where SEMI is contributing and will continue to expand its efforts as it works with the CTO community – will be critical to containing R D costs. SEMI will help the executives identify and mobilize the resources key to future innovation. Improving Home, Work Productivity and Experiences Key to AR Adoption Smart wearables also offer great promise. In just over a decade, AR and VR have grown from science fiction to practical uses such as AR applications for smart contact lenses, said Dr. Mike Wiemer, Co-Founder and CTO of Mojo Vision2. Dr. Wiemer said that while many AR applications remain under development, the technology will only see widespread adoption once it starts to improve productivity and efficiency at home and work and the quality of other experiences. The smart augmented reality contact lens developed by Mojo Vision is a step in that direction. The product’s built-in display gives users timely information about everything they see while remaining invisible by packing 70,000 pixels into a space smaller than a half a millimeter across, making it the smallest and densest dynamic display ever made. The contact lens is powered by an ARM-based processor, with later versions adding an image sensor, eye-tracking sensors and a communications chip. SEMI thanks EMD Performance Materials and Telit for sponsoring the CTO Forum. For more information on the CTO Forum and SEMI’s Smart Data-AI initiative, please sign up on our webpage. 1 Dr. Kurt Petersen is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an IEEE Medal of Honor winner, and a Life Fellow of the IEEE for his contributions to the commercialization of MEMS technology. 2 Dr. Wiemer also co-founded Solar Junction, where he led technical teams to two world records in solar cell efficiency (43.5% and 44%). He also has patents and papers in Semiconductor Devices Applications, Silicon Photonics, Materials Integration, Lasers, Solar Cells, Solar Systems, and Analog Circuits. Tom Salmon is Vice President of Collaborative Technology Platforms at SEMI. Pushkar P. Apte, Ph.D., is Strategic Technology Advisor for the Smart Data AI Initiative at SEMI.

From measurement equipment and components to medical devices, SEMI will showcase SMART technologies at its Smart Starts Here Pavilion, booth 40761, in the Smart Home section at CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics event. Do you want to discuss new technology directions and the latest developments in sensors, displays and electronics manufacturing? Hear about the new SEMI program that promotes “cool” careers in semiconductor manufacturing? Get the outlook for the manufacturing supply chain in 2019 and beyond?Stop by our booth or connect with any of our co-exhibitors in the Smart Starts Here Pavilion at booth 40731 in the Sands Expo Hall A. Co-exhibitors include:Advantest – A world-class technology company, Advantest is a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. The company also focuses on research and development (R D) for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as a groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tool.Altergy – Alertgy’s Glucose Monitor is a biosensor-based wristband device that provides non-invasive, real-time blood glucose monitoring for diabetics. The device gives both patients and healthcare professionals on-demand access to blood glucose levels via a smartphone application. C2MI – C2MI is the largest microelectronic innovation centre in Canada. Offering state-of-the-art equipment dedicated mainly to advanced packaging and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the centre hosts more than 250 R D scientists. Collaboration and synergy among our partners promote rapid commercialization of advanced prototypes.CHASM – CHASM Advanced Materials is a leading developer and manufacturer of printed electronics materials and battery materials based on proprietary carbon nanotube and ink/coating technologies.Kent Displays – Kent Displays is a global leader in unique eWriter display technology, with expertise in research, development, roll-to-roll manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods design and assembly using the eWriter technology. Kent displays also commercializes and sells the eWriter technology under its brand Boogie Board in a number of global retail markets. mCube – mCube makes the smallest motion sensors in the world. As a technology leader, mCube aspires to be the enabler for the Internet of Moving Things by putting a MEMS motion sensor on anything that moves. With over 500M units shipped, mCube continues to provide the world’s most advanced inertial sensors.Mitsui Chemical – Mitsui Chemical provides chemicals and gases for solutions in energy, agri-system, medical, IoT, and related fields. Mitsui specializes in advanced materials for automotive, ophthalmic lenses, dental, nonwovens, agrochemicals, and packaging. N5 Sensors – N5 Sensors manufactures chip-scale gas sensors that provides reliable gas detection in small-footprint packages. N5’s patented gas sensor technology represents a new era in low-power, microscale gas and chemical sensing that aims to replace conventional gas sensors. N5 is currently offering sensors and modules for integration. Its platform technology enables development of sensors for different gases ranging from toxics such as chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, to explosives such as hydrogen and methane, to environmental gases such as carbon dioxide.OMRON – OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation based on its core technology of "Sensing Control + Think." OMRON's business fields cover a broad spectrum, ranging from industrial automation and electronic components to automotive electronic components, social infrastructure systems, healthcare, and environmental solutions. Established in 1933, OMRON has over 36,000 employees worldwide providing products and services in 117 countries. In the field of industrial automation, OMRON supports manufacturing innovation by providing advanced automation technologies and products, as well as through extensive customer support, to help create a better society. PlayNitride – PlayNitride’s PixeLEDTM display can be used in addition to traditional displays. Focused on GaN-based MicroLEDs, PlayNitride, a fabless company, offers an innovative mass transfer process and SMAR.TechTM pixel repair technology. PlayNitride also provides a broad range of products and services including research and development in the field of compound semiconductors.Si-Ware - Si-Ware Systems' NeoSpectra specializes in the design and manufacturing of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) powered miniature Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) spectrometers, or spectral sensors. Its sensors are affordable, robust, and easily adapted for a diverse range of industries.TEL - A leading global provider of semiconductor and flat panel display (FPD) production equipment, Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) develops, manufactures and sales a wide range of products. All of TEL's semiconductor and FPD production equipment product lines maintain high market shares in their respective global segments. TEL provides outstanding products and services to customers through a global network of approximately 75 locations in 16 countries in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.ULVAC - ULVAC is a leading supplier of production equipment for the semiconductor, FPD and solar cell industries. Semiconductor products include MEMS release equipment, the ENTRON metallization system with PVD/CVD/ALD capability, etching systems for various applications including solutions for LED, power device and non-volatile memory. The systems and components are designed with innovative production technology for cost-effective device fabrication.Uneo - UneoTM offers high-quality sensor manufacturing services and product module design and consultation support to shorten product design cycles.Heidi Hoffman is senior director of Technology Communities Marketing at SEMI.

Peel-and-stick simplicity isn’t just for adhesive bandages any more. IoT and flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) are bound to change hardware business models. And flexible displays will breathe life into any surface.These were among the insights foreshadowing the future of the FHE, electronic textiles, IoT, MEMS and sensors industries at the FLEX Japan and MEMS Sensors Forum Japan 2018. At the April event, organized by SEMI-FlexTech-MSIG, nearly 200 attendees shared their observations and lessons learned in the development of processes, products and applications. Presentations and discussions revealed these five takeaways.1. Expect the unexpected with FHE developmentFlexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) continues to shrink the size and weight of products, enabling new markets and concepts. “FHE takes printed electronics and adds ICs for getting performance out of the PE structure,” said Wilfried Bair of NextFlex, adding that “peel- and-stick electronic products are one example of unexpected new markets enabled by FHE capabilities.” One potential application is large peel-and-stick safety sensors adhered to buildings to warn of structural dangers.Another surprising turn: With new insights into OLED technology originally developed for flexible displays, Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) has devised an innovative medical diagnostic tool for markets such as biomedical and agricultural monitoring. The tool features an atmosphere-processable OLED component with a simplified OLED structure encapsulated in aluminum foil.2. IoT and FHE devices should change hardware business modelsThis is the standard business model for many new FHE products: develop a product, manufacture it, find customers and sell. FHE and IOT device developers were encouraged by Jam Kahn of Gemalto to consider flipping the script: During FHE product development, explore building an after-market revenue stream by controlling and mining the data for trends it reveals. Because of its data harvesting potential, IoT is an excellent emerging technology for this strategy.The “Experience Economy” could create 200 connectable items per person, generating strong revenue streams from the collection and analysis of massive amounts of sensor-generated data. The key is for the data to be actionable. That means hardware suppliers must extend their focus to software development. “A recent study of California investors found that by 2025, 60 percent of global business profits will be from data,“ noted Harri Kopola of VTT, who advised hardware producers to examine business models that produce continuous value by leveraging software. “With FHE, we are creating the path to digitization for non-digital industries, and these industries need complete solutions,” he said.Hardware provider Xenoma, for example, sells an electronic shirt with sensors for measuring muscle movements, heart rate and other health-related data. Xenoma’s Ichiro Amimori said the company offers its open-source software development kit for free under one condition: The developer must share the collection data with Xenoma. The idea is that the more data collected, the greater Xenoma’s ability to improve human health over the long term and achieve its long-term vision of alleviating disease.3. Roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet manufacturing will meet in the middleOne of the big advantages of flexible and printed electronics was its promise to enable the manufacturing of electronics on a roll-to-roll (R2R) process in atmospheric (or close) conditions, like newspaper, rather than one sheet at a time, as with displays or wafers. But as development of inks and interconnects progressed, along with the placement of discrete and thinned-die components and basic flexible substrates on a moving web, most research and development (R D) and limited-production runs moved to sheet-fed systems to control material costs for experiments and low-volume production. R D on printing electronics processes split into two camps: the simple printed components camp on R2R, and the camp backing more flexible hybrid electronics development on a sheet-by-sheet basis. But progress didn’t stop.Harri Kopola of VTT highlighted new R2R inspection and test capabilities in the VTT pilot line in Finland. R2R processing advances incorporate ideas from biology, chemistry, optics, optoelectronics, advanced inspection and test capability, illustrating the multidisciplinary nature of FHE. While accurate, high-speed, pick and place of thinned, bare die remains the domain of sheet-to-sheet manufacturing, look for more improvements in accuracy and speed.Another new manufacturing concept that turns business models on their heads – “minimal fabs” – focuses on creating limited-run equipment and processes that use 3D printing and do not require cleanrooms. With a relatively low cost of entry, the approach enables electronics to be produced affordably anywhere.4. Powering the IoT is a grand challengeThe requirement for edge devices to function without intervention for long periods raises hard questions about how to power the devices. Using organic photovoltaics (OPV) in textiles to harvest energy from light could be one solution, according to Kasimaesttro Sugino of the Suminoe Textile Technical Center. ULVAC’s answer to the IoT power issue are requirements for edge device micro-batteries to be environmentally benign, safe, flexible and compatible with semiconductor processing less than .1 mm in height. The micro-batteries must also feature a long life and support continuous power output, high power density, low self-discharge (over 10 years) and mass production, said Shunsuke Sasaki of ULVAC. The batteries are being built on silicon, glass and stainless steel with dry, thin-film vacuum processing. 5. Flexible displays bring any surface to lifeWith their durability, flexibility, low-cost processing and programmability, flexible displays can transform any surface into a content-rich display with messages that make lives healthier, simpler and safer.One example is FlexEnable’s organic thin-film transistor (OTFT), a device made possible not only by recent advances such as the ability to build organic material transistors on plastic and the increasing clarity of new film materials but by continuous manufacturing process improvements. These advances are improving switching times and the color and video capabilities of thin-film transistors while retaining their flexibility, low power consumption and communication capabilities. Simon Jone of FlexEnable gave the examples of wrapping a display around the blind spots of automobiles or replacing side-view mirrors with interior monitors showing feeds from an external camera, approaches that would improve safety while reducing wind drag and increasing fuel efficiency.E Ink’s reflective technology and flexible products are coming to market with a wider color spectrum. The company’s Michael McCreary said its designers are specifying the panels for innovative projects such as the exterior walls of the San Diego International Airport parking garage. Used to communicate with airport visitors, the installation is weather-proof, programmable and self-powered.