SCANLAB GmbH together with its sister companies Blackbird Robotersysteme GmbH and Holo/Or Ltd. is developing promising new system concepts for laser applications such as laser welding of bipolar plates and additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing). By integrating tailored beam shapers, the novel scan setup showed the potential to nearly double the productivity of welding bipolar plates for hydrogen fuel cells.

Fuel cell technology was considered a niche market for a long time. Due to the transition phase in energy generation and the search for alternative drives, the market demand might grow notably. For efficient mass production an increase of throughput in welding of metal bipolar plates, used to build the stacks in a fuel cell, is needed. High welding speeds require fast scan systems and high power lasers, both available. However, it’s the welding process itself which determines the maximum reachable speed. Weld seam failures such as humping effects and undercut occur when a certain speed limit is exceeded.

Blackbird Robotersysteme set up a test rig integrating the 2D scan head intelliSCAN from SCANLAB and HOLO/OR’s latest development the Flexishaper, a full range adjustable beam shaper. The necessary beam shape was determined based on welding process simulations. The layout of the utilized beam shaper is the result of a combined optical design, integrating both diffractive optical elements (DOE) and scan system. The processing tests demonstrated to shift the speed limit of failure free welding speed from 45 m/min up to 70 m/min.

Adopting processing experience with DOEs
Thin sheet welding of bipolar plates has similar requirements to laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. Both require scan field sizes up to 500 x 500 mm² with a typical processing speed around 1m/s and below. Also in metal 3D printing the processing speed is not limited by the speed of the scanner or the available laser power, but it is mostly the process itself which limits the throughput. Thus, the encouraging laser welding results are the first step on the way to further optimize LPBF processes as well.

“Our joint company holding creates the trust that is necessary for such a close cooperation to explore innovative solutions. Only in a setup like this you can openly analyze the upcoming market requirements and transfer the outcome in an optical design” recounts Georg Hofner, CEO SCANLAB.

“Our sister companies provide a construction kit for us, which we can translate into tangible benefits for our markets and customers based on our specific experience and application knowledge” adds Karl Christian Messer, CEO Blackbird Robotersysteme.

“This is exactly the kind of cooperation that creates high value products by combining our unique beam shaping expertise with our sister companies market deep understanding” concludes Israel Grossinger, Owner and President of HOLO/OR.

The next steps will be to test the laser welding concept in a larger scale setup and to pursue different applications in parallel. As the fiberSYS meets requirements of both LPBF and laser welding processes, the integration of DOEs into this scan system, particularly suited for multi head laser machines, was included in the development road map.

• Read more about Scan Head with Beam Shaper Increases Throughput in Fuel Cell Production

At the end of 2021, there were 153 semiconductor fabs processing 300mm wafers for the fabrication of ICs, including CMOS image sensors, and non-IC products such as power discretes.

The 300mm wafer fab count increased by 14 in 2021, the most in one year since the same number opened in 2005. There are 10 fabs scheduled to open in 2022, followed by another 13 in 2023 and 10 in 2024. This puts the industry on pace to have more than 200 300mm fab lines in operation by 2026. These are projections made in Knometa’s new Global Wafer Capacity 2022 report.

An increasing number of 300mm fabs are being built to fabricate non-IC devices, and power transistors in particular. The manufacturing cost benefits of processing chips on the large wafers come into play for device types characterized by large die sizes and high volumes. Examples of integrated circuits with these characteristics include DRAMs, flash memory, image sensors, complex logic and microcomponent ICs, PMICs, baseband processors, audio CODECs, and display drivers. While large-size power transistors are still small compared to the die sizes of these ICs, they ship in high volumes and are big enough to keep a 300mm fab loaded at a cost-effective production level. According to IC Insights, unit demand for power transistors in 2021 reached 43.5 billion for power MOSFETs and 2.2 billion for IGBTs.

300mm Wafer Fabs Opening in 2022

• CR Micro (Runxin Microelectronics) fab in Chongqing, China, for power semiconductors
• Silan Microelectronics fab in Xiamen, Fujian, China for power discretes and sensors
• SK Hynix M15 Phase 2 fab in Cheongju, Korea, for 3D NAND flash
• SMIC fab in Shenzhen for foundry services
• ST/Tower joint venture fab in Agrate, Italy, for mixed-signal, power, and RF ICs and foundry services
• TI RFAB2 in Richardson, Texas, USA, for analog ICs
• TSMC Fab 18 Phase 4 in Tainan, Taiwan, for foundry services
• TSMC Fab 16 Phase 2 in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, for foundry services
• TSMC Fab 18 Phase 5 in Tainan, Taiwan, for foundry services
  Winbond fab in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for DRAMs

Of the 10 300mm wafer fabs scheduled to begin operations in 2022, two will be focused on the production of non-IC products. One is a CR Micro fab in Chongqing, China, and the other a fab in Xiamen, China, owned by Silan Microelectronics.

One-third of the new 300mm fabs opening this year are being built by TSMC. Responding to high demand for its foundry services, the company increased its capital spending 74% in 2021 to $30 billion. Much of that spending went toward equipping the Phase 4 and Phase 5 fabs at its Fab 18 campus in Tainan. TSMC is also finishing up a second fab at it Fab 16 site in Nanjing, China, to meet demand for mature technologies, especially 28nm CMOS.

Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics (and its new fab partner Tower Semiconductor) are completing the construction of 300mm fabs targeted at analog and mixed-signal IC production. TI reported a huge increase in capital spending for 2021 with 279% more spent during the year than in 2020. Most of the money was used to buy new equipment for the company’s second fab in Richardson, Texas, and third 300mm fab overall. The RFAB2 facility will more than double wafer capacity at the Richardson site.

Only two of the new 300mm fabs scheduled to open in 2022 are for memory products. SK Hynix is expected to begin operations on a Phase 2 line for 3D NAND at its M15 fab site in Cheongju, Korea, while Winbond plans to start up a new DRAM fab in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

View more information about Global Wafer Capacity 2022 at https://knometa.com/gwc

• Read more about Count of semiconductor fabs using 300mm wafers projected to exceed 200 by 2026

BENEQ, PRESS RELEASE, March 10, 2022, 14.00 EEST

Beneq, the home of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), has introduced BeneqCare, a new modular solution to offer support and maintenance services to organizations that own and operate Beneq ALD equipment.

Beneq leads the market with ALD products for R&D, semiconductor device fabrication, 3D and batch production, ultra-fast spatial ALD (C2R), and roll-to-roll ALD. Today, the company has launched BeneqCare to help customers in the EU, Asia and the USA maximize the value of their ALD tools throughout their equipment’s life cycles.

“We have been investing heavily in widening our service capabilities worldwide. Now, we offer service coverage in all regions. We have also established spare part hubs in every region at Beneq offices,” says Hans Fabritius, Vice President, Life Cycle Services at Beneq.

“BeneqCare simplifies ALD equipment ownership by helping our customers maximize uptime and gain access to the right support at every stage of their tool’s life cycle. We are ready to assist our customers in meeting their productivity requirements –from training personnel in using the equipment to meeting any unscheduled maintenance or spare parts needs,” asserts Fabritius.

BeneqCare provides Beneq customers who operate in the industrial and research sectors with a wide range of service modules to suit their operations, from extended warranty and training services to remote or onsite support.

“Our customers have high expectations for the performance of their Beneq ALD tools. BeneqCare brings them versatile support and service plans that grow with their businesses,” says Fabritius.

Companies and research facilities that have commissioned Beneq ALD equipment can avail of a variety of BeneqCare service modules to suit their unique requirements. Among the BeneqCare modules are technical support services, including remote support via Augmented Reality (AR); spare part services; extended warranties; preventive as well as unscheduled maintenance services; and training.

Learn more about BeneqCare: www.beneq.com/beneqcare/

Further information
Lie Luo, Head of Marketing, [email protected]

About Beneq
Beneq is the home of atomic layer deposition. In 1984, we established the world’s first industrial production using ALD. Today, we lead the market with products for R&D (TFS 200, TFS 500, R2), semiconductor device fabrication (Transform®), 3D and batch production (P400A, P800, P1500), ultra-fast spatial ALD (C2R), and roll-to-roll ALD (Genesis).

Beneq’s unique Development Service simplifies customer adoption and proof-of-concept for new ALD processes, while our Coating Service cuts down time to market by outsourcing state of the art ALD production. Our team of engineers and experts is dedicated to making ALD tools accessible for researchers.

• Read more about Beneq fulfills customer demand for tailored ALD equipment services and support with BeneqCare (TM)

TEMPE, Ariz. and AUSTIN, Texas—March 3, 2022—Moov, a data-fueled marketplace for used semiconductor manufacturing equipment, today announced its “Money Back Guarantee” (‘MBG’) program. It is the industry’s first no-questions-asked, money-back-guarantee program that covers 91% of all listings on Moov’s platform, which currently lists roughly $1.5B of available assets and growing.

Moov’s guarantee program provides peace of mind during an especially turbulent time within the industry. Equipment shortages, particularly for older nodes, and wait times exceeding 16 months for new equipment mean more buyers than ever are looking for secondary-market options upon which they can rely.

“In an industry plagued with bad actors, Moov is leading the way by effectively removing all risk for second-hand transactions — a decision that will likely expedite the growth of companies' used-equipment budgets within the broader $100 billion-a-year global spend on chip manufacturing equipment,” said Boyd Grubbs, CEO of Bridge Tronic Global, a California-headquartered provider of manufacturing equipment in the secondary market.

Purchasers — be they end-users, equipment manufacturers or brokers — of Moov equipment who are unsatisfied after receiving it for any reason will be refunded by the company. Moov will return the equipment to its inventory.

Moov is the first company in the sector to offer this type of guarantee, further solidifying its position as market leader in the pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry. The new program augments Moov’s existing added services, insurance, tracking and supplier verification.

“Risk is the No. 1 factor in purchasing equipment on the secondary market,” said Raymond Mahon, Moov’s director of customer success and head of the company’s Austin office. “Anyone who has been in this industry for even as little as a year has experienced purchasing six-figure equipment where key parts were missing, misrepresented or damaged before they reached their destination. A lack of standards, transparency and accountability has been pervasive in buying second-source equipment. It is probably the top barrier to a healthy secondary-equipment market.”

Hearing complaints reflecting such experiences prompted Moov to develop the program. Even customers working with billion-dollar market-cap public companies have endured these kinds of disappointments.

How the Guarantee Works:
Moov takes responsibility for the entire process of buying and selling second-source semiconductor equipment from purchase to delivery and return. It will encrypt applications to verify equipment prior to closing a transaction. In the unlikely event that faulty equipment slips by the verification process, Moov will refund the purchaser’s money — no questions asked. Moov also will tag that equipment with trackers, ensuring its safe arrival. Moov’s insurance will protect the buyer if an incident occurs while the equipment is in transit.

This set of procedures is a stark departure from the pre-owned semiconductor equipment industry’s standard terms: 100% pre-payment, as-is, where-is and no warranty. Today, little accountability exists when equipment is not marketed accurately. Obtaining compensation of any sort is rare, regardless of how egregious the misrepresentation of equipment might be. That current inefficiency results in wasted capital expenditures totaling millions of dollars.

MBG especially caters to end-users currently being forced onto the secondary market by original semiconductor equipment manufacturers’ long lead times on new equipment. End-user clients require equipment to perform immediately to expectations. They can’t afford to waste capital expenditures.

The company hopes the one-of-its-kind policy ultimately will put an end to the common practice of industry players hiding behind sales-agreement terms and conditions, regardless of the equipment’s state. Executives at Moov expect the guarantee to permanently improve the manner in which the market currently operates.

“Traditionally the market has been flooded with resellers, or entities with remarketing agreements attached to end-users with extremely one-sided terms and conditions where if there are any issues with the equipment it isn’t their problem,” Mahon said. “We fundamentally disagree with that premise, and aim to solidify our market leadership in trust.”

About Moov Technologies Inc.
Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and Austin, Texas, Moov is a technology-driven marketplace and asset management platform that matches buyers and sellers of pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Built by a team with more than 50 years of experience in the manufacturing equipment brokerage industry, Moov’s platform ensures accurate listings and faster transactions. CEO Steven Zhou and Managing Director Maxam Yeung co-founded the company in 2017. Moov employs more than 50 people, and also boasts a presence in San Francisco; Shanghai, China; and Taipei, Taiwan. To learn more, please visit Moov.co.

Media Contact
Treble
Michael Kellner
[email protected]

• Read more about Moov Eliminates Purchase Risk for Used Equipment with Industry’s First Money-back Guarantee

The Electronic System Design Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community, today announced Excellicon formally joined the alliance as its newest member.

Excellicon of Laguna Hills, Calif., provides electronic design automation (EDA) software for timing constraints authoring, compiling, verification, formal validation and management using a multi-mode approach. Excellicon additionally provides capabilities for verification of floor plans and offers the ability to assess viability of various floor plans scenarios and perform what-if analyses.

“It’s clear that the ESD Alliance is the hub of the electronic system ecosystem and important for us to be actively involved,” comments Himanshu Bhatnagar, Excellicon’s CEO. “Our technology has been customer-proven and we are looking forward to expanding our brand awareness via our membership in the SEMI ESD Alliance.”

“We are pleased to have Excellicon join the SEMI ESD Alliance,” says Bob Smith, its executive director. “As a member, it will benefit from our varied initiatives, networking opportunities and brand exposure through SEMI’s global presence.”

As a member of the ESD Alliance, Excellicon is also a member of SEMI, the global industry association representing the worldwide electronic product design and manufacturing supply chain.

About Excellicon
Excellicon is an innovative provider of end-to-end timing constraints analysis and debugging solutions for the automation of constraints authoring, completion, and validation from RTL to GDS with innovative analysis and debugging infrastructures. Excellicon products –– constraints manager, constraints certifier, exception-toolbox (ET), budgeting-tool box (BT), equivalence-checker (EQ), ConTree, and ConStruct ––address the needs of designers at every stage of SoC design, planning and implementation in a unified end-to-end environment. Timing Closure; Done Once! Done Right!

About the SEMI Electronic System Design Alliance
The Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community representing members in the electronic system and semiconductor design ecosystem, is a community that addresses technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design ecosystem as a vital component of the global electronics industry.

Follow SEMI ESD Alliance
www.esd-alliance.org
ESD Alliance Bridging the Frontier blog
Twitter: @ESDAlliance
LinkedIn
Facebook

• Read more about SEMI ESD Alliance Welcomes Excellicon as Newest Member

Breker Verification Systems used the opening of DVCon U.S. today to unveil SystemUVM™, a framework designed to simplify specification model composition for test content synthesis with a UVM/SystemVerilog syntactic and semantic approach familiar to universal verification methodology (UVM) engineers.

Developed in partnership with leading semiconductor companies, Breker’s SystemUVM’s UVM-style specification model drives test content synthesis, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) planning algorithms for deep sequential bug hunting in existing UVM environments.

A coverage-driven approach simplifies test composition and employs up-front randomization for efficient simulation and accelerated emulation. It enhances test content reuse through configurable scenario libraries and portability for system-on-chip (SoC) integration verification and beyond.

For more information go to: www.brekersystems.com/SystemUVM

The Breker Approach
“UVM is an effective standard for block-level verification,” remarks David Kelf, Breker’s CEO. “As blocks and subsystems get larger and more complicated, composing test content for the UVM environment becomes more difficult and harder to scale. By leveraging synthesis for test content generation, a 5X improvement for larger components and multi-IP subsystems is common in composition time combined with significant coverage increases. SystemUVM makes this easily accessible for verification specialists with a minimal learning curve, dramatically changing the nature of functional verification.”

Breker’s SystemUVM layers UVM class libraries on to Accellera’s Portable Stimulus Standard (PSS) to provide the look and feel of SystemVerilog/UVM and its procedural use model. Models can be composed rapidly, efficiently reused and easily understood and maintained through UVM’s register access level (RAL), a library of common verification functions and abstract “path constraints.”

SystemUVM code offers an alternative to generic PSS while still being built on the industry standard specifically targeting the needs of UVM engineers and recognizable to them, unleashing the power of PSS Test Content Synthesis tools, such as Breker’s TrekUVM™ and TrekSoC™ products.

SystemUVM-based Test Suite Synthesis allows the simplified generation of self-checking test content from a single abstract model complete with high-level path constraints for manageable code. Synthesis AI planning algorithms allow for specification state-space exploration, uncovering complex corner-cases that lead to potential complex bugs.

The coverage-driven nature of the process eliminates the need for coverage models and post-execution coverage analysis that results in test respins. With test randomization performed before execution, simulation is accelerated, and emulation can be used without an integrated testbench simulator, which increases its performance. The tests can also be reused in system verification via the Synthesizable VerificationOS layer without any change or disruption to the UVM testbench.

Availability and Pricing
SystemUVM is available today and is included in Breker’s Test Suite Synthesis product line.
Pricing is available upon request.
For more information, visit the Breker website or email [email protected].

Breker at DVCon U.S.
DVCon’s tutorial “PSS In The Real World” opens this year’s virtual conference at 9 a.m. P.S.T., showcasing the power and flexibility of Accellera’s Portable Stimulus Standard by highlighting several real-world examples. Adnan Hamid, Breker’s executive president and CTO, is a speaker.

“In-emulator UVM++ Randomized Testbenches for High Performance Functional Verification,” a Breker-sponsored workshop also Monday at 11:30 a.m. P.S.T., attendees will learn proven, practical methods to verify complex blocks, SoCs and sub-systems with a high degree of quality.

“The Meeting of the SoC Verification Hidden Dragons,” a panel organized by Breker and featuring Hamid will address the gap in semiconductor verification between block functional verification and system SoC validation. The panel will be held Wednesday, March 2, at 8:30 a.m. P.S.T.

About Breker Verification Systems
Breker Verification Systems is a leading provider of verification synthesis solutions that leverage SystemUVM, C++ and Portable Stimulus, a standard means to specify reusable verification intent. It is the first company to introduce graph-based verification and the synthesis of high-coverage test sets based on AI planning algorithms. Breker’s Test Suite Synthesis and TrekApp library allows the automated generation of high-coverage, powerful test cases for deployment into a variety of UVM, SoC and Post-Silicon verification environments. Case studies that feature Altera (now Intel), Analog Devices, Broadcom, IBM, Huawei and other companies leveraging Breker’s solutions are available on the Breker website. Breker is privately held and works with leading semiconductor companies worldwide.

Engage with Breker at:
Website: www.brekersystems.com
Twitter: @BrekerSystems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breker-verification-systems/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrekerSystems/

• Read more about Breker Verification Systems Unleashes the SystemUVM Initiative to Empower UVM Engineering