IC

Back in 2012, China ranked fifth among seven regions worldwide in IC wafer capacity but surged past the Americas and Japan in 2018 and 2019 to claim the number three position (figure 1). That’s a big deal given that ICs account for the largest share of wafer capacity excluding discrete, opto, MEMS and sensors.China’s IC wafer capacity growth accelerated to tune of 14% in 2019 and 21% in 2020 and is expected to grow at least 17% this year, as we report in the latest update of the World Fab Forecast, published December 3rd by SEMI. Of all regions, Taiwan boasts the second strongest growth rate over the same period at 3% to 4%.Figure 1: Total IC installed wafer capacity for top five regions The report shows that from 2019 through the end of 2021 China will have increased wafer capacity for memory by 95%, foundry by 47% and analog by 29%. Foundry will represent the largest portion of those gains, reaching 2 million wpm (200mm equivalents). Memory will follow at about 1.5 million wpm and then analog at over 120,000 wpm.But Chinese companies aren’t pulling off this feat singlehandedly. Many international companies are contributing to the wafer capacity increases in China (figure 2). Figure 2: IC wafer capacity in China by company origin The share of capacity contributed by Chinese-owned companies and international companies has changed little since 2012, though Chinese-owned companies saw a slight dip in their slice of the pie from 60% to 57%From 2019 through 2021, Chinese-owned companies will add almost 60% capacity for foundries, the most of all sectors. Companies including SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Nexchip, XMC and Hua Li Microelectronics are driving the increases.During the same period, Chinese-owned companies will ramp up memory capacity from basically zero to 300,000 wpm. Companies such as Yangtze Memory Technology and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), also known as Innotron, are powering the quick rise with aggressive ramps of 3D NAND and DRAM capacity.Among international-owned companies, TSMC and UMC are driving the largest share of foundry growth, while Samsung, SK Hynix and Intel are powering gains in memory capacity.More information is available in the World Fab Forecast report. The report currently collects information for fab equipment and construction investment, capacities, technologies and product types for over 280 fabs and lines in China alone, including 40 facilities that either began operation in 2020 or will from 2021 through 2024.Christian G. Dieseldorff is senior principal analyst in the Industry Research and Analysis group at SEMI in Milpitas, California.

Shenyang is on an unwavering path to maturing its integrated circuit (IC) equipment manufacturing industry over the next few decades in response to the Made in China 2025 Strategy. Since the strategy’s introduction in 2015, the city, long a transportation and commercial hub of China's northeast, has built out a complete integrated circuit industrial chain integrating technical research and innovation, components and parts processing, and equipment manufacturing. Its ambition is to compete on the world stage.Shenyang has implemented policies and provided funding to support the development of its IC equipment and related industries to buttress the development of emerging industries. Speaking at the SEMI China Members Day 2019 in Shenyang, Zheng Guangwen, secretary-general of ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, said that the city, as a key IC equipment industry base in the upstream of China’s industrial chain, hopes to enter the international community in part by leveraging SEMI’s global platform. Zheng Guangwen, Secretary General, ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance More than 150 representatives from member companies gathered at SEMI China Members Day 2019 to discuss China’s semiconductor industry investment and capital dynamics and semiconductor market trends. The event sought to promote stronger communication and interaction between the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor industry chain. The forum was co-sponsored by SEMI China and Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau and co-hosted by ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance. Lung Chu, President of SEMI China Opening the event, Lung Chu, president of SEMI China, set stage for the discussion by noting that global semiconductor industry has been booming since 1957, reaching another record high of $470 billion in sales last year as it faced a critical juncture, with industry growth slowing in the first half of 2019. The slowdown was predictable and is temporary, a natural stage in the industry’s cyclicality. From a macro point of view, the development of advanced technology requires huge investment. There was an obvious gap in investment between enterprises, which often leads to the stronger become much stronger. Under these circumstances, it is very important for China to master key technologies and products during the process of catching up and surpassing. Each region should focus on its strengths.Enterprises should do their own business in a low-key way and keep a prudent and optimistic attitude. The number of SEMI China members has reached a new high. SEMI China is committed to becoming the best partner to realize China's semiconductor dreams. In promoting the development of global semiconductor industry and China's semiconductor industry, SEMI has continuously gathered strength and actively organized rich activities to promote the sustainable growth of Chinese semiconductor enterprises through international cooperation. Zhao Rigang, Director of SCTB, Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau Zhao Rigang, director of SCTB at Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau, pointed to the importance of SEMI’s pivotal role and global influence in cultivating cooperation between international and domestic industries including Shenyang’s IC sector. Speaking at the SEMI China Members Day 2019 in early June, Rigang said the growing importance of chips in China is a key catalyst for Shenyang’s rise as semiconductor sectors domestically and abroad invest heavily in a new generation of information technologies such as mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things. Kang Jin, General Manager, SMIC Beijing For China’s semiconductor industry to flourish, the region must improve its IC supply capacity just as it has brought its PV industry to full maturation, said Kang Jin, general manager of SMIC Beijing. The key to developing China's integrated circuit industry, he said, lies in building a robust semiconductor supply chain. Zong Runfu, Chairman and General Manager, KINGSEMI Semiconductor Equipment Supply Chain DevelopmentLocalization has enabled KINGSEMI to optimize its technology design capabilities to produce high cost-performance equipment for greater competitive advantage, saidZong Runfu, chairman and general manager of KINGSEMI. While the localization rate of supply chain construction was over 50 percent, the localization rate for front-end equipment is still low. Zong Runfu said localization is imperative not only to lowering costs, but also to ameliorating the supply-guarantee rate, maintaining quality and shortening the delivery cycle. Russell Li, VP of Marketing and Business Development, WLCSP Packaging Solutions for 3D Active Sensing DevicesInternet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and other technologies are starting to become a part of daily life as more sensors find their way into new retail stores and smartphones, a trend that will continue as autonomous transportation begins to take hold, said Russell Liu, VP of marketing and business development at WLCSP. The move to bring more human-like capabilities to technology is driving the implementation of perception function in devices, with passive sensors giving way to active sensors and machines translating the physical world into a 3D view through the eyes of a 3D camera. What’s more, the next generation of IoT devices will feature more integrated processors including signal processors, caches, sensors, photons, RF and MEMS, bringing the challenges of miniaturization to system integration. Liu said miniaturization will only be possible by developing advanced packaging technologies that enable highly integrated processors for mobile devices and intelligent automobiles. Wang Ronghua, VP of Technology, Dalian Xinguan Technology Getting Ready for GaN Power Electronics EraGaN offers excellent performance in optoelectronics, RF and power electronics and will coexist with and complement silicon devices for years to come, said Wang Ronghua, VP of Technology at Dalian Xinguan Technology. However, the industrialization of GaN power devices still faces technical challenges in application, reliability, packaging, epitaxy, device and process – all barriers to market adoption. To overcome these hurdles, GaN power devices must meet the reliability and cost-performance requirements of applications to which they are best suited.Ronghau said that GaN power devices, such as cascade and p-GaN enhanced devices, now support end products, proof that the era of gallium nitride has arrived. “Gallium nitride is quite different from silicon in epitaxy, device design and key technology, which requires close integration of upstream and downstream industry chains for effective promotion,” he said. Billy Feng, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Is the Semiconductor Industry Still Cyclical? Since 2008, the semiconductor cycle has waned, disrupting the traditional thinking of investors, equipment suppliers and logistics channel providers as investors’ appetite for the chip industry investments has grown, said Billy Feng, executive director at J.P. Morgan. The long-term prospects for the semiconductor industry remain bright. But after reaching historic revenue highs in 2017 and 2018, the industry – and investor expectations – will enter a period of adjustment. Dr. Adam He, Executive Director, CGP Tech Fund The unique gene of the semiconductor industry consists of the blend of its lofty requirements for quality, reliability and consistency; cooperation between upstream and downstream sectors; internationalization; and a powerful ambition to innovate, said Dr. Adam He, Executive Director of CGP Tech Fund. He described Chinese chip enterprises he often encounters as falling into one of two entrepreneurial categories – IC experts and cross-border business people. Both want the answer to "how to make money and how to establish a solid competitive position?” He said. Adam believes that accessing the genes of the semiconductor industry is the answer to both questions and crucial to the maturation of China’s chip industry. The genes must be used to strengthen the Chinese manufacturing and materials sectors. Du Shanshan, Senior Analyst, SEMI China SEMI Market Outlook: Fab Investment, Equipment and Materials Market ForecastsEmerging technologies have sparked explosive semiconductor industry growth, said Du Shanshan, a senior analyst at SEMI China. While the industry will see a slight recession in 2019 due to memory market softness, trade wars and other factors, it is on stable footing for the long run. At the same time, China continues to optimize its IC industry chain, and semiconductor design and manufacturing companies have gradually grown in number. Over the next decade, the average growth rate of China's production capacity is expected to exceed 10 percent. Richard Feldman, VP of Global Expositions and Events, SEMI Richard Feldman, vice president of Global Expositions and Events of SEMI headquarters, presented the new SEMI Asia semiconductor business development plan to members and called on companies in mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia to participate in SEMICON Europe to strengthen the influence of globalization.After the meeting, participants visited KINGSEMI Co., Ltd., Shenyang Piotech Co., Ltd, Shenyang SIASUN Robot and Automation Co., Ltd., Shenyang Fortune Precision Equipment Co., Ltd. and SKY Technology Development Co., Ltd. The event facilitated communications between upstream and downstream companies. SEMI China Member Day 2019 Group Photo Cherry Sun is a marketing manager at SEMI China.

Would you buy your next hotdog in parts, from un-coordinated suppliers? For example: Get the bun from a baker, the sausage from a butcher, mustard and/or ketchup and veggies from the nearest supermarket? If yes, you may find the sausage being too small, the veggies too big for the bun, and, when you finally finished adding mustard/ketchup and start eating, you may “enjoy” a cold sausage on a soggy bun!This “hotdog example” is just a very simple way to highlight the advantages of a well-coordinated semiconductor supply chain. What may be a few dollars and cents wasted in this hotdog purchase, can become millions of dollars lost to delays and inefficiencies during the roll-out of a new electronic system.Complexity is Increasing the ChallengeThe very innovative semiconductor industry is continuing to develop more complete and complex building blocks for electronic system solutions, with the intent of making our customers’ lives easier. However, every new technology takes increasingly more time for technical and business interfaces to mature before all the semiconductor supply chain members can serve customers in a smooth, efficient and cost-effective manner. In particular, coordination between design and manufacturing has always turned out to be in the critical path.SEMI, the manufacturers’ trade organization, and the Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance, representing electronic design automation (EDA) tools vendors, developers of intellectual property (IP = ready-made building blocks for ICs) and IC design service providers, both recognized these challenges. Late in 2018, these two industry organizations decided to jointly address this painful, costly and often a very frustrating, yet critical path and became Strategic Association Partners, The goal is to establish a well-coordinated semiconductor supply chain.To make the value propositions of this partnership highly visible and demonstrate the first joint accomplishments, SEMI’s well-known SEMICON West conference and, in its first year, ES Design West, will be conveniently co-located in San Francisco’s Moscone Center from July 9 to 11, 2019. The synchronized schedules and geographic proximity of these events not only outlines the multi-faceted interdependence of manufacturing and design but encourages and enables conference attendees to do, what previously would have been viewed as “forming cross-border relationships.” It’s a new word now — please join the path to success and expand your network!Navigating SEMICON West and ES Design WestJust in case you are not yet planning to come to San Francisco early July, please check the Agendas-at-a-Glance for SEMICON West and ES Design West, to see how broad and valuable these parallel conferences are for your business. In addition, every customer, partner and semiconductor industry supplier can, from July 9 –11, walk from one conference section to the other, arrange face-to-face meetings, in dedicated meeting rooms, with representatives from both camps and discuss, from the first project planning step to the final production ramp-up, the many topics that need to be coordinated across parts or the entire supply chain to minimize delays and/or cost over-runs.Who Will Lead the Discussions?Conference attendees can, in addition to meeting many important supply chain partners face-to-face, hear about the latest technologies and market trends from key executives in our industry. Featured speakers are: David Pellerin, Head of Global Business Development, Amazon Web Services Lisa Su, President, and CEO, AMD Gary Dickerson, President, and CEO, Applied Materials Laurent Le Faucheur, Principal Engineer, Digital Signal Processing and Machine Learning, Arm, Ltd. Renee St. Amant, Ph.D., Research Engineer in Emerging Technologies and US Innovator of the Year, ARM Dean Kamen, President DEKA Research Development, Founder First and First Global Jeffrey Welser, Ph.D., Vice President and Lab Director, IBM Research-Almaden Dean Drako, President and CEO, IC Manage, Inc. Oreste Donzella, Sr. VP Chief Marketing Officer, KLA Corporation Prakash Narain, President, and CEO, Real Intent, Inc. Aart de Geus, Chairman, and Co-CEO, Synopsys, Inc. Manish Pandy, Fellow, Synopsys, Inc. Nate Baxter, General Manager, Development and Production Group, TEL US Like in previous years, SEMICON West and ES Design West offer a range of special features, addressing Smart Manufacturing, Smart Transportation, Smart MedTech and Smart Workforce development in dedicated pavilions as well as an AI Design Forum. Also, the many exhibitors from both camps will give conference attendees convenient opportunities to get to know new supply chain partners and/or refresh long-term business relationships. Search for the exhibitors you want to meet early July here. Questions to Ask for a Well-Coordinated Semiconductor Supply ChainIf I may, I would like to ask my many friends in the manufacturing camp to spend some time in the ES Design West section and ask the exhibitors a few questions, like: What can you do to get me to profit faster? To reduce development and unit cost? To improve yield, product quality, and reliability? When can you visit my team to discuss how your company can contribute to our goals?Vice versa, I would like to encourage my friends in the design camp to spend time in the SEMICON West section and ask exhibitors what their companies offer. When talking to manufacturers of IC, passive components or circuit boards, assembly and test houses, please ask very specific questions like: How can we help you reduce iterations between you and your customers? How can we help to improve IC test programs? How can we increase the throughput of your manufacturing equipment? How can we apply machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to minimize equipment downtime, improve yields and/or shorten production ramp-up?I can assure you that you’ll not only win great friends “across the border” but will be very impressed by the expertise you’ll find in the other camp and the willingness for and benefits of cross-border cooperation.I look forward to meeting you at SEMICON West and ES Design West. Also, if your schedule allows, mark your calendars for the June 12 MEPTEC Luncheon at SEMI in Milpitas, June 18 for the GSA’s Silicon Summit in Santa Clara and June 25 to 27 for the IMAPS SiP Conference in Monterey, CA. Hope to see you at one or all of these important events!Article originally published in 3D InCites. Herb Reiter is president of eda 2 asic Consulting.

Creating a custom Internet of Things (IoT) IC is challenging because it involves multiple design domains (digital, analog and RF). Creating a sensor-based IC that combines electronics that use the traditional CMOS IC design flow with a MEMS sensor on the same silicon die, however, can seem impossible. Couple the co-design and verification challenges with a lack of traditional process design kit (PDK) support for MEMS, and you have a tough road to travel to get your IoT designs to market.What can we do to make the sensor-based IoT design community successful?Understanding the ChallengesThe sensor-based IoT IC typically features a MEMS sensor (and optional actuator) that interact with the real world. Analog and digital circuitry processes the signals and sends them to a CPU. The CPU provides the “smarts” to process the data from the sensor and then sends processed data via a radio to the Internet; alternatively, the CPU could activate the actuator. A typical sensor-based IoT IC (Source: Mentor: A Siemens Business) Based on the complexity of the system, designers face many co-design challenges: Analog design requirements imposed by MEMS: MEMS devices often require high voltages and multiple power supplies; they emit small signals that need amplification and conditioning; and they are sensitive to the environment and require calibration. Design flow interactions: Parasitics from MEMS devices might affect circuits and vice versa. Circuit designers need MEMS models for impedance and timing. Integration: MEMS devices operate at different timescales than circuits, which adds a layer of complexity. Compounding the problem is a lack of MEMS PDKs and methods to tie together ICs and MEMS PDKs for integration and cross-verification. After conquering the co-design challenges, the design team has to address mixed-domain simulation challenges that include: Simulating the system: This requires verification of MEMS, digital, analog and RF circuitry with embedded software that runs on the CPU. Timescales: These vary widely, from a single deflection of the MEMS transducer in femtoseconds to a seconds-long simulation of the embedded software performing a measurement and transmitting data. Simulation time: Simulation of a behavioral digital design is extremely fast. However, the system simulation requires stand-in models that incorporate the behavior of the analog and MEMS block to simulate in an acceptable amount of time. The challenge of timescales for co-simulation. (Source: Mentor: A Siemens Business) MEMS is the KeyThe reality is that it’s the MEMS device that adds extra complexity to the sensor-based IC design and verification flow. To amplify the problem, the MEMS manufacturing process is not nearly as mature as the standardized IC process. For example, the standardized IC process includes ready-made PDKs that include everything designers need to move through design and verification flows. Foundries often provide soft and hard IP to quickly build-out design, and EDA tools provide high levels of automation enabled by abstraction and a standardized IC flow. How will MEMS-based design evolve?MEMS-based design must catch up to the standardized IC process. The first step is providing MEMS PDKs that include: Multi-physics domain design rules and material properties Packaging information Wafer and bonding information Fabrication information We must also tackle issues associated with these PDKs, including: Ownership, distribution and maintenance of the PDKs Consensus on the contents of the PDKs Merging of CMOS and MEMS PDKs The industry needs to move toward standardized MEMS manufacturing processes with available PDKs. Companies must provide IP and recommend structured design methods for co-design and verification of ICs that incorporate MEMS. How can EDA help with these flows?The EDA ContributionEDA companies must work with teams in the MEMS IC co-design space, collaborating with MEMS fabricators to help enable PDKs. By incorporating PDK support within their own tools, EDA companies can provide an integrated custom IC flow that allows teams to design and verify MEMS-based ICs. For details about this flow, click here to download the Mentor whitepaper: Fusing CMOS IC and MEMS Design for IoT Edge Devices.Greg Lebsack brings 25 years of executive and technical management experience — along with a proven track record of building strong teams and delivering predictable results — to his role as general manager of the ICDS division of Mentor, a Siemens Business. Lebsack joined Mentor in 2015 after that company acquired Tanner EDA, where he was president. Prior to Tanner EDA, he held management and technical positions in a number of different industries and companies, including Sprint, General Electric and McKinsey Co. Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northern Arizona University.Greg Lebsack recently presented on the topic of Integrated Co-design of MEMS/IC at the MEMS Sensors Technical congress, a technical conference organized by the MEMS Sensors Industry Group.

Kyushu, the third largest island in Japan, is home to the semiconductor production bases of integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) with world-class cutting-edge technology. SONY, Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and Nissan are among the sector’s shining stars, though a host of other IDMs tied to the supply chains of other major enterprises have also set root in Kyushu. Collectively, the companies earned Kyushu the name Silicon Island of Japan.Kyushu’s flourishing IDM industry sprouted from favorable tax and other government policies that reduced semiconductor production costs to levels lower than elsewhere in Japan. Once the IC producers had established bases, equipment and materials companies naturally followed, leading to the influx of many parts manufacturers. Together, they came to Kyushu, one after another, to make the island a magnet for manufacturing. And so it was to Kyushu that a SEMI China delegation travelled for a meeting at TEL’s factory in Kumamoto to learn more about the secrets to the rapid growth of the island’s semiconductor industry and promote cooperation between Chinese and Japanese enterprises. Underscoring the rise of the Silicon Island of Japan, China will soon become TEL’s largest market, said Masami Akimoto, Chairman of Tokyo Electron Kyushu Limited, speaking at the event. Masami Akimoto hopes for support from SEMI China.The island of 12 million people contributes to the growth of the global semiconductor industry, expected to reach USD 500 billion in size in 2019 as China’s semiconductor sector, fueled in part by government-backed investment funds, continues its rapid expansion. Despite the gains, China still lags other regions in advanced manufacturing, said Lung Chu, president of SEMI China, which is doing its part to draw more advanced manufacturing to the region through its SIIP platform. The initiative encourages pan-regional cooperation with China’s semiconductor industry to promote free trade, open markets, technology innovation and IP protection – all to help China better integrate with the global semiconductor industry. SEMI China President Lung Chu(L) issues visit memorial to Masami Akimoto(R), Chairman of Tokyo Electron Kyushu Limited. Chicken shall be led by the HenUnlike other regions with comprehensive semiconductor industries, Kyushu’s is primarily focused on production and assembly, with more than 200 manufacturers of semiconductor equipment and parts.SEMI China Delegation at Tokyo Electron Kyushu LimitedTEL built its first factory in Kumamoto, a city covered by volcanic ash in the center of Kyushu, 34 years ago. Today, TEL every month produces 80 to 90 sets of equipment, each consisting of, on average, over 400 thousand parts that must be certified and authorized by TEL before delivery to its module manufacturers and assembly into complete machines. Having blossomed over the past few decades, the island’s supply chain now supplies TEL with all its equipment parts. SEMI China Delegation at Fajita WorksTEL supplier Fajita Works, a high-precision plate metal manufacturer founded in 1945, is emblematic of other companies in the Kyushu supply chain. It keeps a low public profile as it serves several longtime customers and earns ardent loyalty from its workers, an ethos reflected in the change next January of its slog from “Only One” to “Great company, Great life.”Quality is the life of the enterpriseLong before the rise of its legendary automobile and consumer electronics companies, Japan was known for inferior, counterfeited products, labeled “Made In USA” and shipped to the United States by more than 100 factories. The net effect was to shrink and commoditize American markets. The tide in Japan’s product quality and stained reputation began to turn in the 1980s, when Japan’s semiconductor industry began to produce memory with an error rate 27 times lower than its U.S. competitors, giving Japan an upper hand in quality that it would never relinquish. SEMI China Delegation at HORIBAKyushu-based flowmeter supplier HORIBA, among the many Japanese companies famous for their product quality, ships 38 percent of its products into the automotive market and 27 percent into the semiconductor sector. Cleanliness is as vital a part of the company’s culture as quality. Each depends on the other, with fine detail held to the highest importance. On its visit to HORIBA, the SEMI China delegation, passing by an office area before entering the factory, sighed at the sight of the spotless, neatly kept furniture and workspace: They had never seen an office so sparkling clean. HORIBA’s success is rooted in immaculate offices, factories and the company’s motto “Enjoy innovation and pay close attention to product quality.”After Kumamoto sustained heavy damage during a 2016 earthquake, HORIBA workers returned rocks scattered by temblor to their original position, knowing that order is critical to lean, efficient manufacturing and that, indeed, “the devil is in the details.” SEMI China Delegation in Kumamoto City Full confidence in the exploration of Chinese marketConsumer electronics stalwarts Sony and Panasonic feature semiconductor factories in Kagoshima, the southernmost city in Kyushu and Japan, though rumor had it two years ago that Panasonic planned to pull out. The Panasonic plant, which provides batteries for Tesla, remains. The Sony facility produces image sensors for the iPhone.Semiconductor equipment maker ULVAC, SEMI China’s most important strategic partner, is also based in Kagoshima. During the delegation’s visit to the company, Lung Chu noted that while China is the world’s largest semiconductor market, the region meets just 13 percent of domestic chip demand. Stressing that ULVAC can play a crucial role in helping China become a bigger player, he expressed admiration for ULVAC’s professionalism along with hope that it will maintain its rapid growth and leverage SEMI resources to catalyze rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G technologies in China and rise into the top 10 of global equipment manufacturers. SEMI China President Lung Chu (L) issues visit memorial to ULVAC Kyushu President and CEO Kenji Yamaguchi ULVAC Kyushu president and CEO Kenji Yamaguchi made clear the company’s interest in Lung Chu’s insights into Chinese semiconductor industry while underscoring its core competency of producing semiconductors for flat panel displays. The Kyushu Factory of ULVAC is full of vitality and market competitiveness. SEMI China Delegation at ULVAC EBARA, a precision machinery company located in Kumamoto, has manufactured chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) equipment for over 20 years and delivered nearly 2,400 mechanical polishing machines worldwide. While the company expects to ship 50 sets per year to China starting next year, it has the capacity to deliver 20 sets per month, enough to meet demand of Chinese semiconductor makers. SEMI China Delegation at EBARAThe most telling takeaway from the SEMI China delegation’s visit to the Kyushu: Japan ranks number one worldwide in research and development (R D) investment as a proportion of GDP and is also at the top in the percentage of R D funds controlled by private enterprises. The outsize investment strategy has enabled Japan to maintain its hold as one of the world’s top technology innovators.Like Sakurajima, the famed Kyushu volcano, the SEMI China delegation will continue to harness its forces to build relationships with the island’s semiconductor supply chain as it works to develop win-win pan-regional relationships and foster the growth of China’s semiconductor industry. Best view of Sakurai volcano Gang Yao is a marketing director at SEMI China.

SEMI-MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) welcomed a global group of industry executives to its 14th annual MEMS Sensors Executive Congress (MSEC), October 29-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif. MEMS and sensors represent a robust sector of the electronic industry. Analyst firm Yole Développement expects the global market for MEMS and sensors to double in the next five years, reaching $100B by 2023, spurred by growth of autonomous mobility products such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, autonomous cars, fitness and healthcare wearables, and agricultural sensors.“From drones that navigate any terrain in all lighting conditions, robo-taxis that ‘smell’ cigarette smoke, and sensors that monitor animal welfare and food safety, MSEC speakers shared inventive use cases representing new opportunities for MEMS and sensors suppliers,” said Carmelo Sansone, director, MEMS Sensors Industry Group. “Our keynote speakers spurred attendees to collaborate for the greater good. MITRE Corp. cybersecurity expert Cynthia Wright exhorted attendees to proactively address cybersecurity. DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) program manager Ron Polcawich invited participation in a rapid innovation and production concept that could dramatically speed design cycles for new MEMS. They exemplify the cross-pollination among commercial industry, government and academia that will continue to advance MEMS and sensors.”Getting serious about cybersecurityMITRE cybersecurity expert Cynthia Wright opened MSEC 2018 with a keynote on cybersecurity, alerting attendees to a topic that few in the industry have explored in-depth — but to which they need to pay attention.“Billions of connected mobile devices democratize knowledge, diversity and boost economies, and accelerate innovation by connecting humans to one another and to our environments,” said Wright. “At the same time, they easily create huge networks that carry operationally and personally sensitive data.”Because MEMS and sensors are deeply embedded into this vast array of connected devices, industry needs to get involved now or risk potentially grave consequences, claimed Wright. “From the destruction of critical infrastructure, cyberattacks on life-critical medical devices such as insulin pumps and heart monitors, and intrusions on autonomous vehicle safety systems, MEMS and sensors suppliers have a responsibility to help improve cybersecurity of connected devices,” she added.Allaying the potential fears of a roomful of suppliers envisioning complete redesigns of their products, Wright said that not every device requires the same level of security, and suppliers can make a difference with even “minor tweaks.” Wright suggested encryption at the edge and process authentication. She also gave MSEC attendees a list of design precepts: Build it in. Don’t bolt it on — Design your device with security in mind instead of retrofitting it after-the-fact to realize the most elegant design. Beware of shadow IT — You can’t protect what you don’t know about. Consider physical asset security; software/sensor-guided decision-making; personal or operational data collection; and key process control. Realize your points of vulnerability — because MEMS and sensors are susceptible to spoofing. Learn from cyberattacks of the past — even if they have not been tied directly to MEMS/sensors. Understand IoT software — Realizing that IoT software acts on what the hardware tells it, pay attention to altered sensor data that can lead to altered system performance. When asked about the role of US government regulation on the security of connected devices, Wright acknowledged that Europe has more restrictive cybersecurity guidelines than the US.“At the same time, it does not make sense to have two different approaches to cybersecurity of devices. US suppliers who implement more security measures can sell to both markets and to other parts of the world.”If she could leave MSEC attendees with a closing thought, it might be that companies “don’t need to put a firewall on a toaster.”“Not every chip has to be secure-foundry secure, but it would be nice if even 10% could hit that mark,” added Wright.Rapid Innovation through CollaborationIC designers typically enjoy three to four design cycles in a calendar year, leading to swift advancement of electronics over subsequent years.Designers in the MEMS community, however, generally have access to one design cycle or less per year, and typical time-to-market is four years for a new product. That slow fabrication pace has hindered deployment of innovative MEMS designs — and it’s something that MSEC closing keynote speaker, Ron Polcawich, program manager, DARPA MTO, would like to change.Polcawich’s vision of government collaboration with industry and academia spawned the investigational Rapid Innovation through Production MEMS (RIPM) Workshop, which Polcawich and his team held in May 2018. During his keynote, Polcawich shared lessons learned from the workshop while inviting MSEC attendees to get involved.Before RIPM can become a program, Polcawich knows it will require definition. What would a program concept look like? What is the best way to articulate the potential benefits to the MEMS community, and what additional inputs would be needed?“This is a daunting challenge from a program planning perspective,” said Polcawich. “In developing RIPM, we realized that we needed representatives from the entire MEMS ecosystem – integrated device manufacturers, or IDMs, equipment suppliers, foundries, and materials’ providers — to literally come to the table to tackle a common goal. Given the potential for the MEMS industry at large to benefit from rapid innovation and production, we hoped that competitors would realize that leveraging established MEMS processes could deliver significant benefits over the historically entrenched approach: one product, one process.”Polcawich believes that MEMS suppliers might relinquish the one product, one process paradigm if they knew that their IP were secure.“While technical challenges to realizing RIPM abound, we knew that we could tap the MEMS industry’s vast knowledge base to address them,” he said. “IP protection is an equally complex issue, and one that may bear a range of approaches. One model could ensure that each IDM owns their IP while the foundry owns the process technology, which it licenses to other companies through process development kits. In addition to speeding innovation, it also provides new revenue sources for the industry.”Polcawich sees RIPM as a win-win for both commercial industry and for the DoD. Speeding design-to-deployment of new MEMS devices could open new and larger markets to MEMS suppliers. It could also support greater product-line diversification and new revenue streams for foundries and other ecosystem members. The DoD could tap new MEMS devices for strategically important applications like tactical radios, unmanned aircraft systems such as drones, and image autofocus for cameras. Polcawich encouraged SEMI-MSIG members to get involved by emailing his group: [email protected] Hall of Fame MembersThree new industry leaders joined the SEMI-MSIG Hall of Fame, first established in 2011 as a means of honoring those who have made a substantial contribution to SEMI-MSIG. Selected by members of the Governing Council, 2018 Hall of Fame inductees include: Michelle Bourke, strategic marketing director, Customer Support Business Group, Lam Research Eric Pabo, business development manager, MEMS, EV Group Yoshio Sekiguchi, senior strategic advisor, TDK InvenSense Technology Showcase WinnerMSEC recognizes the latest advancements in applications enabled by MEMS and sensors — including those demonstrated by entrepreneurs competing in the Technology Showcase. Selected by a committee of industry experts, five finalists did their best to impress attendees with their technical approach and go-to-market strategies. The 2018 Technology Showcase winner, Alertgy, presented a biosensor-based wristband device that provides non-invasive, real-time blood glucose monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 20 million Americans and hundreds of millions more worldwide. MSEC 2018 Sponsors MSEC 2019 Location and DatesMSEC 2019 will take place October 22-24, 2019, at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort Spa in Coronado, Calif., just minutes from downtown San Diego.For more information on MSEC 2019 and other SEMI-MSIG events and programs, please follow @MEMSgroup on Twitter, visit MSIG at SEMI and subscribe to SEMI’s weekly newsletter, SEMI Global Update.Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

SEMI spoke with Udo Gómez, senior vice president at Robert Bosch GmbH, about MEMS technology requirements relative to standard IC design and manufacturing. Gómez highlighted solutions to challenges of MEMS technology development and manufacturing ahead of his presentation at the 22nd Fab Management Forum at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the event, click here.SEMI: Regarding standard processes for MEMS, the situation used to be known as the MEMS law: "one product, one process." Today, the variety of MEMS sensors and their application requirements have drastically increased. What is the status of process standardization today?Gómez: Today, standardization in MEMS is certainly not as advanced as it is for conventional semiconductor processes and model environments. However, MEMS technology has developed very much in recent years. The understanding of the numerous interactions between mechanical, chemical and electrical parameters has grown enormously. Improved process tolerances and optimized simulation tools already allow the design of standard components and their manufacture using largely standardized processes and systems.This also enables standardized MEMS process platforms in foundries for fabless suppliers, since adapting process parameters to standard designs no longer means maximum effort. But the situation changes significantly if you want to implement more powerful MEMS components for demanding applications. In this case, much effort is still required in technology development to bring new and innovative designs to mass production readiness.SEMI: How does this situation interfere with the need for a fast, market-driven product development and production ramp-up?Gómez: The constant advancement of (MEMS) technology to new limits requires enormous efforts and time. Thus, fast product cycles in consumer electronics (CE) pose particular challenges. Close interaction between product and technology development is a key success factor here, as well as a deep understanding of the cause-effect relationships. This is the only way to identify and minimize process risks at an early stage.However, the steep product ramp-ups usually required in CE also offer advantages, since learning curves are run through at much shorter time-intervals than, for example, the comparatively slow ramp-ups in the automotive industry. In this way, automotive products benefit directly from the results of CE components. Conversely, CE products benefit from the higher requirements in the automotive sector, whose technologies can be developed and tested on longer time scales.SEMI: What are the critical and different design and manufacturing requirements for MEMS products versus standard IC products, which typically run in highly standardized processes?Gómez: A very special feature of MEMS devices is their multi-physics character – mechanical, electrical, magnetic, fluidic, and even chemical and/or optical effects may play a role. This is very different from standard semiconductors. Depending on the type of sensor or actuator, dedicated and often quite sophisticated models need to be developed to ensure proper function of the device – and not least to ensure full functionality after misuse. For example, shocks or drop events are usually not relevant for standard ICs but they may be extremely relevant for MEMS devices with their fragile mechanical structures.Similarly, the influence of packaging effects like bending or thermomechanical stress may be much more significant in MEMS devices than for standard semiconductors. And last but not least, a physical/magnetic/chemical/optical … stimulus usually needs to be applied when testing MEMS devices. All of this adds complexity to the manufacturing flow and requires dedicated know-how both during the engineering stage and in mass production.SEMI: BOSCH is working to extend the process platform to include complex 3D structures. What are the advantages and benefits of using 3D structures compared to standard 2D structures? Are there 3D structured products already in mass production?Gómez: We have recently extended our well-established surface micromachining process for MEMS inertial sensors (which basically uses one functional silicon layer for the movable MEMS device) to an advanced process using a second functional micromechanical layer. This opens up a large variety of design options and allows the realization of entirely new sensor topologies. For example, our most recent z-axis accelerometers for automotive and CE applications have 3D-like structures for the movable mass.This has several advantages: Firstly, the sensors can be further miniaturized as they now have fixed electrodes for capacitive readout above and below the movable mass, i.e. a larger capacitance per area. Secondly, due to their improved symmetry, these sensors have greatly improved immunity against several parasitic effects, e.g. mechanical stress from soldering or bending on a PCB. Overall, this technology enables us to offer better performance at still very competitive product size and cost. Both automotive and CE sensors are in high volume production for different applications and customers. SEMI: What do you expect from SEMICON Europa 2018 and why do you recommend attending the Fab Management Forum?Gómez: After our very positive impressions of SEMICON Europa 2017, we are convinced that SEMICON 2018 will again meet with widespread interest within the semiconductor industry. SEMICON is an excellent opportunity for us to meet our customers and partners. The Fab Management Forum, which ideally takes place parallel to SEMICON, is a highly valuable addition for us to exchange ideas with leading industry partners and to gain new insights into current trends and technical progress. Within that context, the Forum will make a valuable contribution toward strengthening the European position in semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing. As senior vice president of Robert Bosch GmbH, Dr. Gómez heads Sensor Engineering at Bosch Automotive Electronics (AE/NE-SE) in Reutlingen, Germany, the world’s largest MEMS supplier serving the Automotive, Consumer Electronics and IoT industry. Dr. Gómez started his career at Robert Bosch GmbH in 1999 at Corporate Sector Research and Advanced Engineering (MEMS technology) after completing his doctorate in physics. Before joining Bosch Automotive Electronics in April 2018, he worked in various management positions at Bosch and also held the position of Chief Expert for MEMS sensor technology. From 2013 to March 2018, he was Chief Technical Officer of Bosch Sensortec GmbH - a fully-owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, responsible for research and development of micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS) for consumer electronics, smartphones, security systems, industrial technology and logistics.Dr. Gómez has served as Deputy Chairman of the Board of VDE/VDI-Society Microelectronics, Microsystems and Precision Engineering (GMM) since 2014 has been a member of the GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance) EMEA Leadership Council since 2015.Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

SEMI met with Heinz Martin Esser, managing director at Fabmatics GmbH, to discuss how existing 200mm semiconductor fabs can master the challenges of a 24x7 production under highest cost and quality pressure by implementing intralogistics automation solutions. The two spoke ahead to his presentation at the Fab Management Forum at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the event, click here. SEMI: Looking at the latest production capacity data for 2018 – it is a 200mm fab boom. Growing demand for analog, MEMS and RF chips continues to cause acute shortages for both 200mm fab capacity and equipment. Do you think this trend will continue the next years or is it only a short term run on 200mm fabs?Esser: We at Fabmatics believe in a long-term trend. The emergence of the Internet of Things and growing digitalization in all areas of life will continue to increase demand for integrated circuits (ASICs), analog ICs, high-performance components and micro-mechanical sensors (MEMS) in the coming years. Many of these semiconductor elements should be produced in 200 mm fabs.SEMI: How does Fab automation contribute to increase capacity of existing, mature 200mm fabs?Esser: We are convinced that fab automation is one of the greatest potentials for older 200mm factories to effectively master increased demand, increasing efficiency, quality assurance and flexibility at the same time. In particular, material flow automation, which is often the missing link between existing equipment in different production areas, can help increase productivity in an elementary way.If you analyze how long valuable tools typically wait for loading and unloading, you can see a direct effect of the intralogistics automation system, which leads to a significantly higher utilization of process equipment by making the material flow independent from human performance. Additional side effects such as reduced cycle time, stable fab flow factor or flattened WIP shafts further increase the contribution of material flow automation to get the most out of existing mature factories. Older does not mean obsolete.SEMI: What are the biggest challenges for a successful implementation?Esser: There is no single challenge when you automate an existing mature fab. Instead, you face a whole variety of challenges you have to tackle, ranging from historically grown non-aligned fab layouts over non-linear material flows and older non-standardized equipment to “automation unfriendly” fab environment. Also you should not underestimate the efforts to overcome the practice manual fab operation people in the cleanroom are so familiar with for many years. Before doing automation you have to think automation, i.e. you have to question all processes to make them ready for automation.SEMI: What are the key drivers to automate a mature fab today: costs, process stability, quality or a combination of them?Esser: This question should be better asked to our customers, but we believe it is a mix of many impacts. Most likely everybody sees the cost reduction at first, but we get more aware of process and performance stability as well as quality requirements – and here our customers’ play the most important role – become more and more focused.SEMI: What do you expect from SEMICON Europa 2018 and why do you recommend attending the Fab Management Forum?Esser: This year SEMICON Europa will co-locate with electronica. So it`s going to be the greatest trade fair for electronics manufacturing in Europe. We will meet innovators and decision-makers across the whole electronics supply chain. The Fab Management Forum addresses a highly topical question that concerns all semiconductor manufacturers not only in Europe - how to handle complexity and enable the necessary flexibility to cope with customers' needs. High-ranking speakers will give an insight into the latest technologies and best practices. I am looking forward to the lively exchange with the participants and taking away new impulses for our business. Heinz Martin Esser is managing director at Fabmatics GmbH, responsible for sales and marketing, customer service and administration. He studied supply engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne and later earned a university degree in business administration. Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

Over the past three decades, most of the world’s innovations have centered largely on business models and involved iterative advances of existing technologies, with none matching the global impact of the top 10 semiconductor industry discoveries and advances, Dr. Morris Chang, founder of TSMC and the IC foundry model, said at SEMICON Taiwan 2018 this week.Few have as clear a perspective on the transformative power of semiconductors as Dr. Chang, founder of TSMC and father of the IC foundry model. Keynoting the IC60 Master Forum celebrating the 60th anniversary of the invention of the integrated circuit (IC), Dr. Chang listed what he considers the 10 key semiconductor industry innovation milestones since 1948:1. Invention of the transistor by Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain – 19482. Silicon transistor – 19543. Integrated circuit – 19584. Moore’s Law – 19655. MOS technology MOS FET – 1964 Silicon gate – 1967 CMOS – 1970 6. Memory DRAM – 1966 Flash – 1967 7. Outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) – 1960s8. Microprocessor – 19709. VLSI systems design – 1970-1980 IP and design tools – 1980-present 10. Foundry model – 1985 Among the most consequential semiconductor advances may be yet to come, Dr. Chang said, citing innovations including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, new device architectures, Extreme Ultraviolet lithography (EUV), 2.5D/3D packaging, and new materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes.Dr. Chang argued that because bringing an innovation into production is immensely more expensive than proving a theory in a lab, innovators are not always the ones to implement and benefit from their novel ideas. Today, innovation costs are skyrocketing, driving more consolidation across the supply chain.Michael Droeger is director of marketing at SEMI.

What’s next for smarter, more connected electronics manufacturing - Part 3 The fast-maturing infrastructure now enabling analysis of exponentially larger data volumes brings the microelectronics industry to an inflection point, where the winning companies will be the first to master the use of this data to solve the industry’s emerging challenges. SEMI expands its coverage of these vital issues with a Smart Manufacturing Pavilion and three days of talks SEMICON West, July 10-12 in San Francisco. While deep learning is starting to be applied to image recognition for wafer inspection, it is also being considered for sequential pattern recognition in order to evaluate equipment parameter traces. The next emerging applications will start to use those learned patterns to predict outcomes, and then use those predictions to automate process control. One early application of deep learning is IC process development. “People don’t think of research and development as the first place to automate, but it’s where applying our digitization and simulation has first had impact,” says David Fried, Coventor vice president of Computational Products. He noted that insertion is easier in the lab than in the fab. Technology at 10nm and beyond is now so complex that companies at the leading edge must use process modeling to understand the effect of process variation on their designs. Learning cycles can now be accelerated during development by simulating 10,000 digital wafers instead of running 25 actual wafers during screening, Fried says. Applying structured analysis and machine learning to the data simplifies optimization across the 500 or more interrelated process steps. Coventor has recently introduced a statistical analysis package that aids the design and analysis of process variation experiments by using large volumes of data from its models. Fried says these models are next being used to accelerate the yield ramp in manufacturing. Digital simulation also could speed development of high-mix, lower value products While digital twins are best known for their use in complex, high value products like jet engines, the simulation technology could also enable the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) sector to reduce the time, cost and risk of developing its high mix of products. “The EMS sector’s use of digital twins will be vital for it to smooth the move of CAD/CAM digital design data for so many different products into manufacturing, and to accelerate validation testing of designs and products by doing more of it in the virtual world,” says Dan Gamota, vice president of Engineering and Technical Services at Jabil. Gamota also highlights the push for traceability from the automotive and healthcare markets, where the digital models could be used to quickly assure that the design was built exactly as specified. “In the past year, traceability has evolved from just ‘nice to have’ to ‘how to achieve,’” he adds. “Companies are expecting it, but aren’t willing to accept the cost and risk of doing it alone. We need the community to discuss realistic implementations, identify the most critical elements and bring together the ecosystem partners to build baseline reference architectures for key digital building blocks. The community also needs to assure the reliable flow of data among the electronic manufacturing segments from semiconductor to OSAT to EMS.” Predictive maintenance and virtual metrology applications could mature in next few years While predictive maintenance initially seemed a likely early application of machine learning in factories, it remains a challenge for the electronics sector. “The difficulty is that it’s not clear where to get the most bang for the buck,” says Tom Ho, president of BISTel America, noting that it may make the most sense to track the failure performance of a single expensive part, like an electrostatic chuck, since predicting the failure performance of a whole complex system like an etcher is much harder. “Collecting enough data from all failure types, including especially the rare events, is difficult unless you have a long history of a lot of tools,” adds Doug Suerich, PEER Group product evangelist. “The gain from collecting performance information from many tools across the industry could be big, but many companies still need to overcome concerns around exposing their IP.” Another big opportunity for prediction is virtual metrology – predicting the wafer outcome from the process or sensor data with enough accuracy to replace the physical metrology. “Virtual metrology is improving, and since metrology can be slow and expensive, any reduction could mean a huge potential savings,” says Suerich. “But it is still seen as too scary for many companies. Two to three years from now, companies will expand the practice from lower risk areas into processes that require more confidence in the results.” Moving beyond prediction to automated control needs digital models Once the results are predicted, the model can be used to control or automatically optimize a process and enable the system to learn by itself, usually by reinforcement learning on a digital model. The model can then independently make adjustments to optimize the manufacturing process. “Automated process development is getting close now. Instead of smart guys turning the knobs, deep learning is automating the smart tuning,” says Suerich, suggesting the industry could see widespread adoption in as little as two to three years. This type of machine learning needs a good digital model, and masses of data for learning. One approach uses human experts to build a physics-based model of the clearly understood parts of the process, then turns to deep machine learning to optimize the lesser-understood variables. The alternative, the data-first approach, runs a computer algorithm to suggest the solution purely from data, without human input, and then relies on the human to evaluate the usefulness of the results. Modeling digital twins of wafers could enable automated process control, chamber matching, and fleet matching, says Fried. If every wafer had its own virtual twin with all the upstream metrology and structural information needed to make equipment control decisions, it could feed forward that information to enable the seamless transition from one step in the process to another based on understanding their complex interrelationships. This could potentially improve uniformity across wafers and equipment, and reduce the need for metrology, he argues. Moving metrology sensors into the chamber will also require model-based algorithms to enable dynamic process control in close to real time, says Fried. These algorithms will be needed to acquire, parse, and process the data at high speed, and then to choose how to adjust the controls. “There will be a model behind collecting and interpreting the metrology data,” he notes. “That’s a really rich vein for improvements in process control.” “The end goal is to collect equipment data in real time, analyze it with AI, and send back controls to optimize manufacturing processes,” Jabil’s Gamota says. “This requires a robust architecture for communication between equipment and consistent formats for data collection and analysis. But the cost and complexity of this heavy lifting is too great for any one company to do alone. We need a consensus-based architecture for ingesting, analyzing and acting on the data.” SEMI tests data transfer protocols, benchmarks best practices SEMI is launching a smart data project to identify the various data transfer protocols needed for inter-company communications. The project will feature a proof-of-concept model in a development fab to produce verifiable results so SEMI can better understand how different approaches meet member needs. SEMI’s smart manufacturing technology communities and the Fab Owners Alliance are also benchmarking current smart manufacturing practices in the microelectronics industry to help SEMI members better understand the path forward and potential return on investment. Speakers over all three days at SEMICON West addressing these issues include Active Layer Parametrics, Applied Materials, Applied Research Photonics, ASML, Bosch Rexroth, Cimetrix, Coventor, ECI Technologies, Edwards Vacuum, Final Phase Systems, GE Digital, Infineon, Jabil, Lam Research, Osaro, Otosense, PEER Group, Qualcomm, Rockwell Automation, Rudolph Technologies, Schneider Electric, Seagate, Siemens, Stanford University, TEL, TIBCO Software. See semiconwest.org. What’s next for smarter, more connected electronics manufacturing - Part 1 What’s next for smarter, more connected electronics manufacturing - Part 2 Paula Doe, SEMI