Introduction As semiconductor manufacturing moves into the sub-100nm realm, the need for increased cooperation and communication between design and manufacturing becomes more apparent. Manufacturing is becoming increasingly complex, and many of the principles that have guided design and manufacturing no longer apply. Some of the major changes occurring in wafer manufacturing include: The industry is […]
Semiconductor devices are being fabricated with features that are less than half the wavelength of the available lithography exposure tools. Increasing circuit density has improved the complexity and performance of ICs but also led to serious patterning proximity effects. These effects make the chips almost impossible to fabricate without optical proximity correction (OPC) technology. Thus, […]
Major yield-Inhibiting Issues At each successive process node, additional defect mechanisms appear and hinder the ability to achieve desired yield (Figure 1). The trend toward declining yields has led to a resurgence in the application of design for manufacturing (DFM) methodologies.Much of this reinvigorated effort relies heavily on a new breed of tools and technologies. […]
Once upon a time, placing even the smallest question mark next to Moore’s Law was seen as something beyond heresy. Today, more and more people are voicing such thoughts in the mainstream. One of the most senior figures speaking out is Bernard Meyerson, vice president and chief technologist of IBM’s Systems & Technology Group. The […]
If one thing has become clear as process geometries have gone below one micron, it is that the traditional development model is broken. It seems only recently that companies were talking about adopting a greater ‘customer focus’, but even the linear sequence of first, finding out what the client wants; second, getting your designers to […]