SEMICON West 2024: Riding the Generative AI Winds of Change
Jul 15, 2024 · By Francoise von Trapp · Blogs, Francoise in 3D
3D In Context View all
Sustainability is Busting Out all Over!
When prepping for this month’s sustainability blog, the song, June is Busting Out All Over, from Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, kept running through my head; possibly as it’s in May, June, and July, when the majority of companies sustainability reports are released. Once the reports are released, the sustainability experts...
Semiconductor Industry Collaboration is the Key
40 years ago in 1984, the semiconductor industry was in one of its many transitions. The USA had lost its leadership role in memory and companies were starting to transition out of the DRAM business. Logic chips were gaining in importance as the personal computing business was a few years...
Will AI be Powered by Renewables? Maybe, But Not for Long
Earth Day has passed. Companies’ ESP/social responsibility reports are beginning to appear and they have been commenting on their progress in their Q1 earnings report. The early data in the semiconductor and microelectronics segment looks encouraging. The percentage of renewables in their energy portfolio is increasing. Water conservation and water-positive...
How Advanced Lithography Evolution Will Impact 3D Packaging
In 1987, the lithography team I worked with returned from SPIE and presented our findings from the conference. Ultra-violet (UV) lithography was just crossing the 1µm line widths, and the industry was looking for what might be next to replace it. At that time, e-beam lithography was still in contention...
Francoise in 3D View all
ECTC 2024: Advanced Packaging Engineers to the Rescue!
If you were one of the almost 2000 attendees at ECTC 2024, held May 28-31 2024, in Denver, Co, then you must be feeling very important right now; especially if you’re an advanced packaging engineer. Whether you’re improving energy efficiency, increasing yield, delivering innovative process control solutions, designing next-generation advanced...
The Nexus of Innovation for U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing
Will Arizona be the nexus of innovation for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing? It certainly looks that way. The speakers and panelists who presented at SEMI’s Arizona Breakfast Forum on May 1, confirmed what those of us who live and work here already know: The sun isn’t the only thing heating up...
IMAPS DPC 2024 Makes Advanced Packaging Fun Again!
At last week’s International Microelectronics and Packaging Society’s Device Packaging Conference, (IMAPS DPC 2024) we didn’t need TrendForce to tell us that advanced packaging is the hottest technology in the semiconductor industry. We just needed to look at the record attendance of more than 700 advanced packaging enthusiasts who turned...
ISS Europe 2024: Succeeding in an Evolving Global Semiconductor Landscape
When I interview members for the 3D InCites Podcast at industry events, I often ask them, “What did you come here to learn?” As this is my first time at ISS Europe, I asked myself that question. Here’s what I came up with. I attended ISS Europe 2024 to learn...
From Different Dimensions View all
June Member News Highlights Semiconductor Design Tools, Collaborations, and More
This June, we’ve seen exciting strides in AI for semiconductor design, showcasing how AI and Digital Twin technologies are revolutionizing chip design and manufacturing. New software tools are boosting design and verification, and our members are driving innovation through key collaborations and contributions. From product development to workforce initiatives that...
Sustainability 101: PFAS-Free Filters
Fluoropolymers are excellent materials for filters. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the same polymer used in Teflon coatings, is inert, stable, hydrophobic, and durable, making it an ideal filtration media. Except for one potential problem. PTFE is a member of the PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) class. Even though PTFE no longer contains...
May Member News: Strategic Moves, Product Launches, Sustainability and more
May member news showcases significant strides in advancing semiconductor technologies and fostering sustainability efforts. From strategic divestitures and innovative product launches to educational initiatives and workforce development programs, the semiconductor industry continues to evolve and thrive. Dive into the latest updates from our member companies and stay informed about the...
Sustainability 101: Rethinking Sustainable Materials
The materials we use to make products are usually chosen with performance as the highest priority, followed by cost. Performance encompasses both as-manufactured parameters and long-term reliability. While these metrics are crucial, they are not the only concern. Increasingly, environmental impact plays a more significant role in materials development and...
Packaging IFTLE View all
IFTLE 598: NSTC Update
In February 2024, CHIPS announced that $5B would be spent in the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) to drive innovation in the United States. As a public-private consortium, NSTC members will have access to an investment fund, facilities, partners, and additional funding opportunities to research, test, and scale up semiconductor...
IFTLE 597: Samsung Glass Substrates; Samsung SAINT
Samsung Announced Glass Substrates Effort Samsung Group’s electronics subsidiaries have announced a joint research and development effort between Samsung Electro-Mechanics and the group’s major electronics affiliates, including Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display to accelerate the commercialization of glass substrates to commercialize faster than semiconductor rival Intel in the U.S. Samsung...
IFTLE 596: Advanced Packaging Reshaping the Chip Ecosystem
The Boston Consultant Group (BCG) recently took a look at the impact that advanced packaging is having on the microelectronics chip ecosystem. Let’s take a look at some of the points that they make. Advanced packaging is replacing simple “scaling”, which had been the traditional way to achieve advancements in...
IFTLE 595: Updates On U.S. Chips Funding Awards
We’ve been following several stories on U.S. base expansion stories made possible by U.S. Chips Funding Awards. Here is an update on three of them. NHanced Terminates Bloomington IND Expansion Plans We recently discussed NHanced Semiconductors‘ plans for expansion in Morrisville NC, Bloomington IND and Odon IND. This past week...
SemiSisters View all
Wear A Dress To Work and Other Ways to Foster Gender Gap Allyship
I have attended my share of DEI and allyship-focused events in the past few years attended by both women and men. In fact, I have moderated a few and recorded several for the 3D InCites podcast. But this was my first SEMI Women in Semiconductors (SEMI WIS) event, and it...
Why Men Should Attend Women-Focused Events like Women in Semiconductors
In a recent LinkedIn post about The Barbie Movie, former Women in Semiconductors (WiS) committee co-chair Garima Gautam wrote that “every year there are multiple industry conferences that have topics like gender bias, women in the workplace and women in the semiconductor industry. We have struggled to get the other half of our workforce...
Hiring and Retaining a Diverse Workforce
The CHIPS and Science Act aims to bring semiconductor research & development and manufacturing back to U.S. soil. Not only will this make the U.S. less reliant on the international supply chain, but it is estimated that this investment in onshore semiconductor and research facilities will create over half a...
SEMI Foundation WIS Event Focuses on Bridging the Gender Gap Through Allyship
I attended my first SEMI Foundation-organized Women in Semiconductors (WIS) event on May 1st. It was held in conjunction with the Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (ASMC) in Saratoga Springs, NY. I really didn’t know what to expect but I know I wasn’t expecting standing-room-only with 200 people attending. The other...
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IFTLE 593: Deep in the Heart of Texas
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Sustainability 101: Refuse, Reduce, Repair, Refurbish, Rework
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Riding the 3D/Heterogeneous Integration Wave For decades, the ability to achieve the necessary power, performance, area, and cost (PPAC) in...
IFTLE 589: Intel Gets CHIPS Act Funding; Raytheon and AMD Partner on Multi-Chip Package
The Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced Intel as the fourth program it will fund under the CHIPS and Science...
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March buzzed with innovation and collaboration in the semiconductor industry, as key players across the globe joined forces to advance...
IFTLE 588: CHIPS NAPMP Materials & Substrates Program
The Creating Helpful Innovations in the Production of Semiconductors (CHIPS) workforce initiatives are shown in Figure 1: The CHIPS vision...
Electronics Recycling: There’s Gold in Those Old Electronic Gadgets!
When you replace your PC with an AI-enabled one, will you make sure your old device goes into an electronics...
IFTLE 587: Intel Glass Core Substrate Update
In late Feb INEMI hosted a Packaging Tech Topic Webinar: Glass Substrates for Advanced Packaging which was presented by Dr....
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Automotive compute processors are rapidly adopting advanced process nodes. NXP announced the development of 5nm automotive processors in 2020 [1],...
Sustainablity 101: Build a Better ESD Bag
When I worked for Advanced Packaging magazine in the early 2000s, we sometimes got pitches from companies that made cardboard...
