OTHER ELECTRONICS & NANOTECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRY UPDATE
October
2017
McIlvaine Company
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Entegris Expands Its Taiwan Tech Center
New Engineering Center Sets Manchester for “Graphene City”
InnoLas Opens R&D Center in Germany
T.J. RODGERS Funds MIT Research Laboratory in
Electronics
Linde Lienhwa Making Investments in Taiwan
Quartus Engineering Particulate Control Room, San Diego,
CA
Research Network Pushes Nanotechnology Forward
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Entegris Expands Its Taiwan Tech Center
Entegris Inc., a specialty materials provider, announced the expansion of its
Taiwan Technology Center for Research and Development (TTC) in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
The expansion adds a new Microcontamination Control Lab (MCL) that focuses on
filtration media development and is home to the company’s relocated Asia
Applications and Development Labs (AADL) for trace metal, organic contaminant,
and nanoparticle analysis. This addition to the Center’s existing R&D,
formulation scale-up, and pilot production capabilities also creates a single,
off-site collaboration location for our customers’ specialty chemical, CMP and
liquid filtration needs.
Key facts for the $8.5 million USD investment:
Class 1000 cleanroom
5x increase in lab space
Facility renovations and equipment upgrades
“Interactions and dependencies between process materials and equipment are at a
critical evolution point as device scaling continues to be a leading driver for
efficient construction of today’s devices. Bringing the industry’s brightest
minds together in a state-of-the-art facility enhances Entegris’ unique ability
to meet these needs,” offered Entegris Chief Operations Officer, Todd Edlund.
“By expanding the MCL facility, we bring together core-competencies in liquid
filtration, specialty chemicals, and CMP to create more holistic analytical
services and technology development solutions designed to meet our customer’s
Logic, DRAM, and 3D NAND device manufacturing challenges.”
New Engineering Center Sets Manchester for “Graphene City”
A special event marked the “topping out” of the newest building in the
University’s Campus Masterplan. The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
(GEIC) will see industry-led development of graphene and 2-dimensional materials
applications in collaboration with world-leading academics at the University.
The new flagship facility has been funded by Masdar in Abu Dhabi, HEFCE, the
European Regional Development Fund, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority
and Innovate UK.
The GEIC will focus on pilot production and characterization, together with
application development in composites, energy, solution formulations and
coatings, electronics, and membranes.
The GEIC will complement the existing National Graphene Institute (NGI) to
create a critical mass of graphene expertise made up of scientists, engineers,
innovators and industrialists. The GEIC will also stimulate the commercial
development of the University’s North Campus, creating a cornerstone for
Graphene City.
“Manchester was known around the globe as Cottonopolis at the height of the
Industrial Revolution, in this century our aim is to be Graphene City — a
district where 2-dimensional materials and complementary technologies drive jobs
and growth.”
Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Deputy Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy
and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, revealed during the ceremony that
the building which houses the GEIC will be named The Masdar Building and said: “Masdar
and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates are proud to be closely
involved in the journey of scientific discovery that began with the isolation of
graphene more than a decade ago.”
The GEIC building, designed by world-renowned architect Rafael Vinoly, is 90,417
sq. ft. (8,400 square meters) in
size and located on The University of Manchester’s North Campus. It will house
pilot production facilities and conduct research into other advanced materials.
Greater Manchester’s lead for investment and finance, Cllr Kieran Quinn,
commented: “From its conception, graphene captured the imagination of the world
and its huge potential was evident for all to see. Through this facility, that
potential is now set to become reality for Greater Manchester’s engineers and
innovators.”
Simon Edmonds, Director of Manufacturing and Materials at Innovate UK, said:
“Graphene development and its applications presents significant opportunities
for U.K. companies and the new Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre will
further establish the U.K. as a world-leader by fostering strong
industry-academic collaborations.”
Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities at The University of
Manchester, added: “The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre is a key
component of the Campus Masterplan. We are creating a world-class campus for a
world-class University, making The University of Manchester the partner of
choice for industry.”
Source: The University of Manchester
InnoLas Opens R&D Center in Germany
InnoLas Solutions GmbH, a German laser equipment company for micro material
processing and laser engineering, has opened a new customer application and R&D
center in Gilching, Germany in July, 2017.
Richard Grundmüller, founder and president of InnoLas Solutions comments:
“Due to the growing demand in customer application development and our own R&D
activities we invested a total of EUR 3 Mio. in our laser applications center."
The laser application center is designed to process different applications in
crystalline solar cells, ceramic components, pcb-substrates and other brittle
materials such as glass or sapphire.
“Our application center is equipped with industrial-grade InnoLas Solutions
equipment and a broad spectrum of high end ultra-short pulse lasers, a variety
of multi-axis stages, fixed and galvo based beam delivery systems. In addition
to that diagnostic instruments are used for process control and measurement of
the final sample", says Dr. Rico Böhme – Head of Application Development at
InnoLas Solutions.
The application center is located at Dornierstrasse 4 – 82205 Gilching/ Germany.
T.J. RODGERS Funds MIT Research Laboratory in
Electronics
T.J. Rodgers, founding CEO of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, has announced
an agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to fund the
“T.J. Rodgers RLE Laboratory" with a $5 million gift.
The Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) is MIT’s leading entrepreneurial
interdisciplinary research organization. $3.5 million of Rodgers’ $5 million
gift derives from the payment received by Rodgers under the Cooperation and
Settlement Agreement reached with the Cypress Board of Directors following the
election by Cypress shareholders of Rodgers’ two nominees to the Cypress Board
on June 20, 2017. Rodgers said,
“The Research Laboratory in Electronics (RLE) at MIT is a hallowed institution
that invented 10-centimeter radar as part of our World War II effort. It is a
cross-functional laboratory that applies electronics to fields of science,
including quantum computation, biomedical science, atomic physics, photonic
materials and energy. I am proud to help MIT redesign and enhance the RLE
laboratory with advanced equipment. I strongly believe this laboratory will
change our lives." MIT Professor of Electrical Engineering Marc Baldo said,
“It is a great privilege and responsibility to serve as Director for the MIT
Research Laboratory of Electronics. We are proud of our origins in the RadLab
and proud of our continuing tradition of creatively tackling important problems.
Dr. Rodgers’ gift will prepare us for the next frontiers. This new facility
within RLE will demand that we excel, and we are very grateful for the
opportunities this new facility will create for generations to come." MIT
Professor of Electrical Engineering Steven Leeb said,
“America's research universities are our society's gift to itself, the fertile
fields that help provide technology to enhance human abilities and enrich all
our lives. We are incredibly fortunate to live in a nation that has thrived not
only through collective courage, craft and commitment, but also through
intellect and invention. Dr. Rodgers’ has spent his life as a leader and
innovator creating value in and through technology, and making opportunity
available for others. I am beside myself with gratitude in recognizing his
genius, his generosity, and his grace in repeatedly opening doors for the next
generations. This gift will create a new proving ground for our faculty and
students and thereby bring new technical miracles to fruition."
Linde Lienhwa Making Investments in Taiwan
Linde LienHwa, a joint venture between the Germany-based Linde Group and
Taiwan-based LienHwa Industrial, is a manufacturer of bulk and electronic
specialty gases used during the manufacturing of semiconductors, displays, solar
panels, LEDs and others.
The company has been operating in Taiwan's gas manufacturing and supply industry
for over 30 years and has already grown to become a major gas supplier for many
electronics players in both Taiwan and China.
In September 2017, Linde LienHwa announced investments in production of
electronic special gases at two Taiwan facilities - octafluorobutane (C4F8)
purification and filling facility in Taichung, and hexachlorodisilane (HCDS)
transfill facility in Taoyuan - to enhance its portfolio to meet growing demand
from its Taiwan-based and international clients.
Linde LienHwa currently has capacity of over 100 tons of C4F8 per year for use
in advanced semiconductor etching processes as well as cleaning production
chambers in predominantly older-sized semiconductor tools.
Since the transfill process involves repackaging material into specialized
stainless steel vessels while improving the purity and validating the quality,
Linde LienHwa's investment in transfilling facility for HCDS is sized to serve
both Taiwan and customers throughout Asia. HCDS is used for depositing silicon
compounds at very low process temperatures, which is important for making
nanoscale electrical insulators in memory and logic processor chips.
Linde Electronics' head of Global Electronics Andreas Weisheit, and head of
Market Development Paul Stockman, pointed out that the company is currently
operating in many different value channels. It makes many of the materials
in-house. For some materials, the company purchases them from outside suppliers
and purifies them for its clients. It also sources some materials from
third-party players and conducts analysis and repackaging-into-container
services for semiconductor and electronics clients.
The company has three modes of delivery. Most of its products are produced,
purified, and packaged off-site into various sized containers. These range from
small-sized gas lecture bottles, to larger gas cylinders, to tube and ISO
containers the length of a shipping container. The materials for the containers
are primarily made from stainless steel or aluminum, but can use specialized
materials like nickel and alloys to contain more reactive chemicals.
Some of its products are used in such high volumes that its customers use bulk
storage tanks located on their sites instead. Linde LienHwa produces these
materials - for example oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide - in ultra-high purity
plants off-site, and transports them in bulk trucks to keep customer tanks
topped-up. Remote monitoring allows the company to optimize deliveries to ensure
customers always have adequate supply.
Lastly, nitrogen is used in such high volumes at modern electronic manufacturing
plants that it is most economical to produce it on-site, either as a dedicated
plant or as part of the network of plants in a science park connected by a
common pipeline. Here, production of gaseous nitrogen is continuous, and supply
is backed-up by storing reserve amounts as liquid. Linde LienHwa and its
customers monitor the purity jointly in real time.
These on-site nitrogen plants are another way in which Linde LienHwa invests
with its customers. Because of the size, cost, and complexity of the plants,
planning and construction occur at the same time its customers build their
facilities. This early investment allows customers to have ultra-high purity
nitrogen available as soon as the extensive pipework for their plants are put in
place.
The company has been increasing its investments in Taiwan. Linde LienHwa moved
its global electronics R&D center from the US to Taiwan in 2016. The company
expects the R&D center to further enhance the company's development and to
provide better quality support to clients.
Earlier in 2017, the company also moved its headquarters of Global Electronics
from Singapore to Taiwan and re-assigned executives to Taiwan to provide better
services for their clients in Taiwan and China.
Linde LienHwa said it is not looking to be only a gas material supplier to its
clients, but also a trusted partner. With many of its semiconductor clients
aggressively advancing into 10nm, 7nm, 5nm, and even 3nm manufacturing
processes, and clients from other industries planning to develop new
applications, the company has been working closely with all its clients to
assist them to achieve their goals.
Quartus Engineering Particulate Control Room, San Diego,
CA
Size: 5,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $2 million
Project team: Architectural Concepts Inc. (architect), T Squared Engineering
(MEP), Prevost Construction (general contractor)
Quartus Engineering Inc. (QEI) has completed tenant improvements for their
headquarters in San Diego, Calif. The 47,000 sq. ft. facility houses 5,000 sq.
ft. of newly constructed Class 10,000 (ISO 7) particulate control rooms
(P.C.R.); 17,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and warehouse space; and 18,000 sq.
ft. of offices for research and development.
QEI was founded in 1997 to provide quality advanced engineering services. QEI
specializes in the design and analysis of aerospace, mechanical, optical, and
medical systems using computer-aided technologies. The new high-tech facility
further enhances their ability to offer greater value to their customers.
The state of the art P.C.R. complex consists of five separate cleanrooms,
allowing for segregation of customer programs and hardware. The primary purpose
of the complex is to perform optical alignment, integration, assembly, and
testing of various products comprised of lenses, mirrors, cameras, sensors and
lasers. One of the rooms is set aside for space flight hardware, such as
satellite payloads or launch vehicle sub-systems. Two of the cleanrooms can be
“super-sealed” and thus isolated from any HVAC, creating a dead zone. The
cleanroom complex is essentially a building of its own, and is isolated inside
the warehouse.
The state-of-the-art building materials used in the cleanrooms consist of:
Armstrong electro-static dissipative floor tiles, Greenguard ZERO VOC catalyzed
water-based two-part epoxy paint for the walls, USG Vinylrock cleanroom lay-in
acoustic tiles for the ceilings with a gasketed grid system and stainless steel
for all countertops.
The rest of the office similarly coordinates a mixture of high-tech materials,
except without the rigorous ISO requirements of the P.C.R. The design concepts
are expressed elegantly in the interior storefront system, industrial wall and
ceiling treatments, adjustable lighting, and custom colored carpeting. Red
and blue color zones were created as a way to promote collaboration in the work
areas; the corresponding carpet and paint colors visually define the varying
zones. The complex coordination of the interior design reflects the similarly
high level of engineering the company produces.
Research Network Pushes Nanotechnology Forward
by Maude Cuchiara, Ph.D, Manager, Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network
Though the nanometer is small (10-9 meters), nanotechnology is getting big, as
the fields that benefit from nanotechnology advances are growing and
diversifying.
Innovative applications range from the development of nanomaterials to diagnose
and treat cancer, to the design of nanostructures that enhance the efficiency of
solar cells.
To support and drive the growth of nanotechnology, in 2015, the National Science
Foundation provided awards to 16 sites and formed the National Nanotechnology
Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI). These sites make up a network of affordable
nanotechnology resources at 27 institutions across the United States (US). NNCI
sites are open to the public and include nanofabrication and characterization
facilities, technical staff, and faculty experts. North Carolina State
University (NC State), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke
University (Duke) collaborated to establish one of the NNCI nodes: the Research
Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN). The three RTNN institutions anchor North
Carolina’s Research Triangle region, which is one of the most productive
commercial nanotechnology regions in the US. Collectively, the RTNN houses nine
core nanotechnology fabrication and characterization facilities containing over
200 major tools in laboratory space exceeding 40,000 sq. ft.
Work is supported by 45 technical staff whose expertise encompasses
broad aspects of nanotechnology.
The RTNN is enhancing access to university nanotechnology resources by
overcoming common barriers that prevent researchers from using them—for example,
awareness of the facility, cost to access, and distance to the facility. The
ultimate goal is to expand the impact of nanotech facilities—enabling discovery
and the generation of knowledge, facilitating technology transfer, and creating
jobs. The network is specifically reaching out to people outside the existing
user base—researchers who are working in fields that have not traditionally used
these facilities like agriculture and textiles, scientists from primarily
undergraduate institutions, and even “new” scientists like high school students.
To increase awareness of nanotechnology facilities, the RTNN developed a free
online course open to students from around the world. “Nanotechnology, A Maker’s
Course” gives an overview of nanotechnology tools and techniques and shows
demonstrations within RTNN facilities at all three institutions. The goal of the
course is to introduce nanotechnology concepts to the students and give them a
better sense of the nanotechnology tools’ capabilities. Armed with this
knowledge, students can then become RTNN users. During the course, students
explore eight modules, each focused on a different fabrication or
characterization technique such as vapor deposition or scanning electron
microscopy (SEM). Students first learn the underlying science of a specific
technique or instrument. The lectures make the information accessible to a large
audience, using simple language and relatable analogies to everyday things.
In-lab demonstrations of the equipment follow each lecture with an explanation
of each step in the process.
The Kickstarter Program helps to mitigate financial concerns by supporting
initial use of the facilities by new users. Program applicants submit a short
proposal describing the project, how the facilities will be used, and their
financial need. Applications are reviewed quickly, typically within one
week. This feature is critical for many applicants such as start-up companies,
whose research and development may rely heavily on work in the facilities as
well as community college and K-12 students who need immediate access for a
school or class project.
The majority of participants in the Kickstarter program hail from small colleges
and universities, start-up companies, and K-12 students and classrooms. Smart
Material Solutions, a Research Triangle start-up, used the program to develop
prototypes for its “nanocoining” process. This process creates nano-structured
surfaces that are invisible to the eye but can manipulate light or repel water.
For example, the surface can be made anti-reflective to increase the energy of
solar cells. College students from Haverford College and high school students
from the North Carolina School of Science and Math utilized the program to
characterize samples they made in laboratory courses. Students also learned more
about how tools function and interacted with technical staff experts.
Participants from small colleges have studied ancient carbon-based ink in Greek
paper, investigated the eardrums of primates, and developed hybrid nanomaterials
for water remediation. This program has supported 40 unique projects and
provided over 800 hours of facility use.
Traveling to the facility can often be difficult for researchers due to time and
cost, so users can access many of the RTNN facilities remotely with the
assistance and expertise of students and staff. RTNN recently partnered with the
Remotely Accessible Instruments for Nanotechnology (RAIN) network to extend its
reach. Together, institutions in the RAIN network provide remote capabilities to
numerous instruments housed in universities across the country. Nanofabrication
and/or characterization are performed in the facility and streamed live to the
remote user. RTNN staff and students are available to explain the procedures,
discuss technical aspects of the equipment, and answer questions throughout the
process. RTNN is also bringing these tools and instruments into the classroom
with the help of a portable, desktop SEM. This instrument is user-friendly and
approachable. Students can get their “hands dirty” right away without complex
and lengthy training sessions.
The RTNN supplements this programming with numerous activities including
technical workshops and short courses, nano-themed scientific demonstrations,
and facility tours. The network performs extensive assessment of its facilities,
staff, and programs in an effort to inform network goals and implement effective
changes. RTNN events and activities are actively communicated through an email
newsletter and social media. Through these efforts, the RTNN has been successful
in extending the reach of nanotechnology and moving nano-research forward.
RTNN facilities serve to advance innovative research across the three
institutions. One of the strengths of the RTNN is the development of
nanotechnologies used in flexible systems and substrates. Researchers are
investigating these materials for a variety of applications. One user group
recently deposited an ultra-thin oxide ferroelectric film onto a flexible
polymer substrate for the first time. Ferroelectric materials can store charge
but are often brittle and made at high temperatures. Here, researchers worked at
low temperatures to enable film growth on plastic substrates. The flexible films
are used to make non-volatile memory devices that are wearable and resilient,
ideal for applications ranging from consumer textiles to defense and space
applications.
Engineers at Duke have created a flexible sensor for use in diffuse reflectance
spectroscopy (DRS). DRS is used to assess cancer margins in tissue by measuring
refracted light from the sample. This measurement depends on tissue structure
and chemistry. The flexibility of the sensor allows it to conform to tissue,
reducing data anomalies. The sensor is comprised of thin film photodetectors
(PDs) bonded to a flexible polymer substrate. In testing, the researchers found
that the flexible sensor’s responsivity and performance were equal to that of
rigid PDs.
Other researchers are creating self-powered devices to help people monitor their
health and understand how the surrounding environment affects it. Much of their
work depends on the development of flexible systems. Laboratories in NC State’s
College of Textiles are creating fabrics for smart garments. To power these
materials and support signal transport, conductive silver inks can be first
screen printed onto plastic films and then transferred to a knit fabric. This
inexpensive method provided robust and stretchable electrical connections in a
comfortable garment.
To continue to make these exciting discoveries, it is imperative that
researchers are able to acquire the necessary skills and easily access
nanotechnology tools. RTNN stands ready to meet these needs with its
groundbreaking education and training programs and cutting-edge facilities.
McIlvaine Company
Northfield, IL 60093-2743
Tel:
847-784-0012; Fax:
847-784-0061
E-mail:
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