SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
UPDATE
August / September 2019
McIlvaine Company
China DRAM Maker Moves in Equipment at 12-Inch Fab
RIT to Upgrade Semiconductor and Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory
JSR Plans Big Electronic Materials Facility in US
Funding for New Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials Announced
Chinese Electronics Company JCET Begins High-Volume Wafer Bumping
Micron Unveils New NAND Fab in Singapore
China DRAM Maker Moves in Equipment at 12-Inch Fab
China's move to improve self-sufficiency for semiconductors is gaining momentum
- in line with the country's national policy and in the wake of the trade war
with the US - with DRAM startup ChangXin Memory Technologies moving in equipment
at its 12-inch fab. CXMT aims to start commercial runs for part of its
production lines by the end of 2019. But in general, the US-China trade war has
been disrupting the operations of the supply chains and seasonal patterns.
Notebook ODMs expect disappointing shipments for the third quarter of 2019 - a
period that is supposed to be a traditional high season.
DRAM startup CXMT gearing up for production: China-based DRAM chipmaker ChangXin
Memory Technologies (CXMT, formerly Innotron) has kicked off 12-inch fab
equipment move-in in the third quarter, aiming to start commercial runs for part
of its production lines by the end of 2019, according to industry sources.
Compal, Inventec expect flat 3Q19 revenues after reporting declines for August:
Compal Electronics and Inventec are on track to achieve flat sequential
performances for their third-quarter revenues as expected, since clients
advanced their orders originally for the quarter to the second in anticipation
of the US expanding tariffs on notebooks imported from China.
RIT to Upgrade Semiconductor and Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory
RIT to upgrade Semiconductor and Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory
through $1 million state grant: Upgrades to cleanroom will enhance university’s
research capabilities in photonics, quantum technologies and smart systems
The 2019-20 renovation project will be launched with a $1 million grant from New
York state’s Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program. This first phase
of expansion, expected to begin in the 2019-20 academic year, is one part of a
broader project to create a versatile, multidisciplinary user facility to meet
the evolving needs of academic and industry researchers in the Rochester region
and across the state, said Doreen Edwards, dean of RIT’s Kate Gleason College of
Engineering.
“I am very grateful that the state of New York recognizes the importance of
research and higher education on the state’s economy,” said Edwards. “Thanks to
this grant, we will be able to upgrade and expand our cleanroom, making it more
relevant to emerging technologies. The facility will provide our faculty and
students with opportunities to work side-by-side with our industry partners who
are developing new products right here in Rochester.”
New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced recently that RIT was one of three
local colleges receiving a portion of $2.3 million in matching capital
improvement grants. All funding is part of the state’s emphasis on continual
improvements to college and university facilities.
“These investments in our college campuses will not only benefit our next
generation of leaders, they will also strengthen our communities and provide an
economic boost to the entire state,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The 2019-20 funding will enable RIT to:
Expand its research portfolio in key areas related to integrated photonics,
quantum information technology, biomedical materials and devices, and sensors
for smart (interconnected) systems
Expand and improve user services available to researchers and inventors in the
region
Assist with the incubation of companies who need access to micro- and
nano-fabrication facilities
Improve the quality of hands-on education in micro- and nano-fabrication
technologies at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level
Deliver an expanded portfolio of workforce training and talent development
models to meet the needs of regional and other New York companies in the
industry
“This is for much-needed infrastructure
upgrades,” said Karl Hirschman, director of the SMFL and a professor in RIT’s
electrical and microelectronic engineering department. “This will support
expansion of research initiatives within microsystems as well as the growing
area of biomedical engineering and their need for microscale capabilities in
fabrication and nano-materials. This expansion will improve upon and complement
recent investments made through AIM Photonics.”
Wearing special attire, the researchers in the SMFL, also referred to as a
cleanroom, process complex integrated circuits used to power electronic devices
from smart phones to smart cars and homes. What sets RIT’s cleanroom apart is
its fabrication capabilities made possible through equipment rarely found in
university settings, and the university’s experienced faculty-researchers with
the skills to use, teach and further develop the technologies needed today to
expand the electronics field.
Originally built in 1985 as part of RIT’s microelectronic engineering program,
the lab has expanded considerably and is used by the engineering college’s
undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, by faculty-researchers associated
with the Nanopower Labs and Future Photon Initiative as well as industrial
partners. With more than 10,000 square feet of cleanroom space, the SMFL is
equipped with micro-fabrication and metrology equipment to support research
programs in semiconductor materials and devices, nano-electronics, MEMS devices
and sensors, photonic devices and nanomaterials. All these systems are utilized
as part of RIT’s role in AIM Photonics, to advance integrated photonics,
technology essential to the nation’s manufacturing capabilities in such areas as
high-speed data and telecommunications.
Overall, RIT has increased its capabilities with this equipment, and has
positioned itself as a leader in semiconductor tech and research. In 2016, the
engineering laboratory received a high-tech laser lithography system and a
reactive ion etching system through two National Science Foundation major
research instrumentation program grants. The laser lithography system is a
multi-step, precision process to build, layer-upon-layer, the electronic
circuitry on silicon wafers that is then used as the basis for electronic
devices. The new system has several advantages over traditional proximity or
projection optical lithography, Hirschman explained. The system has the ability
to handle a variety of substrate shapes and sizes, make on-demand pattern
changes, and implement pattern variations within a sample. Patterning can be
intermixed with e-beam or optical exposure levels, providing design flexibility
on pattern transfer processes.
A plasma reactive ion etching system was acquired to test and develop new
materials that could complement the use of silicon for devices and improved
applications related to solar energy and ultraviolet wavelength sensors. Plasma
reactive-ion etching systems incorporate several steps throughout the integrated
circuit fabrication process. Reactive plasma on the wafer surface, removes and
refines excess material to “etch” or form patterns into the layers of the
integrated circuit.
These technologies, along with the MOVPE—a metal organic vapor phase epitaxy
system—used for the growth of novel materials, thin film crystals and
nanostructures, give RIT researchers more flexibility and independence in its
development and processing of integrated circuits.
About Rochester Institute of Technology:
Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs,
innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 19,000 students
in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the
largest private universities in the U.S.
The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership
in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts,
sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support
services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education
program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships
include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.
JSR Plans Big Electronic Materials Facility in US
The US semiconductor industry may be mature, but don’t tell that to Japan’s JSR
and several other foreign chemical companies that are investing in new US
facilities to produce key raw materials for the electronics industry.
JSR says it will spend about $100 million to build a facility in Hillsboro,
Oregon, that produces advanced formulated cleaning products used to clean
circuit-covered silicon wafers between production steps such as lithography and
etching. Set to open in 2020, the facility will mark JSR’s entry into the
“advanced cleans” market, says Mark Slezak, president of JSR Micro.
Today, JSR Micro mainly produces materials for photolithography, but Slezak says
the firm’s US semiconductor industry customers asked it to bring its
quality-management and technical skills to the advanced cleans market as well.
Doing that locally will allow the company to have more control over logistics
and raw material supply. Hillsboro is home to Intel’s largest chip production
operations.
With the new US plant, JSR will follow the lead of other overseas firms. Planned
investments include a $45 million electronic materials plant in Texas by South
Korea’s ENF Technology, $80 million worth of upgrades to existing plants in
Arizona and Rhode Island by Japan’s Fujifilm, and a $60 million project by
Japan’s Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to build ultrapure hydrogen peroxide plants in
Oregon and Texas.
ENF, for example, says it chose its Texas location to be close to customers such
as Samsung Austin Semiconductor, GlobalFoundries, Micron Technology, Texas
Instruments, and Intel.
The US investments are occurring even though most semiconductor production is in
Asia. Together, facilities in Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific make almost
70% of the world’s computer chips.
That may be true, but the US carries outsize importance in the most advanced
chips with circuit lines of just 10 nm or 7 nm, notes Mike Corbett, a principal
with the electronic materials advisory firm Linx Consulting. Key players include
Intel and Samsung Austin Semiconductor, he says.
For each new chip generation, Corbett says, electronic chemical suppliers must
contend with “new requirements around materials with regard to purity,
contaminants, and particles. A lot of time the older infrastructure isn’t
adequate to meet the end user’s needs.”
Funding for New Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials Announced
A new state-of-the-art facility that brings together research with technology
development in the field of semiconductor science and engineering is to be built
at Swansea University, following the announcement of a £30 million capital
investment by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF).
The UKRPIF funding for the Centre for Integrated Semiconductor Materials (CISM)
will see the new facility built at the University’s Bay Campus, and announced by
Chris Skidmore MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science.
The. UKRPIF requires double-match funding from non-public sources – business,
charities or philanthropic sources and so CISM will also receive support worth
nearly £60 million from major South Wales-based semiconductor companies in the
CS Connected Cluster alongside 9 other industry partners, which will ensure the
center’s sustainability in the long-term.
Eleven projects are being funded through Round 6 of UKRPIF, totaling over £670m
of new investment into UK research and innovation. Funding includes £221m of
public funding from UKRPIF and over £450m of committed co-investment from
businesses, charities and philanthropic donors.
The CISM building, to be completed in the first half of 2021, will be a hub
where manufacturing meets research and development. The center will look to
pioneer new technologies and products and will grow and nurture the skills and
talent to keep the UK semiconductor industry at the leading edge.
Swansea University academics will be working with partners at Cardiff and other
UK universities to support the growth of the semiconductor industry by
addressing their needs, not only in the short and medium term, but charting the
long-term future with innovative, application-driven research and development.
It will also provide a range of services such as prototyping and process
development, specialist analytical services, incubation, engagement, training
and access to the UK and EU innovation grants portfolio.
The three-story building will house a state of the art and industry leading
clean fabrication environment, research laboratories and office facilities and
will use sustainable, energy efficient building techniques and renewable energy
technology including solar PV and heat recovery.
Professor Paul Meredith, Ser Cymru National Research Chair and Swansea
University CISM project lead said: “The UK semiconductor industry is growing
rapidly and is an emerging jewel-in-the-crown of British manufacturing. This
UKRPIF funding will allow Swansea University to play our part in underpinning
its continued development – driving innovation, providing capability, expertise
and training.”
The CISM concept was jointly developed by the Swansea University team in close
collaboration with the regional industry in the CS Connected Cluster. Engineers
from the partners have helped design the proposed new facility and bring
industrial state of the art principles to the new building.
Sam Evans, Director of External Affairs of Newport Wafer Fab, the UK’s largest
semiconductor campus and a CS Connected partner added: ‘’This investment in CISM
will help the Compound semiconductor cluster establish breakthrough technologies
at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution . CS Connected has ambitious
plans to place Wales and UK in the fast lane of the twenty first century’’
Edwards Celebrates Grand Opening of New ‘Green’ North America Semiconductor
Technology Center in Hillsboro
Edwards held a grand opening for its new North America Semiconductor Technology
Center in Hillsboro. The eco-friendly facility is located close to the company’s
key accounts in the “Silicon Forest,” enabling Edwards to provide rapid service
and support, customer training, and enhance its R&D and customer collaboration
efforts. The approximately 200 attendees included Edwards customers and
suppliers, top management, and local political and industry dignitaries.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Hillsboro’s Mayor Steve Callaway offered
remarks. The ceremony included the presentation of a check for $1,000 to the
Liberty High School robotics team as well as an entertaining demonstration of
their robot’s acrobatic approach to climbing stairs. After the opening
presentations attendees toured the facility and enjoyed refreshments and
entertainment.
“The opening of our new facility on
Century Boulevard, as we celebrate 100 years of innovation and our company’s
centennial anniversary, may be unintentionally symbolic, but is strategically
very important,” said Scott Balaguer, vice president and general manager of
Edwards’ Semiconductor division North America. “Not only is this new
headquarters located close to some of our key accounts, but this area, the
‘Silicon Forest’ and the greater Northwest, is an excellent place to recruit
top-notch employees for engineering, R&D and manufacturing positions. We are
bringing high volume manufacturing capability to North America to be closer to
our customers and will be designing and building our integrated vacuum and
abatement systems and other products here in Hillsboro, creating local jobs and
contributing to the local economy in the process.”
Balaguer adds, “Edwards strives to be an environmental leader, both within the
local community and the semiconductor industry, by applying ‘green’ technology
in our customers’ fabs and within our own facilities. Our Technology Center
holds to that promise. The new building is designed to be highly energy
efficient and employee friendly. It utilizes a high-performance heating,
ventilation and air conditioning system and all LED lighting with advanced
occupancy sensors, making it a great place to work. In addition, we plan to
purchase power through a renewable program.”
The new 75,000 square foot facility is located at 6220 NE Century Boulevard in
Hillsboro.
The 75,000-square foot Hillsboro facility will create 100 new high-tech jobs
Edwards Vacuum, a supplier of semiconductor vacuum and abatement solutions, has
completed and opened its new high-tech innovation and manufacturing center in
Hillsboro.
The 75,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility will serve as the North
American semiconductor headquarters for the UK-based firm, creating 100 new
high-tech jobs.
Edwards is consolidating its Hillsboro staff in the new facility. Previously,
the firm had more than 150 employees in multiple Hillsboro locations.
The new 8-acre site is located on NE Century Boulevard, and will house more than
250 employees, including a significant number of high-tech roles. Edwards plans
to hire many more additional workers at the site in the coming years.
“Northwest Oregon is a growing hub for innovative businesses in the
semiconductor industry and other fields,” said congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.
“This facility by Edwards Vacuum shows that our region continues to attract
investment from around the world. It's exciting to see strong economic growth in
our region and new opportunities for Oregonians.”
Semiconductor plants require environments cleaner than hospital operating rooms,
and Edwards implements state-of-the art vacuum and abatement technology that
facilitates the production of some of the world's most advanced semiconductor
electronics. The firm is also environmentally conscious, applying green
technologies in its own facilities and in the products it provides customers.
Hillsboro, in the heart of the Silicon Forest, was a natural choice for Edwards'
new North American headquarters. The Greater Portland region is a global hub for
chipmakers, with Intel, Qorvo and Jireh Semiconductor employing tens of
thousands of workers conducting research, development and production in
Hillsboro.
Doubling down on its investment in the Silicon Forest was key for Edwards Vacuum
because the location allows the company to work closely with important Pacific
Northwest accounts.
“We are excited about opening our innovation center in Hillsboro,” said Scott
Balaguer, general manager for Edwards Vacuum's semiconductor division North
America. “Edwards is fully committed to the Northwest Region, creating jobs and
participating in the local growth, as environmentally conscious corporate
stewards in the neighborhood. We anticipate continued expansion on site as we
plan to design and manufacture our integrated vacuum and abatement production
solutions, as well as other world-class products in our portfolio.”
“Edwards Vacuum's new facility and headquarters in Hillsboro is a very exciting
investment and a great indication of the continued growth of the semiconductor
manufacturing sector in Hillsboro and the Silicon Forest,” said Dan Dias, City
of Hillsboro economic and community development director. “It's the multiplier
effect happening right in front of our eyes. Businesses like Edwards Vacuum hire
local talent, serve as customers for regional businesses that supply them,
enhance the regional and state economies, and benefit all Oregonians through
additional property and income tax revenues that pay for schools, roads, parks,
and much more.”
“Companies such as Edwards are critical partners for our key focus areas, such
as workforce development and sustainable technologies, and demonstrate the
demand for available land in the North Hillsboro Industrial Area,” Dias
continued. “In the last two years, we have seen significant increases in
activity and investment, especially foreign direct investment, resulting in both
expansions of existing companies and the location of new companies coming into
Hillsboro. The most recent examples come from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany,
South Korea and Japan. Hillsboro has one of the highest concentrations of
manufacturing and R&D investment in Oregon.”
“The continued investment in Greater Portland by Edwards Vacuum is further proof
that our region is a prime place to grow,” said Matt Miller, interim president
and CEO of Greater Portland Inc. “Firms around the world invest in our region to
gain access to our high-quality talent, our excellent global air connectivity
and best-in-class infrastructure.”
About Edwards:
Edwards is celebrating its 100-year birthday in 2019. The founder, FD Edwards,
began by providing vacuum equipment from a small office in South London; 100
years later Edwards has over 6,000 employees worldwide engaged in the design,
manufacture and support of high technology vacuum and exhaust management
equipment.
Edwards’ innovations are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors,
flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells. They are also used within an
increasingly diverse range of industrial processes including power, glass and
other coating applications; steel and other metallurgy; pharmaceutical and
chemical; and for scientific instruments in a wide range of R&D applications.
Edwards has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and North
America.
Chinese Electronics Company JCET Begins High-Volume Wafer Bumping
The line currently offers both lead-free and copper column bump types with bump
pitches down to 40 μm possible
Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology (JCET) has moved into volume
production with its new 12-inch wafer bumping line. The line is located in an
ISO Class 5 and 6 cleanroom space in the company’s assembly and test facility in
Incheon, South Korea.
Production volumes are already being shipped to China-based JCET customers with
several additional device manufacturers qualifying the line for shipments over
the next few quarters.
Automotive, wireless, computing and other devices have already been qualified on
this new bumping line which has now become an integral part of JCETs advanced
flip chip packaging offerings in Korea. The line currently offers both lead-free
and copper column bump types with bump pitches as tight as 90 μm and down to 40
μm possible.
“We are proud to offer an additional source for bumping within the JCET group of
factories,” stated JCET CEO, Dr Heung Lee Choon. “The demand for bumping
services as part of a full turnkey assembly and test solution continues to grow
exponentially and this new line enables us to provide this value-added service
at two of our regional manufacturing hubs,” continued Lee.
JCET’s campus in South Korea opened in 2015 and is a short drive from Incheon
International Airport. This campus’ manufacturing facilities provide assembly
and test of Flip Chip, Package-on-Package (PoP), Wafer-Level and Advanced
System-in-Package solutions. JCET is the largest OSAT in China and the
third-largest in the world with factories in China, South Korea and Singapore.
Micron Unveils New NAND Fab in Singapore
Micron Technology has unveiled a new NAND flash fab in Singapore with commercial
run to start later this year focusing on 96-layer and beyond 3D processes, as it
seeks to rely on technology advancements to increase bit-output. The company has
also noted that the memory market will be relatively normal in the second-half
2019 after seeing weakened demand in the first half. In China, foundry house
SMIC is also making tech advancements, ready to move its 14nm FinFET process to
volume production by the end of 2019.
Micron opens new NAND flash fab in Singapore: Micron Technology has unveiled a
new 12-inch fab at its manufacturing site for NAND flash memory in Singapore,
and expects the facility to ramp up production in the second half of 2019
focusing on 96-layer and higher 3D processes.
SMIC to move FinFET process to volume production by year-end 2019: China-based
pure-play foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) expects to
have its more-advanced 14nm FinFET process ready for volume production by the
end of 2019.
McIlvaine Company
Northfield, IL 60093-2743
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847-784-0012; Fax:
847-784-0061
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