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The essence of biometrics is using physical characteristics that are unique to each individual to identify one person from billions of others in the world. Early biometrics were somewhat low-tech; for example, fingerprinting originally required nothing more than some ink, a magnifying glass and a human who knew how to “read” the prints. Today’s biometrics…
Click Here to Read MoreBack in the ‘40s and ‘50s, when computers were just room-sized, relay-based calculators, no one probably thought much about integrating computing technology into automobiles. By 1965, computers were smaller multitaskers running simple software programs, yet the closest they came to automobiles was probably an advertisement that showed the PDP-8, the first minicomputer to enjoy commercial…
Click Here to Read MoreDirected self-assembly (DSA) refers to the integration of block copolymer (BCP) materials that undergo phase separation with traditional manufacturing processes. With DSA, nanoscale dimensions are achieved at a drastically reduced cost by novel material designs without additional equipment upgrades. Alternative lithographic approaches to achieve features ≤10 nanometers in size typically involve higher equipment budgets or…
Click Here to Read MoreIn previous posts, we’ve made references to Moore’s law and how, with uncanny accuracy, it has predicted that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) would double approximately every two years. The semiconductor industry has tirelessly chased Moore's law ever since it was first coined in the 1970s, but as ICs have…
Click Here to Read MoreFor centuries, humans have tried to harness the seemingly endless power of the sun. And now, it seems like we’re making some big strides. Here are just a few amazing places where solar is really shining. Up on the roof Perhaps the roof isn’t an unlikely place for solar panels to live. Maybe it even…
Click Here to Read MoreLimitations of Moore's Law Ultimately, performance of computers and other electronic products will be limited by transistor size and density. Because the semiconductor industry has pushed to create ever-smaller features with photolithography, engineers have been able to shrink transistors far beyond original expectations to dramatically increase the density of transistors on a chip, thereby enabling…
Click Here to Read MoreFabrication of microelectronic devices increasingly involves the creation of high-aspect-ratio structures (those with large height or depth and narrow width, such as trenches, vias, columns, and mesas). These structures provide isolation; serve as conduits for electrical, optical, or fluid signals; or enable pre-dicing before die singulation. New designs in semiconductor and MEMS devices are pushing…
Click Here to Read MoreProcess application engineers often encounter a variety of complex challenges related to deposition by spin coating, as many variables affect the quality of the spin-applied coating. These variables have critical effects on the overall coating uniformity, coating thickness, and subsequent device yield. Some of the more influential variables that must be controlled precisely are spin…
Click Here to Read MoreNew lithographic compositions, for use as middle layers in trilayer processes resist processes can be applied as very thin films with a very thin layer of photoresist being applied to the top of the middle layer. Thus, the underlying bottom anti-reflective coating is still protected even though the overall stack (i.e., anti-reflective coating plus middle…
Click Here to Read MoreHigh-k metal gate (HKMG) technology has become one of the front-runners for the next generation of CMOS devices. This new technology incorporates a high-k dielectric, which reduces leakage and improves the dielectric constant. To help with fermi-level pinning and to allow the gate to be adjusted to low threshold voltages, a metal gate is used…
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