Noel Technologies. Provider of Advanced Lithography and Semiconductor Thin Film Services

Transcription

1 Noel Technologies Provider of Advanced Lithography and Semiconductor Thin Film Services

2 Noel Technologies Keith Best Biography Over the last 27 years, Keith Best has held a variety of semiconductor processing and applications positions for both device manufacturing and capital equipment companies, of which 11 years were with ASML Special Applications. Keith specializes in Photolithography and Process integration for the more than Moore application markets. He is currently the Director of Photolithography at Noel Technologies. Keith holds a B.Sc. Honors Degree in Materials Science from the University of Greenwich, UK. He has numerous publications and holds 16 US patents in the areas of Photolithography and Process integration.

3 Abstract Over the past few years there has been a paradigm shift in the nature of manufacturing in Silicon Valley. What was once a manufacturing hub, is now a center for research and development. In this new era, many of the local Semiconductor manufacturing companies have adapted their approach to focus on the More than Moore Application markets and providing wafer processing services to generate additional revenue. These new specialty foundries are agile and capable of supplying high quality devices and wafer processing services. This, coupled with the wealth of engineering experience, can readily supply solutions to enable new technologies. This talk provides an insight into how these specialty foundries operate and examples of unique problems they can solve to help R&D centers progress to volume manufacturing and bridge the so called valley of death.

4 Noel Technologies Specialty foundries Enabling the transition from lab to fab

5 Outline Brief History Markets Applications Processing Challenges The Valley of Death Specialty Foundries Enabling Technologies Conclusions

6 History Shockley Labs 1956 Mountain View, CA Traitorous Fairchild Intel Pioneering > Fairchild > Fair Children & Moore s Law

7 Noel Technologies Silicon Valley From Fruit to Gold

8 New Era Silicon Valley Fruit again? The original Shockley building at 391 San Antonio Road, Mountain View, California, was a produce market in 2006

9 Life beyond Fruit The Silicon Valley landscape has changed dramatically, we are now returning to our R &D roots Valley jobs are not in high volume manufacturing, they are in High technology innovation, application focused The Valley s engineering talent is adapting to this new environment, where market forces are shaping the future beyond Silicon ICs

10 Markets

11 More than Moore Applications Lab on a Chip Solar Micro mirror arrays MEMS - Gyroscopes Flexible electronics LEDs Optoacoustic Microphones Thin Film Heads HDD

12 Material Handling Challenges Small Pieces Perforated wafers Flexible thin substrates Transparent substrates Small substrates e.g. InP Curved Surfaces

13 Processing Challenges Cantilevers T Gates Waveguides Nanotubes Lithography in 3D Photonic Crystals

14 Valley of Death Photonics Analog RF Bio Chips Power LEDs MEMS Solar Passives Collaborative Zone Collaborative Zone

15 What are Specialty Foundries? Facilities that provide wafer processing services; from single steps, to complete product build, basically 3 types: Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) who open up part of their fab for more than Moore activity Researchers who work within the University network R&D Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) utilize in house processes and ad hoc networks: Universities and other SMEs to produce new products e.g. Noel Technologies

16 What are Specialty Foundries? Provide customized processing services to researchers and industry: Significantly less material restrictions than CMOS facilities Thin and Thick substrates Transparent and perforated substrates Double side processing Substrate dimension requirements pieces to 300mm, later 450mm

17 Specialty Foundry Models Model Cost Time to Market IP Ownership Collaboration IDMs Low Intermediate Negotiated Yes University Labs Low Proof of concept Typically shared Research driven SMEs (Noel Technologies) Low Fast Your IP is your IP Yes Captive Foundry High Fast, restricted to mainstream Company Selective

18 University Labs California Universities have been increasing their capabilities R & D efforts are utilizing equipment built for manufacturing UCSB, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford (SNF) have opened their doors to industry to provide access to researchers Industrial researchers can develop next technology node prototype devices prior to ramping up In some cases, Universities have more equipment capabilities than industry, however, collaboration is key to success

19 University Labs From Lab tools to Fab tools - UCSB ASML 5500/300 DUV Resolution 0.15um

20 University Labs From Lab tools to Fab tools - UCLA Headway Spinner - UCLA SVG 88 Series wafer track UCLA

21 University Labs From Lab tools to Fab tools - UCLA Automated CD SEM ASML 5500/200 i-line Resolution 0.35um

22 Enabling Technologies To address material handling challenges, Noel Technologies co-developed a unique Mobile Electrostatic Carrier (MESC) with Beam Services Inc.

23 Lithography Carriers

24 Existing Temporary Bonding Solutions

25 Existing Temporary Bonding Lithography Solutions Hot Plate removal Steam method 2 wafer mounted on 4 Silicon carrier with H20 droplets Dump rinse removal Method Capillary action

26 Enabling Technologies Beam Services MESC Low voltage, High Performance: 200+ hrs 400V charge Electrostatic force holds substrate in position on carrier

27 Design requirement - ASML Handling Must be able to cycle through system without hang ups Functionality - Must bond to target substrate firmly and cycle through system without sliding on carrier Flatness: <2um TTV Mechanical reproducibility: Substrate placement must be repeatable, within the capture range of the alignment system

28 Lithography Carriers

29 Testing Results 4 and 8 quartz mobile carriers were successfully used on ASML systems at Stanford University & SVTC Completed multiple cycles validating handling compliance with scanners and steppers 6 and 8 mobile carriers successfully used on ASML, Canon, Nikon and GCA systems

30 Conclusions A new era, beyond fruit, requires the same pioneering attitude as the Fairchild 8 go where no one has gone before Crossing the Valley of Death - Collaboration between SMEs and the University network provides a cost effective bridge from lab to fab New enabling technologies are providing pioneers with the tools they need to develop new products

31 Acknowledgements UC Berkeley, Marvell, Nanolab - UC Santa Barbara - Stanford Nanofab (SNF) - UC Los Angeles - Beam Services Inc. Steve Kent Noel Technologies

32 Specialty Foundry Noel Technologies, Inc. is a Silicon Valley based specialty foundry focused on process development, optimization, quality and delivery. An ISO 9001 registered facility, Noel Technologies offers process development and fabrication from 50mm up to 300mm