Leading Companies of Automatic Testing Equipments

What is Automatic Testing Equipments:

Automated Test Equipment is one of the most important tools in the semiconductor industry. The role of ATE’s is very significant as it helps in testing the products on different parameters. Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is used to find defects in Devices Under Tests (DUT) and helps to ensure the quality of devices. The adoption of ATE plays a very important role in saving manufacturing costs and helps to eliminate faulty devices from entering into the market. But this doesn’t mean that the role of Automated Test Equipments is limited to the semiconductor industry as it is also used widely in other industries, especially in electronics and tech industry.

There are many companies which have gained popularity in this particular market of the semiconductor industry. The HP tester 4072A, is one such advanced parametric tester. The HP 4072A is an all-in-one test solution that meets your advanced process needs by providing high-throughput parametric test, Flash memory cell evaluation, ring oscillator measurement, and wafer level reliability (WLR) test capabilities in a single measurement station.

Leading Companies in the ATE’s Market:

ATE is important in automatically diagnosing and testing faults in semiconductor wafers, integrated circuits, chips, printed circuit boards, and other electronic components. The ATE holds a significant position as it allows the manufacture to eliminate inferior products and enhance the overall performance of the product. The global semiconductor automated test equipment market is anticipated to witness growth due to increase in demand for System-on-Chip (SoC) products in consumer electronics applications such as smartphones tablets, and laptops, among others. The surge in the demand of the Automated Test Equipments is boosted by increase in the demand for the consumer electronics. These electronics include, smartphones, tablets, computers, tablets, and home entertaining systems among many others. The major players in the automated test equipment market include: Teradyne Inc. (U.S.), Advantest Corporation (Japan), and LTX-Credence (U.S.). The total value of the automated test equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.80% from 2014 to 2020, and reach $4.13 Billion by 2020.

SUMMARY:

There is no doubt that the role of Automated Test Equipments is crucial and in upcoming time, more advanced ATE solutions will be needed for efficient and unprecedented performance from products. As of now the key geographic markets for ATE are the US, Europe and Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

 

 

 

Driverless Cars: A Peek into the Future

Introduction:

There is no doubt that technology has transformed the world. Technology has not only Paved the path for a modern era but has also made the life of people so easier. From wireless technology to connectivity we are surrounded by technological advancements from all sides. One such technology is the Driverless Cars. Driverless Cars will change the course of the automobile industry in the future, there is no doubt about that. A number of factors will play a key role in determining the future trends of driverless cars. These factors will include technology level, mobility, semiconductor tools and technology, government restrictions and market patterns. In this article we will discuss about how driverless cars can change the future.

Ways in which Driverless Cars can change the future:

The recent leaps and bounds in the self driving industry has made it crystal clear that self driving cars are the future of the automobile industry. Cars and automobiles, in general, are a huge part of our daily lives and society in general. Surprisingly, as humans we are prone to getting angry as soon as we are behind the wheel. But driverless cars will be operated by the computers and AI, and machines don’t get angry or frustrated. Following are some of the ways in which Driverless Cars can change the course of future:

1.   Reduced Number of Deaths related to Road Accidents:

According to a study the number of deaths caused by road accidents will decrease drastically because of self driving cars. As driverless cars are equipped with smart gadgets and navigation systems it can easily avoid such situations. The deaths related to road accidents will reduce as much as 70% because of driverless cars.

2.   Driverless Cars will be Eco-Friendly:

Driverless cars will be beneficial to the environment. Most of the self driving cars are equipped with an electric power mechanism system which enables it to run for several kilometres after getting charged once. Many technological leaps are made in this field as most of the companies are fighting on this particular aspect only to attract the consumers. Experts believe that semiconductor tools will play a key role in increasing the efficiency of electric batteries used in driverless cars.

3.   Reduction in travelling time:

Driverless cars will reduce the commutation time as it will choose those paths only which have lesser traffic. Self driving cars can optimise time efficiently and thus reducing the overall travelling time.

Summary:

In some countries, driverless cars have already made their debut on testing and limited trial basis. Experts believe that in the upcoming 5-10 years, the driverless cars industry will be one of the fastest emerging industries in the world. This will also boost the growth of other industries dependent on self-driving industries, such as the semiconductor industry, electronic industry and tech industry.

 

Types of Silicon Wafer

What is Silicon Wafer?

A silicon wafer is a thinly sliced piece of material which is most commonly used in semiconductor. As semiconductor is widely used in almost every electronic and digital device/product/equipment, the demand for silicon wafer always remains high. Manufacturing wafer is the very first step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Due to it’s wide use in semiconductors, silicon wafers are sometimes also called as semicon wafer, which is short for semiconductor wafers.

For different purposes and different products, different types of semicon wafers are manufactured. Each type of wafer has its own function, characteristics, and applications. In this article, we will go through the various types of silicon wafers and its application.

 

Types of Silicon Wafers:

Wafers are a key component in semiconductor manufacturing. If the wafers are of inferior quality or faulty in nature, then the semiconductor unit will be useless. Thus, utmost care is taken while manufacturing silicon wafers. Also, each wafer type has its own set of characteristics and thus it is necessary to use the correct wafer for the correct process. Following are some of the common types of silicon wafers:

 

Undoped Silicon Wafer: Undoped silicon wafer is pure silicon wafer, which is also known as an intrinsic silicon wafer. This type of wafer is in pure, crystalline form. It is one of the best kinds of silicon wafer to use, as there is no impurity in its material. In this kind of wafer dopant is not present throughout the wafer.

 

Doped Silicon Wafer: In this type of silicon wafer certain amount of dopant(impurities) is added during the manufacturing process. If the level of dopant in the silicon is low to moderate, then it is known as extrinsic silicon wafer. If the dopant level is high, then that kind of wafer is known as degenerate silicon wafer. The dopants added in the wafer is used to alter the electrical properties of the wafer. There are basically two types of doped silicon wafers:

·      P-type Wafer: In this type of doped wafer, boron is added for impurity. This type of wafer is mostly used in lithography machines.

·      N-type Wafer: In this type of doped wafer, phosphorous or arsenic is used for doping. N-type wafer is widely used for manufacturing of advance CMOS devices.

Polished Silicon Wafer: This type of silicon wafer is polished on both the sides to give it the appearance of mirror surface. This type of wafer is pure, flat, and it is superior in quality.

Summary:

Since past few decades the demand for silicon wafers has grown exponentially. This is because of the surge in demand for electronic devices and gadgets. Because of this, superior quality of silicon wafers are developed in the market which is making the competition among the manufacturers more intense.

Role of Industry Associations

 What is an Industry Association?

An industry association also known as trade association, trade or business group, business association or sector association, is a body founded by companies operating in a specific industry. An industry association participates in improving the industrial relations, advertising, education, lobbying, redressal of disputes. The main function of an industry association is to protect the rights of various companies in the industry, to upgrade their status and to promote and establish collaboration among various companies in the industry.

European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), Confederation of British Industry (CBI), SemiconductorIndustry Association (SIA), Bicycle Manufacturers National Association, Associated Chambers of Commerce, and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) etc are some of the famous industry associations in the world.

Significance of Industry Association:

The significance of industry association is quite critical. As not only they keep the industry environment favourable for business, but they are also the voice of the companies in the industry. Industry associations provides growth opportunities to its members, cooperation among various businesses, as well as addressing any conflict among various industries and resolving them by methods of arbitration, discussion, and mutual settlement.

Role of Industry Associations:

Different industry associations have different roles. Each industry association has its own set of objectives, goals, and mission. But the common objective of almost any industry association is to safeguard the interest of members of the industry and to provide them support whenever such need arises. The role of Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will be different from what role Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) plays. There are a number of factors which plays a key role in determining the degree of role of an industry association will play in the specific industry. Following are some of the standard roles of Industry Association:

Voice of the Industry: There is no doubt that industry association is the voice of the industry. On behalf of its members industry association presents themselves in front of government, external stakeholders, or judiciary system. Not only industry association fights for the rights of its members but it also promotes awareness in the industry from time to time.

Research & Development: Industry association promotes various companies to come together and collaborate in boosting the research and development process of the industry. Collaboration in the field of R&D is found in electronics industry. Semiconductor Industry Association promotes the joint efforts of various companies to boost R&D.

Networking: Industry Association makes it possible for the industries to network with the industry professionals from everywhere. This networking helps the industry in long term, by introducing efficient products and technologies, recruiting exceptional talents, and implementing proactive strategies.

Promoting open and Fair Trade: This is one such role which is applicable to all industry associations. The reason being is in today’s competitive world companies often uses malpractices to promote sales and revenue of their company, hence it is necessary that all companies should follow fair practices. Thus, industry associations lays down the policies, rules, and guidelines to be followed for open and fair-trade practices.

Epilogue:

Industry Associations offers creation of standards, best practices, educates the members, development initiatives, acts as a bridge between industry and government, technical standards, leadership roles, and regulating competitive environment. Thus, the role of Industry Association is quite significant. They do face some challenges, but the pros outweighs the cons by a huge margin.  

What is a Cleanroom?

In the production of certain devices and equipment’s special rooms are used to control the surrounding environment and to keep it as clean as possible. The reason behind this is if the manufacturing or other technical processes are carried out in normal surroundings then several factors can hinder the manufacturing process and may impact the quality and efficiency of the product which is produced. This is the reason why the concept of Cleanrooms was introduced.

What is Cleanroom?

The modern cleanroom was invented by American physicist Willis Whitfield in 1960.  A cleanroom is any given contained space where provisions are made to reduce particulate contamination and control other environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and pressure. A cleanroom design could be of any size from just a few meters to hundreds of square meters. A cleanroom should be built with those kinds of materials only that are not contaminated, polluted or harmful in any sort of manner. On the basis of how clean the airflow is, cleanrooms are classified.

Cleanroom Protocols:

There are various protocols and standards that are needed to be followed to keep the internal environment of cleanroom clean and decontaminated. Following are certain cleanroom protocols and standards to be followed:

·      The airflow of cleanroom should be clean. Cleanrooms maintain particulate-free air through the use of either HEPA or ULPA filters employing laminar or turbulent air flow principles. Laminar, or unidirectional, air flow systems direct filtered air downward in a constant stream.

·      Proper precautions should be taken while designing a cleanroom.

·      A cleanroom should be equipped with proper safety equipment’s to tackle any kind of emergency situation.

·      The operator must wear proper clothing such as Cleanroom suits to cover their body to minimize the dispersion of micro-organism from human hair, skin flakes, or clothing fibres.

Cleanroom Suits or popularly known as Bunny Suits Cleanroom, are a part of standard protocol for an operator to enter into the cleanroom. This is a mandatory protocol because around 70-80% of cleanroom contamination are operator-based contamination. Thus, to keep the cleanroom uncompromised and to keep the operator safe such suits are used.

These Suits are called Bunny suits as they are mostly white in colour. These suits include Boots, shoes, aprons, masks, gloves, headcover, coats, gowns, hand sleeves, etc.

Applications of Cleanrooms:

Most cleanrooms are used for manufacturing products such as electronics, pharmaceutical products, and medical equipment. It is also used for research purposes. There are a number of fields in which cleanroom has its application. These are:

·      Pharmaceutical Companies

·      Research Facilities

·      Manufacturing Companies

·      Aerospace Industry

·      Nanotechnology Production

·      Manufacturing Companies

·      Optics and Lens Manufacturing

·      Medical Laboratories

·      Electronic Industry

·      Optics and Lens Industry

·      Biotechnology

·      Food and beverages Industry

Cleanroom Market:

The cleanroom market size has never shown a downwards trend as the research and manufacturing processes are getting complex day by day and the demand for higher quality and advanced products is increasing exponentially. Due to this reason, there has been a sizeable growth in the cleanroom market. he global cleanroom technology market size was estimated at USD 3.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8% from 2020 to 2027. Technological advancement, stringent regulatory standards, and increased demand in pharma and biopharmaceutical companies to develop quality products are some of the major factors fuelling the market for cleanroom technology.

What is X-Ray Lithography?

Introduction:

With each passing day, the manufacturing and production process of products is getting improved. Earlier most of the production and manufacturing operations were carried out manually. During industrial revolution use of machines was popularized and mechanical and manual machines were widely used in the industries. With the advancements in the field of technology such as invention of computers allowed the industries to adopt automation as the primary method of production and manufacturing of goods. These processes involve quite several complex and technical sub-processes. From categorizing the raw materials to manufacturing finished goods, several processes are used for production, categorization, assembling, moulding, diversification, wiring and printing and others. One such process is X-ray lithography.

What is Lithography?

It is the process of printing patterns on a thin film called resist, using localized interaction between this layer and the particle beam. Since ancient days, when lithography technique was used to imprint artworks or paintings on the paper or sheet. A smooth surfaced lithographic limestone was used on which the drawings or figures are drawn with help of oil, water, and wax, and then that drawing was imprinted on the paper. This technique was mainly used for printing text or artwork.

In modern times, the way lithography works has changed. Semiconductor industry used the concept of lithography and modernized it to manufacture Integrated Circuits and MEMS by photolithography. Today various types of lithography methods are popular such as:

·      Photolithography

·      X-Ray Lithography

·      Electron Beam Lithography

·      UV Lithography

·      Nano Lithography

·      Nano imprint Lithography

·      Soft Lithography

·      Scanning Probe Lithography

·      Colloidal Lithography, etc.

In this article we will discuss about the X-Ray Lithography, its advantages, application and how it works.

X-Ray Lithography:

X-Ray Lithography is a process why uses x-ray beams to imprint a geometric pattern from a mask to the resist on the substrate. X-Ray resists are the substance which shows chemical or physical changes due to the exposure of X-Ray. The resist should be sensitive to the X-Ray so that it can absorb the X-Ray easily. X-Ray Lithography is remarkably similar to Photolithography and UV Lithography, the only difference is use of X-Ray in X-Ray Lithography.

Applications of X-Ray Lithography:

X-Ray Lithography is widely used in the electronic industry. It has several applications such as:

Ø For fabrication of Gigabyte DRAM.

Ø In manufacturing of semiconductors.

Ø Used in MEMS (Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems) technology such as Micro Sensors, Micro Actuators, Micro Electronics, and others.

Top X-Ray Lithography Companies:

USA, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea are some of the countries which develops the X-Ray Lithography process.

Companies like IBM, Motorola, NTT, Mitsubishi Electronics are some of the big names in the development and research of X-Ray Lithography.

Advantages of X-Ray Lithography:

·      It is a fast process of lithography.

·      It has High Resolution.

·      High Aspect Ratio.

·      Scattering effect is reduced by this method.

Disadvantages of X-Ray Lithography:

·      The cost of manufacturing masks is expensive.

·      It has thin lens.

·      Chances of Shadow Printing is more in this method.

·      Best results cannot be achieved in the absence of brighter X-ray source.

Conclusion:

The implications of X-Ray Lithography are many. It has revolutionized the fabrication process of semiconductors. It is a 70’s technology but still it is widely used today in almost every kind of electronic goods production. There is no doubt that X-Ray Lithography has changed the dynamics of fabrication and imprinting processes.

How computer chips are made

How computer chips are made

Computer chips are one of the most important components while manufacturing an electronic device or equipment. The chip is such a tiny piece of technology that literally keeps running our devices. The chip we use today is quite different from what it was when it was designed for the first time. Chips are maybe so tiny with respect to size but the process of manufacturing them is quite complex. A computer chip consists of transistors, capacitors, diodes. Several chip equipment manufacturers are providing different types of chips. The smaller the manufacturing process, the more transistors can fit on a single die. Intel is currently working on a 10nm chip size, while AMD is planning on developing 7nm. Taiwanese giant TSMC is working on 5nm chips. As the technology upgrades, the size of these chips keeps reducing fitting more and more transistors in a single chip. The process for producing a standard chip is almost the same except a few changes which are mostly related to the size of chips that are produced.

 

The process starts with a kind of sand known as silica sand. This sand is the main component in the making of chips. As these chips base material is silicon, these chips are often called as silicon chips. China is the leading producer of silicon holding 64% share in 2019. Then the silica sand goes through several purification and filtration to deliver electronic-grade silicon, which has a purity of 99.99%. A purified silicon ingot, which weighs around 100kg, is shaped from melted silica and made ready for the next step. The circular silicon ingot is sliced into wafers as thin as possible while maintaining the material’s ability to be used in the fabrication process. The silicon wafers are then refined and polished in order to provide the best possible surface for the following fabrication steps. Elkem Silicon Materials is one of the world’s leading suppliers of silicon wafers. This polished wafer goes through a procedure called photolithography, in which layer of photoresist is spread thinly across the wafer. This layer is then exposed to a UV light mask, which is shaped in the pattern of the microprocessor’s circuits. ASML is one of the leading manufactures of Photolithography machines. Exposed photoresist is washed off and the silicon wafer is bombarded with ions in order to alter its conductive properties – this is called doping. Etching and electroplating are the next steps in the process. Once electroplating is completed, transistors are ready and now the layering of interconnects is remaining. All the transistors are connected which is known as microprocessor. The penultimate step is to test the chip by various methods and at last these chips are packed. Before shipping processors are tested for efficiency, frequency, and other metrics and once they pass all these tests, they are good to be shipped.

 

 This is how computer chips are made. This process is complex and if even a single step is missed out or not performed properly, the whole thing will fall apart resulting in failure of a device. Today almost every equipment and device use these chips. The consequences of a failure of even a single chip can be severe. Thus the process of manufacturing chips is quite crucial and should be handled with delicacy.