Silicon Wafer Foundry Service Providers - Important Contribution to Semiconductor Industry

Silicon wafer foundry service providers have been useful to the semiconductor industry and the sectors it serves. The advanced technology it offers, particularly with the advent of fabless business model, provides the affordability advantage, which is essential to maintaining minimal production costs of the foundry processes. Through foundry service providers' process capabilities, the production of semiconductor components such as MEMS have been efficient ajd cost-effective in the recent years.

Foundry service providers have a number of process capabilities, including:

• Lithography - also known as photolithography is a process that puts specific patterns on silicon wafers; the patterns are written on the substrates using a light sensitive polymer called photoresist. This process is essential to the production of semiconductor components that connect millions of transistors of a circuit.
• Etching - in simpler terms, it is a process of making prints on the surface of the substrate or wafer. Several wafer foundry companies have a broad range of wet etching capability for 300mm and smaller diameters, for a broad range of dielectrics and metal films. They can also process non-standard sized substrates.
• Wafer reclaim and recovery - this service is a practical way of extending the life of the wafers; wafer foundry service providers have the capacity to mechanically re-polish wafers to remove film, surface scratches, and residual patters. While there is a certain limit on the number of times a wafer may be reclaimed, still this procedure is a cost effective solution to customers.
• Thin films (dielectrics) - includes thermal oxide and LPCVD processes; foundry companies use equipment like custom furnaces to carry out Thermal Oxide process.
• KISS Polishing - a process used by wafer foundry service companies to remove minor surface scratches or defect on the substrates. This service includes visual inspection of wafers for chips and cracks. 

 There are still a lot of process capabilities inside a foundry service facility - thanks to the people behind these innovations. True indeed that they are a big help to the semiconductor industry and the sectors it serves.

Sapphire Etching - Dry vs Wet Process

There are two popular etching processes being used to produce pattered sapphire substrate - the dry and wet etching. It is imperative to know the differences between the two so that a manufacturing company is able to determine which between the two is better. To help you with that, I have prepared below some points of comparison:

Dry etching

• considered to be the most common method to etch sapphire substrate productiona very slow process with a low throughput rate; 
• a standard 2-inch wafer can consume between 30 and 60 minutes to etch. 
it does not scale effectively. As a wafer size increases, throughput of a dry etcher falls as fewer wafers fit inside the vacuum chamber. And because of that,  more expensive plasma etching tools are needed to achieve the same throughput as was achieved on smaller wafers.
• as an estimate, dry etching rates range between 50nm to 200nm per minute is attainable.
• it creates bright, efficient LEDs but does so slowly and with limited throughput

Wet etching

• is known to provide dual advantages of being extremely fast and a lot cheaper than dry etching
• it is very scalable but produces LEDs that are not quite as effective or efficient as dry etching.
• it provides a considerable cost saving than the dry etching
• polishing touch-up work is performed on hte wafers in order to increase light extraction efficiency

Some equipment used in etching process:

• The Accubath Xe-Series -- an etching bath equipment from Imtec Acculine, was designed with Sapphire etching in mind but we know there are other processes that will benefit from the increased chemical reactivity that higher temperatures provide (300°C). Processes that were previously thought to be too slow due to temperature limitations may now be practical because of innovations like this.
• Hitachi High-tech Silicon Etch System -- this equipment is used in dry etching based on an ECR(*1) plasma source, it is capable of generating a stable high density plasma at a very low pressure.
• CDE-80N Chemical Dry Etching Equipment -- Performs chemical dry etching of thin film on a semiconductor wafer in gaseous state (dry). Damage-free etching process through perfect separation of the etching unit and plasma generating unit enables wide use in the damage removal process.

Each of the etching processes discussed above has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, just like any other processes, select the one you think can improve your bottom-line -- profit.    

Why Failure Analysis Is Critical To Manufacturing Process?

Failure analysis, a process that relies on collecting failed components for subsequent examination of the cause or causes of failure, is considered as one critical discipline in many branches of manufacturing process because it can effectively help in the following:

• Refinement of an existing product - many products found in the market today can still be refined with the help of failure analysis; this is with the help of several procedures including collecting data of their failed components, which are brought to a laboratory for analysis in order to determine the cause and act accordingly.
• Development of new products - in many cases, the discovery of a certain cause of failure cannot just be useful for the refinement of the existing one but, of equal importance, can lead to the development of new/other products, which can be useful to both manufacturers and consumers as well.
• Cost reductions - physical and electrical failure analysis, which helps in determining the cause of failure, reduces costs as manufacturing companies can use better materials and avoid unnecessary spending and wasting, which therefore can help reduce materials and operational costs and improves profits.

There are two popular categories under failure analysis and these are the following:

• Electrical failure analysis - some examples of electrical failure analysis work can be done during dielectric breakdown, component failure, arc tracking/conductive path tracking, poor quality solder joints, floating neutrals and high voltage transients, oxidation and corrosion of electrical connections, and contamination of circuit boards. Mechanisms used as part of electrical failure analysis include Analytical Probe Station, Curve-Trace (Manual & Automated); Emission Microscopy (Near Infrared); Florescent Micro-Thermal Imaging with Lock-In; Laser Stimulation Microscopy.
• Physical failure analysis - this becomes increasingly important for process optimization for situations like when there is a continued shrinking of materials used in a certain manufacturing process. In cases like the one specified, a particular manufacturing facility can do the analysis (or hire a third party to do it) such as 3-D X-ray Tomography, C-scanning acoustic Microscopy, De-Capsulation, Deprocessing, FIB-SEM Cross Sectioning, Mechanical Cross-Sectioning, Real-time X-ray - among other physical failure analysis procedures.

More and more companies in the manufacturing sector have recognized the importance of failure analysis and have incorporated this procedure in their own system for product refinement and development of new ones.

Finding The Right Classic Car Restoration Shop To Bring Your Dream Car Back To Its Beauty And Power

Repair and restoration works are some of the most challenging tasks a classic car owner could have. For one, because of the unique nature of this job (not all car repair shops offer classic car repair services); second, finding a restoration shop that caters your needs is pretty expensive - that is, if you are not wise enough to choose the best classic car repair in town.

With the aim of helping you find a good, reputable classic car restoration shop, I have prepared some tips below - some insights you might find useful:

• Credentials - this does not only mean the papers or documentations but a list of projects a particular classic car restoration shop has accomplished during the course of time or period it has been in business. Aside from examining its records, asking its previous customers or persons who experienced working with a particular shop can be a great help in examining its credentials. The bottom line is, as is the case of most industries, no matter how good or bad a classic car restoration company in terms of selling itself, it is always the credentials that speaks more convincingly.
• The length of time in service - most of the time (if not all the time) those companies who are more capable of providing good quality service are those who have been in business for quite some time. That is also true when it comes to classic car restoration shops. Generally, the longer the time a company has been is business means that it has gained the necessary experience to become a better service provider.
• The manpower - another factor that you should consider as you choose your service company. A particular service provider might be good in a number of ways; however, if it has a limited manpower to carry out its service, it could suffer a major drawback that can compromise the quality of its service as a whole. See to it that your prospective company has the ideal number of workforce to do the classic car restoration jobs.
• The logistics - you should also examine whether or not a classic car restoration shop is advantageous in your part, logistically. You should also find out where your service provider does the job - is it at its own shop? or does a particular service provider offer restoration service at home? The bottom-line is that the logistics consideration is one area that you should consider as this can reduce your overall service expenses. 

A classic car restoration shop can bring your dream car back to its beauty and power without spending too much of your money. It is just a matter of finding the most qualified ones.

Some Etching Processes for MEMS

Microelectromechanical Systems or more commonly known as MEMS is a technology designed for very small devices. It is made up of components between 1 to 100 micrometers in size; it is being used in numerous applications such as in electronics, biotechnology, communication, and medicine.

MEMS production/fabrication is carried out by a number of processes, which include deposition, parttering, and etching. However, in this content, we are to focus on the etching processes for MEMS.

There are numerous processes involved in MEMS etching but they can be categorized in two broad categories - dry and wet etching.

Dry etching - the material is dissolved using reactive ions or a vapor phase etchant; one advantage of this process is that it is capable of defining small feature size (<100 nm). It has several disadvantages as well, including: high cost, low throughput, poor selectivity, hard to implement, and the potential for radiation damage.

Sample of dry etching

• Xenon fluoride etching - primarily utilized for releasing metal and dielectric structures by undercutting silicon; this dry vapor phase isotropic etch process was first used in 1995.
• Plasma etching - a dry etching process, which process involves generation of reactive species, diffusion of these species, and then adsorption.

Wet etching - the material is dissolved through immersion in a chemical solution inside a wet bench. It has a number of advantages, including: low cost, easy to implement, high etching rate, and good selectivity for most materials. However, it has several disadvantages as well such as the inadequacy for defining feature size < 1 micrometer.

Sample of wet etching 

• Isotropic etching - known as the non-directional removal of material from a substrate in a chemical process with the help of a substance/mixture called an etchant.
• Hydrofluoric acid etching - a process that uses an aqueous etchant for silicon dioxide

There are quite a number of processes involved in etching - each has advantages and disadvantages. One thing is certain, however - etching is an important part of micro fabrication that essential to the production of devices needed in the industry and society.

The Environmental Benefits of Anodizing Process

Aside from producing better quality finish, other important reason why anodizing is considered a promising industry process - particularly in the metal finishing industry - is the fact that it is more environment-friendly than other processes available. This feature is relevant most especially today that climate change issues are a hot topic.

Some Aluminum materials that have undergone anodizing process
(Photo credit: GMP Plating, Inc. - Bay Area Anodizing Service Provider)

But how exactly can anodizing process be beneficial to the environment? I have listed below some of the benefits as claimed by a number of companies in this industry. These are the following:

• The use of simple water-based chemicals - anodizing is recognized as environment-friendly as it uses simple water-based chemicals that produce no harm to both people and the surroundings. It does not use halogenated hydrocarbons or similar toxic organics in the process.
• An acceleration of a natural oxidation process - this is, in other words, means it does not produce harmful or hazardous by-products and thus ensure no damage to human health or the environment.
• Produces finish that is chemically stable - it will not decompose; it is non-toxic; and, it is heat-resistant to the melting point of aluminum, which is at 1,221 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Produces recyclable liquid by-products - liquid by-products (also known as secondary product produced in the manufacturing process) are recyclable and therefore can be reused/returned to the process.
• Produces harmless primary by-products - by-products such as aluminum hydroxide and aluminum sulfate can be used in other applications. For instance, they can be utilized as filters in the sewage treatment process of sewage treatment plants.
• Solid by-products has other uses - they can have a variety of uses such as in aluminum manufacturing, baking powder, for cosmetics, for newsprint, and as a fertilizer. 
• Emits no ozone-producing solvents - the process does not contribute to the worsening of our ozone layer and there are no heavy metals involved during the process.
• Anodizing as energy-saving catalyst - generally, anodizing is applied to aluminum alloys and this provides energy-saving advantage as well as environment safety. The reason is that Aluminum metal is a good electricity conductor while the anodic coating serves as good insulator. These properties substantially contribute to a product longer lifespan and energy demand reduction.

Above are just few reasons why the anodizing is of real advantage over other metal finishing process. This, indeed, plays a crucial role in the industry,environment-wise -- not to mention the benefits it provides in producing quality finish.

How can a business benefit from electrical failure analysis?

As you might (or might not ) be aware of, electrical failure analysis has been helping many companies in several industries for quite some time. In particular, the manufacturing as well as the retailer sectors - of various products - are the ones considered to be benefiting the most of the process.

What is electrical failure analysis? 

EFA, in a simple way of defining it, is a process of collecting and analyzing data to find the cause of a failure - usually applicable to examining electronic product defects. This approach is very useful in many branches of manufacturing as it allows the development of new products and the refinement of the existing ones. It is carried out by, first, collecting failed components for, second, evaluation using various methods.

Two most common method employed in electrical failure analysis:

• Microscopy - a process that uses microscopes to examine samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye.
• Spectroscopy - defined as a study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy; it pertains to the dispersion of an object's light into its component colors. (more of this can be found here)

Other methodologies employed in electrical failure analysis

• Curve-tracing - a method used to test the electrical paths of a device or package; a way of analyzing the current-voltage characteristics of an electrical path using a tool called curve tracer.
• Emission microscopy - considered to be one of the most efficient optical analysis techniques; it detects and localizes certain integrated circuit failures. It uses sensitive camera to view and capture optical emissions, which allows the detection and localization certain IC defects.
• Circuit edit FIB - using focused ion beams to remove and deposit materials with high precision - capabilities that can be used to cut and connect circuitry within a device.

So, how can a business benefit from electrical failure analysis?

A lot of businesses can benefit from this methodology, including those, as I have said, in the manufacturing sectors as well as other industrial facilities that play a vital role in our society such as those in the commercial and residential power distribution sectors, electro-mechanical machinery, electronics and appliance manufacturing and distribution sectors, HVAC systems, control systems - to name a few.

The determination of any failures within the facilities mentioned above is very essential for the improvement of their current systems or for the adaptation of new methodologies -- to produce a more improved products -- which are a key to achieving the common goal of all businesses - customer satisfaction and continued business growth.