How well do you know your customers? · How well do you know your customers? An Angel Business...

Choosing the right photomask The rising cost of 450mm Market needs

Global business practicesHow well do you know your customers?

An Angel Business Communications publication

01 Front Cover FINAL.qxp 22/2/12 15:30

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The semiconductor industry dynamics continue to change and notalways in the most expected way. In fact viewing the industry as amonolithic concern is becoming less relevant as new opportunites ariseensuring more markets allowing for success or failure in a sub-marketcompletely independent of the global movement.

These changes make is extrememly difficult for investors and financialwatchers who like to rely on safe over arching figures that direct theiraspirations and goals for the foreseeable future. In reality overallindustry figures tell you very little about the dynamics and more aboutpotential share price reactions. The financial community, many of whomhave trouble seeing beyond a global picture, have difficulty drillingdown to the individual growing opportunities for the industry. A quicklook at financials reveals one example where the differences for DRAMmanufacturers as opposed to the overall industry provides a differentfinancial picture.

These dynamics affect everyone, including yours truly and the time hascome for EuroAsia Semiconductor to once again respond to the marketchange as it has successfully done for over thirty years. The last time Ichanged the magazine was in response to the reduction of Europeanmanufacturing efforts and the growth of Asian manufacturing. Now theindustry has bcome more global and although the core industry may besmaller than it once once, the growth in opportunities is a continualexpansion allowing all companies along the value chain to consolidatetheir positions or develop entirely new markets created by theinnovation the industry has always fostered.

Of course not all industry challenging events occur due to marketforces as we were all reminded with the sudden passing of MicronCEO, Steve Appleton. His style and approach was not to everyone’sliking but there is no doubt his aggressive approach ensured the USAmaintained some manufacturing outside of Intel and IBM and histenacious attitude to competition ensured that the memory market wasnever controlled by a monopoly of one (or two) companies. His passinghas left a hole in the industry and will impact the memory marketdrastically unless the USA finds another strong individual not afraid totake the fight to the competition.

I hope everyone is looking forward to the changes as much as we areand although we say goodbye to this particular name, the new look willcarry the title through for another thirty years and counting.

David RidsdaleEditor-in-Chief

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EuroAsia Semiconductor is published four times a yearon a controlled circulation basis. Non-qualifyingindividuals can subscribe at:£105.00/€158 pa (UK & Europe), £138.00 pa (air mail), $198 pa (USA). Cover price £4.50.All information herein is believed to be correct at timeof going to press. The publisher does not acceptresponsibility for any errors and omissions. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort has been made to obtain copyright permission for the material containedin this publication. Angel Business Communications Ltdwill be happy to acknowledge any copyright oversightsin a subsequent issue of the publication. Angel BusinessCommunications Ltd © Copyright 2012. All rightsreserved. Contents may not be reproduced in whole orpart without the written consent of the publishers. Thepaper used within this magazine is produced by chain ofcustody certified manufacturers, guaranteeingsustainable sourcing.

Printed by: Pensord Press. ISSN 1751-1135(Print)ISSN 2041-1383(Online)

Dynamic changes

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Contents

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contents

12 24 30

Lithography20

Cover StoryGlobal business practices16

03 Comment

07 News review

12 Market needs

16 Global business practices

20 Choosing the right photomask

24 The rising cost of 450mm

INSIDE EUROASIA

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05 Contents Final.qxp 22/2/12 16:25

3 – 4 APRIL 2012 / BERLIN, GERMANY.

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Financial News

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Recordbreaking2011THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRYASSOCIATION (SIA) announced thatworldwide semiconductor sales for 2011reached a record $299.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 0.4 percent from the$298.3 billion recorded in 2010.Worldwide semiconductor sales inDecember amounted to $23.8 billion, adecrease of 5.5 percent from the monthprior. Fourth quarter sales of $71.5billion represent a 7.7 percent declinefrom the immediate prior quarter, and a5.3 percent decrease over the sameperiod in 2010.

“Between the natural disasters inJapan and Thailand and the overallimpact of a weak global economy, 2011presented a number of challenges forthe semiconductor industry. Despitethese setbacks the industry showedresiliency and posted year-on-yeargrowth with record-breaking revenuesfor 2011,” said Brian Toohey, president,Semiconductor Industry Association.

In 2011 the industry saw strongdemand in several areas; specifically theoptoelectronic, sensor and actuator,and microprocessor markets showedsolid year over year growth. Lamps andimage sensors drove growth in theoptoelectronic market to $23.1B, a6.4% increase. Optoelectronicapplications bring energy efficiency andlow cost in a wide range of productsincluding mobile devices and cameras.

Sensors and actuators, currently thesmallest semiconductor market segmentshowed the highest year over yeargrowth at 15.5% to $8.0B in 2011.Sensor technology which can be usedto convert temperature, pressure oracceleration into electrical signals isgrowing as an application in consumerelectronics, medical devices andautomotive systems to improve safetyand efficiency. An area of continuedgrowth for sensors is in the applicationof MEMS, or microelectromechanicalsystems which are increasingly includedin smartphones, tablets, digital cameras,and numerous other consumerelectronic products.

MOS Microprocessors, part of theintegrated circuit category, which arepredominantly used in PCs and other

devices that need processingcapabilities also experienced year-over-year growth, with an increase of 7.5percent in revenue to $65.2B making itthe second largest semiconductormarket segment for 2011, behind Logic.Strong demand in the enterprisecomputing segment drovemicroprocessor sales.

In 2012 the industry is expected toexperience recovery due to demandacross a broad range of end marketsegments combined with the delayedsales impact from the supply chaindisruptions in the second half of 2011.Several large semiconductor companiesannounced plans for new facilities andnew R&D projects that will serve to fuelthe industry’s long-term growthexpectations.

Soitec acquisition completionSOITEC announced the successfulcompletion of its acquisition of all ofthe outstanding shares composing thecapital of Altatech Semiconductor S.A.,a French company located inMontbonnot Saint Martin nearGrenoble (« Altatech »), as announcedat the end of 2011.

The final purchase price was set to15 million Euros. The acquisition wasfinanced partly in cash and partly usingSoitec stock, purchased by BNP ParibasExane on the market under the share

tracker system manufacturing ramp up.Altatech Semiconductor was a

privately held French company locatedin Montbonnot-Saint-Martin nearGrenoble, France. Based on itsadvanced knowledge and experience inhigh-tech semiconductor productionsystems, Altatech, created in 2004 by agroup of semiconductor professionals,currently develops highly efficient, cost-effective technologies and equipmentsfor new applications in emergingmarkets.

buy-back program approved by theshareholders during the combinedordinary and extraordinary meetingsheld on June 24, 2011. Sellingshareholders are bound by certainholding requirements for the portion ofthe purchase price to be paid in Soitecstock.This acquisition will ensure Soiteca strategic access to specificequipments necessary to deliver itslight-emitting diode (LED) strategy aswell as to support Soitec’s newPlug&Sun™ stand-alone mini solar

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Financial News

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�Issue I 2012

Slow growth expected for 2012WITH global economic prospectsremaining uncertain and semiconductorinventory not moving quickly enough tostimulate new production, theworldwide chip market is expected tosuffer a slow year in 2012 marked bysluggish growth. Semiconductorindustry revenue in 2012 is expected toreach $323.2 billion, up a slight 3.3percent from last year’s revenue of$312.8 billion, according to an IHSiSuppli Global Manufacturing MarketTracker report.

While expansion this year isexpected to be better than the paltry1.25 percent increase of 2011, theoverall picture could brightenconsiderably if the United States andthe rest of the world recover in 2013.Under such a scenario, growth from2013 to 2015 will average between amore encouraging 6.6 to 7.9 percent, asshown in the figure below, with totalsemiconductor revenue by 2015 risingto some $397.7 billion.

“Much of the weak performance inboth 2011 and this year can beattributed to external circumstancesover which the semiconductor industryhas no control—the ambiguous state ofthe global economy, along withassorted troubles in the world’s majormarkets of the United States, Europe,Japan and China,” said Len Jelinek,director and chief analyst ofsemiconductor manufacturing researchat IHS. “And because the worldeconomy is not in a strong-enoughposition to drive growth, thesemiconductor business is comingunder pressure.”

Consumer spending is also a keyfactor determining conditions in thechip market. Although consumerspending lowered the level of inventoryof electronic devices and other itemsincorporating semiconductors duringthe 2011 holiday season, the reductionwas insufficient to re-energize chipdemand to replenish stockpiles. Worse,a deliberate decrease in manufacturingrun rates by companies in the third

quarter of 2011 proved unable to bringinventory down to levels that wouldhave fired up additional orders andincreased factory run rates. As a result,demand for manufacturers will remaindepressed until the Q2 of 2012.

Such developments will have aripple effect throughout the industry.For instance, because factory utilizationwill not recover until the middle of2012, the integrated devicemanufacturers (IDM) that both designand manufacture semiconductors in-house will experience even greaterstress to simply maintain the viability ofunderperforming factories. And withcurrent manufacturing capacity deemedacceptable for meeting demand, mostcapital expenditures to boost efficiencywithin the industry likely will be pushedout to 2013.

The most beleagueredsemiconductor segment will be thememory space, especially in dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM), withrevenue projected to decline to 16.1percent in 2012 on top of a 26.8percent fall in 2011. And a once-energetic performer in 2011—NANDflash—will see less rosy prospects thisyear because of additional capacitycoming on to meet a surge of demand

for the memory in devices like mobilehandsets and media tablets.

In contrast, a strong marketrevenue driver this year will be thewireless communication segment,spurred by media tablets, smartphonesand industrial electronics. For thesemiconductor industry to revitalize,however, it is imperative that the corePC and peripheral markets experience asignificant increase in demand, IHSbelieves.

The first half of 2012 is almostcertain to be a challenging period forthe industry, with negative growthbeing forecast for the historically slowfirst-quarter season. The industry willbegin to rebound in the second quarterand then go on to a strong thirdquarter, as is normal for the business.

Foundries dedicated tomanufacturing semiconductors as theirmain activity will continue tooutperform the industry, while IDMs willhave lower growth, especially as theyhave abdicated manufacturing inleading-edge technology—where thehigh margins are—to the foundries. Theadvice is for IDMs not to sit by idly andallow fabless or foundry companies tocontrol leading-edge design orproduction on their own.

with current manufacturing capacity deemed acceptable for meetingdemand, most capital expenditures to boost efficiency within

the industry likely will be pushed out to 2013


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MERSENYour specialist in

material solutions for the semiconductor industry

Visit us at our booth E1-1018

A POSSIBLE merger between Micron Technology and ElpidaMemories has the potential to redraw the competitivelandscape of the dynamic random access memory (DRAM)space, yielding a new No. 2 player that could challengeSamsung Electronics leadership. A union would catapult theconsolidated entity to 2nd place in the global DRAM market,with a combined capacity of 374,000 wafer starts per month.

The newly merged company would have a 28 % share ofDRAM manufacturing capacity, placing it just behind leaderSamsung Electronics currently with a 33% share. On their own,Elpida and Micron usually place in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots,respectively. The reconfigured DRAM terrain also would meanthat Hynix Semiconductor falls to third place.

Media and industry speculation currently poses thepossibility of Micron taking over Elpida, or of Elpida coming tosome sort of arrangement with its rival. But before such aTrans-Pacific marriage can proceed between the leading U.S.memory player and the chief Japanese DRAM producer, bothMicron and Elpida would have to face down a number ofpotent challenges, Howard pointed out.

The first and largest, is Elpida’s debt. At the end of thethird quarter last year, Elpida owed $4 billion in outstandingobligations. And although the DRAM industry is familiar withlarge amounts of debt because fabs can be extremelyexpensive to build and often require debt to finance, Micron isdecidedly debt averse. A second daunting challenge is thestrong yen, the currency in which approximately 60 percent ofElpida’s wafers in Japan is denominated.

A third possible challenge could be Micron’s ongoingpartnership with Nanya Technology. There could be covenantsin the agreement between Micron and Nanya that could sourany chance of a possible deal between Micron and Elpida. Andin an unexpected development, the Feb. 3 death of MicronCEO Steve Appleton in an experimental airplane crash couldcomplicate matters and delay consolidation, especially sinceAppleton was a known advocate for consolidation and waslikely a driver behind any possible deal.

For Elpida, a key advantage would be greater access tothe premium customer segments that Micron serves. In thethird quarter, Elpida DRAM commanded an average sellingprice of $0.70 per gigabyte, compared to an enviable, near-double rate for Micron at $1.34 per gigabyte. Micron, clearly,is serving a different customer group that Elpida simply wouldlove to get its hands on, IHS believes.

But while Elpida would gain access to Micron’s specialtycustomers in a merger, Micron also would be able to reachElpida’s mobile DRAM buyers. Elpida shipped 18.4 percent ofmobile bits in the third quarter, compared to only 5.3 percentfor Micron. And with mobile DRAM now accounting for about15 percent of the total DRAM market, such leverage forMicron would constitute an unqualified boost and help expandits overall revenue.

DRAM mergerwould changeindustry


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Financial News

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�Issue I 2012

Surging DRAM concernsALREADY besieged by low demand andbleak growth prospects, the market fordynamic random access memory(DRAM) is encountering yet anotherdispiriting obstacle—an alarming rise ininventory that threatens to further sinkthe industry. In contrast to the overallsemiconductor industry, where days ofinventory declined slightly in the thirdquarter of 2011, DRAM stockpilesincreased dramatically, according to anIHS iSuppli DRAM Market Brief.

The IHS iSuppli DRAM InventoryIndex in the third quarter of 2011 stoodat 12.8 weeks, as presented in thefigure attached. This represents a sharp31 percent increase from 9.8 weeks inthe second quarter of 2011, and morethan double the 6.1 weeks seen duringthe first quarter of 2010, which markeda recent low point for DRAM inventory.It also is significantly higher than thelong-term quarterly average of 9.2weeks.

The DRAM Inventory Indexmeasures the inventory value at the endof a quarter against the sales for thequarter. The index accounts for DRAMinventory held by the memory suppliersthemselves, and not by DRAM buyers.A rise in the Inventory Index valuemeans that there is more inventorybeing held by DRAM producers, puttingdownward pressure on chip prices.

“The surge in inventoryexacerbates the travails of the steadilydeteriorating DRAM market,” saidClifford Leimbach, analyst for memorydemand forecasting at IHS. “DRAMsuppliers are suffering from a multitudeof market-depressing factors includingthe lack of worldwide demand, thearrival of new applications needing less DRAM, and operating systems that do not require an incrementalincrease in DRAM as previous versionsdid.”

The new applications includetablets, which employ lower densities ofDRAM and are slowing sales growth fortraditional notebook PCs.

The financial difficulties of anumber of DRAM players also haveprevented capital expenditureinvestments on their part in more cost-effective processes, which could haveimproved the profitability of the

companies. This is because newerDRAM chips manufactured using themost advanced process nodetechnology yield higher profit margins,compared to lower margins seen fromprevious-generation chips that arenewly produced or that have beensitting in inventory. With companiesalready suffering from razor-thin profitsor even losses, the disparity betweenold and new DRAM chips becomeseven more pronounced.

The worrisome spike in theinventory index in the third quarter isreminiscent of the last DRAMoversupply situation in 2008, whichcoincided with the worldwide economicrecession at that time. But while thecircumstances from the past arerecurring on some level at the present,they also are different in many ways.

For instance, the last upheavaloccurred over a drawn-out periodlasting nine quarters, while the leveltoday from trough to current high hastaken only six quarters. Also, thepresent peak is already higher than allof the data points in the previous cyclesave for one—the previous apex,reached in the first quarter of 2009—and there is every possibility that thiscycle could surpass the last, IHSbelieves. Because DRAM is a cyclicalmarket, such distressing patterns duringwhat should be the traditional peaksales season are not comforting toproducers of the memory type. And

given the decidedly uncertain state ofthe world economy, the DRAMinventory index could well continue torise for a few more quarters, worsening an already bad situation within thespace. In line with the gloomy state ofthe market, IHS is estimating thatDRAM revenue slid to slightly morethan $6 billion in the fourth quarter of2011, down 11 percent from the third.

Furthermore, it appears unlikelythat the downward trend on operatingprofits will subside—which means thatthere will be little respite for the manyDRAM companies already operating at,or below, cash costs. All told, thehistorical trajectory illustrates that theworst is yet to come.

“Should expectations arise thatthe economy might be headed forimprovement—the belief alone issufficient—things could rapidlyimprove,” Leimbach said. “An example of heightened expectationsvery quickly reversing the downwardpath of the DRAM market occurred in2009, when the Inventory Indexrecovered from a beleaguered 14 weeks to a desirable six weeks in the space of just three quarters.”

To be sure, the prospect of a brightfuture would bring a dramaticturnaround and some much-neededrelief for the DRAM industry. But as itcurrently stands—and unfortunately forthe industry—there is little cause foroptimism.


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Statistics

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2011 was a record yearGLOBAL sales of semiconductor grewfor the second-consecutive yearfollowing the 2009 downturn, reachinga record of $299.5 billion in 2011, theWorld Semiconductor Trade Statisticsreported yesterday.

This represents an increase of 0.4 %compared to the $298.3 billionreported in 2010.

In 2011, most of the majorsemiconductor product categoriesshowed strong growth year-over-year. Inparticular total discrete, opto & sensorsgrew by 8.3% and MOSmicroprocessors grew by 7.5%compared to 2010.

The relatively low growth of totalsemiconductor sales was mainly drivenby the development of DRAMs, whichdecreased significantly. Most of theother categories showed an average toabove average development.

In December, worldwide sales were$23.8 billion, resulting in a decline of5.5 % compared to the previous month.A sequential decline in Decemberreflects normal seasonal patterns.European semiconductor salesamounted to US$ 2.779 billion.

On a total year basis Europeansemiconductor sales reached in 2011 avalue of 37.391 billion $ resulting in adecrease of 1.7% versus the year 2010.

The exchange rate of the Eurocompared to the US dollar hascontinued to have an impact on theEuropean sales picture in the lastmonth. Measured in Euro,semiconductor sales were 2.061 billionEuros in December 2011, down 6.7% onthe previous month and down 15.2%versus the same month a year ago.

On a total year basissemiconductor sales reached in 2011 avalue of 26.871 billion Euro whichrepresented a decrease of 6.5% versusthe year 2010.

All data kindly provided by EECA-ESIA.


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Vendor Viewpoint

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�Issue I 2012

Market needsSemiconductor manufacturing consists of a wideand varied food chain with different companies,products and services all contributing to thequality end result. The industry has also seen arapid change in market dynamics around theworld with geographical shifting of markets andmanufacturing. All companies along the valuechain need to take responsibility for their inputand output into the manufacturing process. Neil Lavender Jones, President of Edwards Asia Pacific discusses the company’s recentapproach for Asian success with anenvironmentally-responsible manufacturingapproach to the industry needs.

The rapid growth of manufacturing hasimproved the economic prospects of

many in Asia’s vast population; however thebenefits have not come without costs,particularly in the negative impacts ofmanufacturing operations on the environment.Although government regulation is essential toguaranteeing a level playing field - and manygovernments in the region have taken strongregulatory positions - in the end, manufacturersmust find ways to mitigate negativeenvironmental effects that also allow them tocompete successfully in the marketplace.Edwards is committed at all levels to providingmanufacturing solutions that are botheconomically viable and environmentallyresponsible, from the products we make, to themanufacturing facilities we use to make them.We hope that our newest facility, recentlyopened in Korea, not only demonstrates thislevel of our commitment to environmentally-responsible manufacturing, but may also provide

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Vendor Viewpoint

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a model for manufacturing operations thatachieve both economic and environmental goals.

Edwards is a global company with majormanufacturing operations in many countriesaround the world. We have had a manufacturingpresence for some time in Asia, with majoroperations in Korea, Japan and China. Like otherglobal companies, the recent growth in Asia hasgiven us good reason to locate new facilitiesthere, close to our customers and key markets.Last year, nearly 60 percent of our business wasin Asia. When it came time to expand ourcapacity for dry vacuum pumps, Korea, wherewe already had an assembly operation forpumps used by makers of flat panel displays,was a strong contender. When we selectedKorea as the location of the new operation, wealso committed to creating a facility that wouldincorporate all of our best practices andtechnology for environmentally-responsiblemanufacturing.

The new plant has 25,000 square meters offloor space and the capacity to produce 25,000pumps annually. To ensure a stablemanufacturing environment, the facility is“closed door” with the interior temperaturecontrolled to within 2°C. The building itself is ofdouble wall construction with an insulating airgap. Double reflective windows reflect energyfrom the exterior in summer and interior inwinter.

Most interior lighting is high-efficient LEDbased, with extensive use of “task lighting” thatprovides light only where it is needed. Aircompressors, used extensively in our operations,incorporate energy-efficient variable speeddrives. Water is heated by solar energy.Comprehensive recycling is designed to meetthe goal of zero landfill waste. Paint andfinishing processes use materials that cure at lowtemperature to reduce energy consumption byhot air dryers. All cleaning is water based and 95percent of the water used is recycled.

Of course quality is not sacrificed. Thelatest, 5-axis CNC milling tools are capable ofcreating the complex three dimensional shapesrequired by our pumps in a single operation.Advanced coordinate measuring tools enablethose tools to manufacture parts with highprecision. A lean manufacturing workflowminimizes unnecessary movement of people,parts and tools. Unidirectional flow, frommaterials in to finished products out, reducesopportunities for contamination. Kanbans andjust-in-time scheduling keep parts inventories ata minimum. All products are fully tested and allparts are fully traceable.

Remanufacturing is also an importantcomponent of our overall strategy. Smallerremanufacturing facilities are distributedthroughout the region, currently in Taiwan,China, Singapore, Korea and India. Thesefacilities reflect the same emphasis on leanmanufacturing practices, product quality andenvironmental responsibility. Remanufacturedproducts undergo the same stringent assemblyand test procedures applied to new products.Remanufacturing is essentially a recyclingprogram for our own products. It reduces wastethat would otherwise be created by scrappingold pumps and reduces cost to our customers -recycled pumps are less costly than new ones.Equally important, the network of recyclingfacilities brings us closer to our customers andbuilds local technical expertise that improvessupport.

By investing in modern manufacturingfacilities close to customer base we not onlyenhance the quality of our products andsupport, we also ensure viability of Edwards as aglobal company, benefitting our customers andemployees around the world, and at home. Forexample, the dramatic growth in our Asianmarkets is a primary driver in our current plansfor a new research and development facility inthe UK. Ultimately, we believe we are all bestserved by a company footprint thatencompasses both the worldwide distribution ofour customers and markets and the historicaldistribution of our core expertise.

Edwards takes very seriously itsresponsibilities to its customers, its workforce,and to the global environment. Rather thanconflict we see opportunity in the challenge toserve the shared interests of all ourconstituencies.

© 2012 Angel Business Communications. Permission required.

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The enhanced approach formetal lift off processes

Siconnex is a equipment manufacturer for thesemiconductor and related industry with a focus on wet batch and single wafer spray. Siconnexsystems provide small footprints, high safety, fullautomation and improved throughput. Here theyoutline product advantages impacting the MEMS industry.

SINGLE WAFER SOLVENT applicationsare becoming more relevant for theMEMS industry. As a consequenceSiconnex has expanded its activities andnow offers Metal Lift Off, Resist Stripand Polymer Removal processes on theSiconnex Vertical 200 platform.

The process head on the SiconnexVertical 200 platform is especiallydesigned to run solvent applicationssuch as Metal Lift Off, Resist Strip andPolymer Removal. The Substrate Face-Down Technology eliminates the risk ofwafer contamination. Dry waferhandling throughout the systemminimizes maintenance. Up to 6 processmodules are arranged in a stackedchamber design, keeping the footprint(with integrated chemical conditioningsystem) smaller than 4m2. Based on thisconfiguration a typical Lift-Offapplication achieves a throughput of125wph.

Wafer sizes up to 8-inch areprocessed in this system.

AdvantagesInSitu Lift-Off ChamberCompared to other available systemson the market, the Siconnex Vertical200 SOLVENT has an on the SiconnexVertical 200 platform enabling the toolto perform both steps in one chamber,a complete soaking process as well asthe final High-Pressure Lift-Off cycle.The soaking step is done by utilizing

dedicated spray nozzles, up to apressure of approximately 2 bar. Usingthe mechanical force of this stream, thesoaking time can be reduced by over75%. The subsequent High-Pressurestep eliminates residues and cleans thesurface completely. The requiredpressure (up to 150 bar) can beadjusted in the recipe.

Substrate Face-Down TechnologyWafers are loaded face-down into theprocess chamber, where they are heldby a vacuum chuck. A N2-Purgecompletely protects the wafer backsidefrom splash-backs caused by the highpressure step.

Due to Substrate Face-DownTechnology, all residues will be keptaway from the wafer surface by gravity.In addition, this technology preventsthe wafer from scratches caused bymetal residues.

Process Qualification Siconnex qualifies all processes in itslaboratory in Salzburg. The cleanroom isequipped with all Siconnex systemsbeing offered to the industry – Produce200 Acid for batch spray wafer acidapplications, Produce 200 Solvent forbatch spray wafer solvent applicationsand Vertical 200 Solvent for single wafersolvent applications.

Currently, more than 50 000 waferswere processed in the Vertical 200

Solvent to develop and qualify MetalLift Off, Resist Strip and PolymerRemoval processes. Upcominglaboratory activities are the qualificationof contactless handling (Bernoulli chuck)and the development of the Vertical200 Acid for single wafer acid tasks.

Siconnex – Wet Spray ExpertFounded in 2002, Siconnex isheadquartered in Salzburg/Hof, Austria,and operates via a customer supportnetwork, with subsidiaries in France,Malaysia and Taiwan.

Siconnex provides surfacepreparation equipment and processes,including wet batch wafer spray andsingle wafer spray systems for MEMS,III-V Semiconductor, Wireless, Power,Energy Harvesting, WLP, Data Storageand Logic industries.

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Global business practisesThe semiconductor industry is truly a global market place and for many newcompanies in the sector there is a minefield of knowledge required in buildingassociates and relationships in foreign markets. Jackson Wood, corporate businessmanager of MSR eCustoms, takes a look at what to be wary of when building aglobal presence and asks how well do you know your customers?

Doing business in a global economycan be a challenge. As the

marketplace grows, it is critical to ensure yourbusiness partners are not subject to restrictions.While opportunities abound, some companiespractice due diligence and others just go aheadand hope things fall into place smoothly.

Although it may sound simple, a majorelement of diligence is to Know Your Customer

(KYC). Commonly referred to by bank regulationand financial institutions, KYC is the duediligence that they and other regulatedcompanies must perform to identify clients andgather pertinent business information. It usuallytakes the form of an internal policy used toconform to a customer identification programmandated by the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) andthe USA PATRIOT Act.

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Many international jurisdictions take theircues from the U.S. to form their own similarversion. The policy of knowing your customer isbecoming more important on a global scale, toprevent identity theft fraud, money launderingand terrorist financing. It’s important toimplement these types of procedures in yourcompany to ensure you, your agents, consultantsor distributors are in anti-bribery compliance.

Who to look out forSo how does one make the connection betweenknowing the customers they do business withand bribery? Although they are called slightlyvarying names in different countries, there areprominent public figures generally known as aPolitically Exposed Person (PEP) or ForeignOfficial. These people,

due to their position and influence, are ahigher risk for possible bribery and corruption.The Financial Action Task Force on MoneyLaundering (FATF) also includes the immediatefamily members or publically known individualsthat are close personal or professional associatesof the PEP in their definitions.

While there is no global definition for theterm, most countries have based their owndefinitions of the FATF. The anti-briberyprovision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act(FCPA) “makes it unlawful for a U.S. person, andcertain foreign issuers of securities, to make acorrupt payment to a foreign official for thepurpose of obtaining or retaining business for orwith, or directing business to, any person.” Thepenalties for violation are severe. Criminalpenalties could include fines up to $2,000,000,and individuals including officers, directors,stockholders, employees or agents could befined up to $100,000 and imprisonment up to 5years. Without proper screening procedures, it ispossible to engage in business with someonewho is considered a PEP, putting you and yourcompany at risk of violating the law.

What to look out for/MoneyLaunderingWithout participating in due diligence practices,it could be possibly to accidently bribe a PEP orForeign Official when engaging in business witha new country, or a new company. The bribingof public officials is considered moneylaundering under the expanded definition in theUSA PATRIOT Act. An approximation by the

International Monetary Fund estimates between2% and 5% of global gross domestic product aslaundered money, financing criminal enterprisesand terrorism. Money laundering has been acriminal offense in the U.S. since the MoneyLaundering Control Act of 1986, however antimoney laundering (AML) guidelines came intoprominence after the September 11, 2001attacks. Many countries worldwide have initiatedtheir own Money Laundering legislation. TheUnited Kingdom, and many other Europeancountries have based their regulations direct onthe EU directive 91/308/EEC, 2001/97/EC and2005/60/EC, preventing the use of financialinstitutions for the purpose of money launderingand terrorist financing. The easiest way to ensureyou company doesn’t contribute to moneylaundering is to Know Your Customer byscreening potential companies and individuals todo business with.

Export ControlsUsually when we think of globally exportingitems, we visualize shipping docks loaded withcontainers ready to be sent across the ocean.However many companies may be currentlyexporting items without even realizing they areviolating export controls. The U.S. holds strictexport regulations under the ExportAdministration Regulations (EAR), which regulateexport and re-export of commercial items.

Under the EAR, many forms ofcommunication such as a set of schematics sentvia e-mail, or software downloaded from aninternet site are both considered an export.Even if the item is only leaving temporarily, or isa gift, it is still considered an export. To confuse

Usually when we think of globallyexporting items, we visualize shippingdocks loaded with containers ready to

be sent across the ocean. Howevermany companies may be currently

exporting items without even realizingthey are violating export controls.


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matters even further, the release of technologyto a foreign national in the U.S. is considered a“deemed export” and is subject to EAR as well.

Fortunately not every product requirescommerce export licenses, however theresponsibility lies on the exporter to determinewhether they need a license or not. Licenserequirements depend on a variety of factorsincluding what you are exporting and its’purpose, where it’s being exported to, and whowill receive the item. The main factor indetermining if an export license is needed iswhether the item has a specific Export ControlClassification Number (ECCN). All of the ECCN’sare listed in the Commerce Control List (CCL)which is divided into 10 broad categories, ofwhich each is then further subdivided into fiveproduct groups. The ‘where’ and ‘who’ tie backinto the ‘Know Your Customer’ guidance ondealing with embargoed countries or restrictedparties.

How to look out for youThere are lists issued by various governmentagencies globally that are a compilation ofrestricted or denied parties. While the thoughtof comparing your potential customer againstdozens of lists sounds tedious and timeconsuming, there are service providers who canfilter the names you provide, flag suspiciousnames and classify them according to risk.

They can also inform you if the companyyou are interested in doing business islocated within a country that is hostile orif there are trade sanctions against it.The U.S. and E.U. share sanctionsagainst several countries including Iranand North Korea. The United Nations also listsseveral countries under embargo. Some

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There are lists issued by various government agencies globally that are a compilation of restricted or denied parties. While

the thought of comparing your potential customer against dozens of lists sounds tedious and time consuming,

there are service providers who can filter the names you provide, flag suspicious names and classify them according to risk

embargoed countries are allowed commercialgoods, while other have much stricterrestrictions. The best way to qualify potentialbusiness prospects is to compare it to theassembled lists. While it may not always beillegal to conduct business with these countries,a special license may be required to do so.

Enhanced due diligence practices ensurethat your company and your executives areprotected from the law. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, U.S. companies need to have stronginternal controls at every level of theorganization to ensure the highest degree offinancial accuracy and accountability. As thecompany is ultimately held responsible forcompliance it makes the most sense forcorporate chiefs to directly oversee internalprocedures rather than outsource, or rely on third parties.

All these practices tie back to one simplepremise: Know Your Customer. By participatingin this modest diligence exercise, companies canensure that they are protecting themselves andtheir country.



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Manufacturing - Lithography

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�Issue I 2012

Choosing the right photomaskAnyone involved in the IC manufacturing industry is well aware of the cost thatphotomasks bring to the bottom line of a project. Large manufacturing ventures arewell versed in their needs but the ever expanding smaller and fabless ventures maynot have the knowledge for what suits them. Gordon Hughes, CAD SystemsDevelopment Manager at Compugraphics International provides an outline formanufacturers on how to specify a photomask.

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There are a small number of IDM’s andFoundries that order hundreds and

even thousands of photomasks every year. Suchusers are pretty knowledgeable about thecriteria used to select the right photomask.However,there are thousands of other maskusers who may only order a few photomasks ayear and don’t have the time or resource tofigure it all out. This article is aimed at them.

They will want to order a photomask whichis not over specified and thus unnecessarilyexpensive. Most are using 1x projectionlithography systems. Once they are ready toorder their photomasks they should consider thesubstrate choice options. The article examinesthe pros and cons of these options, setting outthe technical differences between them. Thenthe question arises of how tightly the dimensionson the photomask need to be controlled. Thearticle will give guidance on what sort of cdcontrol is easy, medium and hard, with anexplanation of why tight CD control is inevitablymore expensive. The article will cover the sameground for overlay control and defectivity.

Furthermore there is the question of who toorder this photomask from. The article willprovide an overview of the options, ranging fromglobal semiconductor manufacturing companiesto university run R&D departments, sometimesused to make masks. There are many benefits ingoing to dedicated photomask producers andthis article will explain why. As the largerphotomask manufacturers are already geared upto provide masks to a specified standard andquality, it need not be a more expensive option.

A photomask represents a complex piece ofengineering, the result of a manufacturingprocess with many process steps and options.As a result, when a customer orders their firstphotomask they are presented with a very largenumber of questions often using terminologywhich the user will not be familiar with. Thisarticle will attempt to demystify the process.There are three significant components whichmake up the complete photomask order.

The first of these is a file that defines thegeometrical data which is to be exposed on thephotomask. In the mainstream semiconductorindustry this will usually be one of three dataformats, Calma GDSII Stream (often abbreviatedto any one of these three names) , OASIS (amodern, more compact, data representation) orMEBES (the machine specific format used by theEtec photomask writing systems). Smallercustomers have a large number of possible

formats for defining their geometry; twocommon ones are Caltech Intermediate Format(CIF) and AutoCAD DXF. If you are not usingone of the main-stream formats, an importantaspect to bear in mind is the need to definegeometry which defines areas, rather thanconstructs such as Line and Arc which producenice pictures, but are not always easy to convertto exposed regions of a photomask. It ispreferable to use one of the three main-streamdata formats if possible, as these are lessambiguous about what the geometry representsthan some of the other formats.

Technical descriptionThe final aspect of a photomask order is thecommercial aspects of the order. A typical flowfor smaller customers is to provide either sampleor actual geometrical data to allow a quotationto be generated, which is then followed up apurchase order.

Within the technical requirements, there area number of different categories of informationrequired. In summary these are:

� The physical materials required – size and type of glass

� The size and acceptable tolerances of the minimum features

� Any requirements for registration and overlay

� The inspection criteria for acceptable defectivity levels

The information provided in these categories willdictate which of a range of photomask writingand inspection tools will be used, and dictatethe cost. As a general rule, the larger the size ofglass, the smaller the features, the tighter thetolerances and the more critical the defectlevels, the more advanced tools must be usedand the greater the cost.

The most common sizes of glass are 4”, 5”,6” 7”, 9” and 14” square photomasks designedfor use with 3”, 4”, 5”, 6”, 8” and 12” wafersizes. As the size gets larger the thickness alsotends to get larger, ranging from 0.06” to 0.25”.For historical reasons, photomask sizes arenormally specified in inches, even though thefeatures on them are normally expressed inmicrons/nanometres. The size required isdictated by the capabilities of the equipmentthat the photomask will be used on. Mostphotomasks ordered by smaller customers arefor 1X contact or alignment systems, so thephotomask needs to be slightly larger than the

As ageneral

rule, thelarger the

size ofglass, the

smaller thefeatures,

the tighterthe

tolerancesand the

morecritical the

defectlevels, the

moreadvanced

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wafer size to allow for handling and titling. Suchphotomasks are often described as masterphotomasks, and can either be used directly orcan be used to make contact print copyphotomasks. The alternative is to manufacturephotomasks called Reticles when stepper orscanner technology is used, where each reticlewill typically be 5” or 6” in size and the featureswill be 2X, 2.5X, 4X, 5X, 10X the size required onthe final silicon wafer. The requirements may alsoinclude the need for one or two pellicles to beattached. A pellicle protects the surface of thephotomask and also moves any particles on thepellicle surface out of the focal plane of thesystem using the photomask.

The minimum feature size that appears onthe photomask will dictate which exposuresystem needs to be used to write it. Mostwriting systems have a number of differentwriting modes, and the mode determines theminimum feature size which can be exposed, aswell as the typical tolerance which can beachieved. Commercial manufacturers are makinghundreds of photomasks per week and

maintaining SPC data about the key aspects oftheir process equipment so will have a goodunderstanding of their process capabilities.

For the semiconductor industry, mostphotomasks will have CD tolerances of less than0.25 microns, so any requirement which isslacker than this can be ordered on the basis ofthe SPC results. Where machines are being usedas part of a research environment, or arecheaper photo plotters rather than thelaser/ebeam based writing systems used inmerchant photomask manufacturers, there islikely to be more process variation betweenphotomasks.

Photomasks can also be checked for thepositional accuracy of feature placement withinthe photomask, either by comparing the overlayof the photomask with another photomask or bycomparing points measured from the photomaskto a standard grid. Any photomask beingproduced for the semiconductor industry willtypically have registration and overlay resultsbetter than 0.25 microns, and for most non-semiconductor applications SPC results can be


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used for the mask qualification. It is also importantto note the difference in thermal expansioncoefficient between quartz and soda lime glass,with quartz glass being an order of magnitudebetter. For soda lime, a 10C change intemperature results in a 1um expansion over a 4”distance. If soda lime glass is being used, it isuseful to advise the photomask manufacturer ofthe temperature at which the photomask will beused, as this can be compensated for as thephotomask is written. If the temperature is likely tovary while the mask is in use, or if the mask isbeing used with a deeper UV wavelength (i-line orlower) then quartz material should always be used.

There is no such thing as a defect freephotomask. The question is: at what level ofdetail do you want to inspect the mask? Atsome, possibly sub-micron level, there willalways be some defects caused by imperfectionsin the photomask blank, the coating or thedevelopment and etching process. In the case ofreticles or 1X photomasks with no repeatingpatterns, a typical defect specification would be“zero defects greater than x microns”. In thecase of advanced photomasks “x” might behundreds of nanometres, and for semiconductorphotomasks “x” will usually be 1 micron or less.If there are repeating patterns, then the maskdefectivity is usually expressed as being amaximum acceptable level of “y” defects persquare “unit” at “z” microns, where “y” is thenumber of allowable defects, “z” is a defect sizein microns, and “unit” is typically “cm” or “inch”.(e.g. 1 defect per square inch at 1 micron). Insome causes it is also desirable to use both adefect density specification and a maximumallowable defect size, e.g. 1 defect per squareinch at 1 micron and 0 defects > 5um. Anydefects detected outside of this specification caneither be repaired or the photomask rejectedand rewritten. If there is a repeated pattern, andthe mask is only being used for development orresearch purposed, the existence of small

numbers of defects may be non-critical. If this isthe case the customer can request no defectinspection, and thus save the cost associatedwith a significant process step. Again orderingphotomasks with no inspection is most practicalwhen you are using a major photomaskmanufacturer where the SPC can show that all oftheir masks are being manufactured to very lowlevels of defectivity.

It can also be very useful to advise thephotomask manufacturer what type oftechnology the mask will be used for. Examplesare optical wave guide masks where highresolution when writing the mask is important inachieving smooth curved features; or surfaceacoustic wave devices where any breaks orbridges in the fingers can cause fatal deviceerrors. Larger manufacturers will already befamiliar with many similar issues, based on theextensive experience of their workforce.

Once all of the technical information hasbeen assembled, there are a number of methodsfor passing it on for manufacture. For manysmaller customers, the instruction to apply thephotomask manufacturer’s standards may besufficient (although some items such as masktitles, tone required and a minimum feature sizeare always required). Larger manufacturers offeronline ordering systems which can capture thedata required in a user friendly manner. Ifordering large quantities of masks, standardssuch as the SEMI P10 format can be used, butthe software effort required to generate thisdata is probably hard to justify for smallercustomers.

Getting the photomasks you desire is nevera trivial task, but some consideration to therequirements and qualification options requiredcan pay dividends in achieving cheaper andreliable photomasks.


Gordon Hughes is the CAD Systems Manager at the CompugraphicsInternational Glenrothes site. He graduated with a BSc in Computer Sciencefrom Edinburgh University. Following graduation, continued to work forEdinburgh University developing and supporting their CAD tools that wereused as part of an MSc course. He then joined Lattice Logic (subsequently)European Silicon Structures where he developed the Shapesmith software forthe processing of mask data. He has been responsible for the CAD andData Processing systems within Compugraphics for over 20 years, pursuinghis interest in automation of the data processing and customer requirementsfrom order forms and specifications.


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�Issue I 2012 The rising cost of 450mm

The semiconductor industry was once well used to transitioning along technologynodes. Moore’s Law provided the parameters of expectation guiding companiesalong the shrinkage path. That was until 300mm and the financial and industry fallout from that nodular move is still felt throughout the industry. Now 450mm is on thetable and the recent SEMICON Europa saw an international event on the matter.Tom Morrow of SEMI outlines the details of the event.

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In the most complete, public discussion todate on the scope and character of the 450

mm wafer transition, representatives ofSEMATECH, policy-makers from the EuropeanCommission, industry consortia, and technologysuppliers met to discuss the implications of 450mm transition at SEMICON Europa on October13-14, in Dresden, Germany. Among thehighlights of the 2-day session was the 450transition price tag estimated by speakers at$25-$40 billion, much of it centered at theGlobal 450 Consortium (G450C), perhaps withlittle room for other industry consortia or non-G450C participants.

According to Tom Jefferson, 450 programmanager at SEMATECH, by mid-2013 to early2014, a complete 450 mm production line willbe established in New York containing 50different tool types. The objective of the pilotline will be to develop data to support thepurchase of production-line tools and it isunlikely that non-participants in G450C will befavorably considered for 450 production lines.According to many speakers, like the case with200 mm tools during the 300 mm transition,when 450 mm reaches production, significant300 mm development will cease.

What 450mm Means for Europe and300mmThe 450mm Progress Review at SEMICONEuropa was organized by Lothar Pfitzner,Fraunhofer IISB, and included sessions on R&Dand Planning, Facilities, Silicon and Metrology,FEOL Equipment and Automation, andTechnology and Device Issues. Georg Kelm,head of the European Commission’sNanoelectronics sector, discussed thepreliminary results of a draft study, due by year’send, which seeks to clarify policy options andsupport considerations for the Europeansemiconductor industry. Preliminary conclusionsof the study claim that once 450mm enters fullproduction, further 300mm node developmentwill cease for tool suppliers due to limitedresources and poor return on investment. Someequipment suppliers may choose to stay off450mm and focus on specialty development on300mm platforms, but the 8nm node is likely tobe the 450mm equivalent of 65nm’s ‘300mmonly’ moment. Furthermore, the “Post CMOS”era will likely be exclusively on 450mm wafers.

Once 450mm is fully developed, sparecapacity in 300mm will emerge, encouraging a

migration from 200 mm production, impactingthe viability and competitiveness of both 200mm and 300 mm fabs in Europe and the world.In 15-20 years, even low volume, maturetechnologies in MEMS, power and analog couldmigrate to 450 mm fabs.

How the EU chooses to support thesemiconductor industry through the comingyears is being evaluated by the study, industryplayers and policymakers throughout the region.There are clear divergences of interests acrossthe industry: European IC manufacturers arecurrently not planning 450 mm investments;many equipment and materials suppliers see anopportunity, but many suppliers see the 450R&D draw threatening long-term profitabilityand current customers. Similarly, Europeanconsortia and R&D organizations see both anopportunity and a threat as—unlike current 300mm process development which occurs atmultiple locations around the globe—near-term450 development seems likely to be exclusivelyconducted at the G450C site in New York.

Kelm acknowledged the prominence ofdifferent views on government support for More-Than Moore, and More Moore programs and thechallenges 450 will make on currentsemiconductor and high-tech policy. With $2-3billion necessary for a stake in a 450development fab capability, it is unclear whetherboth wafer size transition, next node scaling,new transistor technology, and 3D IC could besimultaneously be funded. With 450 demandingsuch a large resource commitment, it is alsounclear how semiconductor industry support willfare among all European Key EnablingTechnologies (biotechnology, advancedmaterials, photonics, etc.).

Michel Brillouet, Senior Advisor, CEA-LETI,who estimated the total cost for 450 wafer sizeconversion to reach as high as $40 billion,summarized the EU options: help develop 450and forget all More-than-Moore projects; forget450 and concentrate on other processtechnologies such as 3D, EUV, etc; and supportR&D by equipment and material supplierswithout a European production or pilotdevelopment lab.

Effective Migration: Affordable andOn-Time?Hans Lebon, VP Fab & Process StepDevelopment at IMEC, began his presentationwith the statement that “wafer size transition

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accelerates industry consolidation.” Estimatingthe cost of the transition at $25 billion, Lebonsaid the 300 mm wafer size transition “wasn’tcost effective.” One of the ways to managecosts will be through “fewer equipmentplatforms.” Imec is still trying to formulate a rolein 450, and claimed there “still was a longjourney to go.”

Tom Jefferson from SEMATECH, however,sees a clear timeline, schedule and participationprocess in place for 450. He stated that over 40companies are participating in the program,defects per wafer have been reduced from morethan 3000 to less than 200, and that effectiveSEMI standards have been developed to enabledevelopment.

Jefferson reiterated the key details of theSeptember announcement that IBM, Intel,TSMC, GlobalFoundries, and Samsung, alongwith the College of Nanoscale Science andEngineering, University of Albany, StateUniversity of New York, have committed $4.4billion to next-generation chip research,including 450 mm wafer processing. How muchof the announced $4.4 billion was already-committed IBM money for other (non-450)advanced chip design and technologydevelopment was not verified. The new fab sitehas been prepared and walls are going up onthe fast-track project. Nanoimprint technologyfrom EV Group will be used as the “stopgapmeasure” in lieu of a workable EUV solution.

On Day 2 of the Session, Jefferson returnedto clarify that the pilot line will include 50 typesof tools, many with more than one suppliercontributing. The goal of the pilot line will be todevelop a database that will be used to supportproduction tool purchasing. Participants in theprogram will benefit from access to patternedand non-patterned wafers, shared metrology and

Multi Application Carriers (MACs), sharedconsortium staff resources, data sharing, and“financially leveraged business partnerships”with consortium partners. Suppliers who do notparticipate in the program will be lower on thepriority for access to test wafers. The impressionleft was that not participating in the program willlower the probability of participation inproduction line rollouts by consortium partners.

Jefferson also clarified the intercept point ofthe pilot line. The consortium is expected tohave different intercept points for logic andDRAM, but the “expectation should be for 10nm and beyond,” and the timing for the secondhalf of 2013-early 2014.

New Requirements for 450 FabsOther presentations during the 2-day programaddressed many unique fab, tool and technologyrequirements for larger wafers. These diversepresentations demonstrated that while 450 mmpilot plans are sharpening around firm schedulesand requirements, considerable engineering andscience work has yet to be completed.

Peter Csatary, Head of Group Technologies,M+W Group, highlighted utility, construction,material handling requirements for a 450 fab.Ines Stolberg, Manager Strategic MarketingLitho, Vistec, discussed their concept for a directwrite, variable beam (rather than single beam)approach to maskless lithography. GuilhemDelpu from Recif discussed work being fundedby the EU on improving vibration, cleanlinessand substrate affects on wafer handling.

Geert van der Zalm of Bosch Rexroth alsodiscussed alternative material handlingapproaches and control strategies for 450 mmwafers to manage vibration with heavier loadsand longer arms. “We may need to rethink toolarchitecture, such as using inverted linear motorto enable inline vacuum transport that has beenproven useful in the solar industry.”

Results from another European fundedproject on etch process development illustratedthe challenges in 450 mm process development.Mike Cooke from Oxford Instruments indicatedthe first tests on 450 PECVD SiO2 processinghave so far yielded only a 4.2% uniformity acrossall points. In induction coupled etch plasma, a+/- 10% uniformity across a 450 wafer has beenachieved (half of the non-uniformity at the waferedge), that according to Cooke was “not goodenough, but a useful start.”


Other presentations during the 2-dayprogram addressed many unique fab,tool and technology requirements for

larger wafers. These presentationsdemonstrated that while pilot plans

are sharpening, considerablework has yet to be completed

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The Power of [x]

The Power of [Connection]

SEMICON Singapore 2012April 24-26Marina Bay Sands, Singaporewww.semiconsingapore.org

SEMICON Russia 2012May 15-16ExpoCenter, Moscow, Russiawww.semiconrussia.org

SEMICON West 2012July 10-12Moscone Center, San Francisco, Californiawww.semiconwest.org

SOLARCON India 2012September 3-5Bangalore, Indiawww.solarconindia.org

SEMICON Taiwan 2012September 5-7TWTC Nangang Hall, Taipei, Taiwanwww.semicontaiwan.org

PV Taiwan 2012October 3-5TWTC Hall 1, Taipei, Taiwan, www.pvtaiwan.com

SEMICON Europa 2012October 9-11Dresden, Germanywww.semiconeuropa.org

PV Japan 2012December 3-5Chiba, Japanwww.pvjapan.org

SEMICON Japan 2012December 3-5Chiba, Japanwww.semiconjapan.org

Upcoming SEMI Expositions

IdeasCollaboration

Technology

InnovationInspiration

EngagementNetworking

SEMI expositions have the [X] factor. From across the

microelectronics supply chain—from materials to final

manufacturing, from semiconductors to solar/PV to

emerging markets—you’ll connect with the companies,

people, products, and ideas that drive today’s innovations

and shape tomorrow’s technologies. Whatever your need,

whatever your challenge, you’ll find the answers and

solutions at a SEMI exposition.

For the complete schedule of 2012 SEMI Expositions, visit www.semi.org/events

SEMIExpositions

SemiconductorS • Solar/PV

ledS • memS • FPd

PlaStic electronicS

emerging marketS

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Sources of Supply

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Equipment

Gas Handling & MFC

Gas (High Purity) Process Control

Chemical Pumps Fan Filter Units

Furnaces

Furnaces

Automation & Wafer Handling Connection Solutions Furnaces

Cleanrooms

Furnaces

SOS Issue 1 2012 v1 22/2/12 16:23

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Sources of Supply

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Wafer Level Packaging

Wet BenchesWet Benches

Material Processing

To promote your Products and Services cost effectively to

all our buyers and specifiers, take advantage of the new Sources

of Supply section.

A Sources of Supply entry is effective, and an easy way of

promoting your products and services for the full year.

Additionally your entry will be seen at major exhibitions and

events throughout the year.

For further information, please contact: Shehzad Munshi

T: +44 (0)1923 690 215 E: [email protected]

Entries in Sources of Supply @ £1,500 per heading per year.

Liquid Nitrogen Piping

RF-/DC-/MF-Power Supplies

Semiconductor Equipment

Solder Rework

Vacuum Equipment

SOS Issue 1 2012 v1 22/2/12 16:23

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Regional

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�Issue I 2012

While much of the semiconductor industry focuses on global figuresrevealing overall slow growth there is always bright spots of innovationand success. Scotland’s Semi Scenic is an excellent regional exampleafter it doubled sales in semiconductor market in 2011.

In an exceptional year, semiconductor company SemiScenic, one of the emerging success stories in the Scottish

electronics sector, has more than doubled its sales and nearlytrebled its operating profit. As the industry globally hasexperienced a period of growth over the year the sectorcontinues to be extremely competitive. Along with the rapidlyincreasing push in the Asian Semiconductor manufacturingmarket towards localisation, the East Kilbride firm’sachievement in turning in such healthy figures is even moreremarkable.

Semi Scenic, based in the Lanarkshire town’s ScottishEnterprise Technology Park, posted turnover for the year toFebruary 2011 of £3.3M, up from £1.5M for the same periodlast year. Operating profits rose to £725k, up from £270k.

Chief executive Don Nicolson said: “This is a very cyclicalindustry and our ability to adjust quickly to rapid changes indemand, without compromising on quality, has enabled us tomaintain a respectable growth rate. Utilising our technicalcapabilities to supply a global market has been critical asalmost 90% of our revenue came from exports. ”

Semi Scenic, which is recognised by major US-based

multi-national Lam Research as its preferred legacy etchsystem refurbishment provider in Europe, employs a 20-strong team of experienced engineers from East Kilbride.

It operates a dedicated facility for supplying refurbishedsemiconductor systems globally, as well as providingengineering support services at customer sites throughoutEurope. Its approach is to provide licensed high-qualitysupport within the semiconductor sector at competitive prices.

Mr. Nicolson added: “Growth in the semiconductorindustry resumed over the course of the year althoughenthusiasm is currently muted at best as consumer spendingremains fragile in the most important markets.

“Against that background, the team at Semi Scenicremains one of Scottish engineering’s success stories and is tobe commended for its continuing dedication andprofessionalism. We are confident that growth will bemaintained in the current year and with that in mind hope tomove to a larger facility in the next 6 to 12 months.”


Scottishsemiconductorsuccess

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