Latest Updates
450mm Officially On Hold…
January 17, 2017
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Is 450mm over? Not for good. At some point, technology, market, and the resulting economic changes will inevitability bring the discussion, and likely, the development, back. However, the New York-based, 450mm global consortium, G450C is done. According to an article in the Times Unio
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450mm Back from the Dead? The Ultimate Wafer may Help
October 26, 2016
450mm Back from the Dead? The Ultimate Wafer may Help Solutions from an Unlikely Place In the last article, the evolution of the crystal pulling methods was analyzed, and there presented was the promise of a new method that would continue the improvement over the continuous CZ, fed wi
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Batch Czochralski Processing: Some Cold, Hard Truths
April 12, 2015
Batch Czochralski Processing: Some Cold, Hard Truths The Good and the Challenge Batch CZ processing, as described at a high, conceptual level in the first of this series of articles, has been a fundamental technology, enabling the semiconductor industry for many decades [1]. Until now
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450mm Test Wafers, a Path Forward?
January 16, 2015
Part One: The Issue with 450mm Ingots In the last article, I mentioned that there appears to be a route toward a cost-effective (upgradable), reduced cost (faster), and safer means of pulling 450mm silicon crystals (also referred to as ingots or boules). This technology may be a poten
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450mm: Ready, Set…
January 01, 2015
For much of 2014, there has been little to report on the progress of 450mm. No surprise that it appears most suppliers have pulled back on 450mm investments and focus. This is evidenced by how many times the phrase 450mm is mentioned in some key player’s annual 10K filings with the Se
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Caution Ahead for 450mm?
December 19, 2013
Caution Ahead on 450mm At one point, it seemed everything was lining up very well for 450mm: a consortium of the proponents (G450C), a post-450mm delivery of EUV (along with significant investment in ASML), and some agreed-upon industry deadlines, and many 450mm-specific industry grou
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New Consortia: Are Chipmakers Missing?
June 28, 2013
Consortia Galore Last week, Mark LaPedus at SemiMD put together a great article about the latest surge in 450mm consortia and consortium-like 450mm projects. It appears that 450mm R&D is poised to really take off with the formation of these new groups. After reading the piece, I w
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The 450mm Transition’s Dirty Little Secret
May 31, 2013
For all of the excitement about the coming 450mm transition, not everything about the disruption will be be rosy for all sectors of the industry. While there is still some debate on the overall cost savings that will be realized by using 450mm wafers, there’s not much discussion about
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Chemical Spill Announces DNS 450mm Tool
April 24, 2013
Interesting Article in Albany Times-Union By Conrad T. Sorenson – CEO Enabling Materials LLC April 24, 2013 In the Press: Three treated after spill at Nanotech A leak of 30% hydrogen peroxide from a Dainippon Screen tool while it was being unloaded for installation at Nanofab X (G450C
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