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Trends in Deep Sub-micron Semiconductor Manufacturing
Achieving volume production reliably and quickly poses challenges for semiconductor manufacturers in the deep sub-micron era. IC designs are becoming more complex, as are the new process technologies and new materials. The numbers of features and transistors for the 0.13-micron technology node is many times those of previous generations.
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In addition, ever-shortening market windows require semiconductor companies to quickly reach volume production.
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As a result of increasing complexity, the introduction of new manufacturing materials, and shorter time-to-volume demands, there has been a shift in the root causes of yield loss toward integration issues from contamination. Yield integration issues are primarily systematic in nature, due to incompatibility between design and process, and failure to meet required specifications. While reducing random defects in fabrication facilities (fabs) is still important, cleaner fabs have stabilized rates of contamination-related yield loss. Meanwhile systematic feature-related yield loss—such as that of vias and contacts—continues to increase.
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As device geometries decrease and design complexities explode, failure to address integration issues before product ramps leads to increasing functional and performance yield losses.
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