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IN THIS ISSUE — January 31, 2012 1. News & Features 2. Round Table Discussions/Videos 3. Blogs NEWS & FEATURES Lithography Vendors Expand Immersion Roadmaps The semiconductor industry has extended 193nm immersion lithography much further than previously thought. And so ASML Holding NV has expanded its 193nm immersion lithography roadmap. "Immersion is not dead," said Eric Meurice, president and CEO of ASML, during a recent conference call. KLA-Tencor Re-engineers Wafer Inspection Tools KLA-Tencor said it has done a grounds-up redesign of its 2900 broadband wafer inspection tool, achieving 3X the sensitivity. The laser-based Puma 9650 platform, and the e-beam-based eS800 system, also received significant technology upgrades. The wafer inspection systems are aimed at the 2x technology nodes and beyond. Applied CEO: Tool Vendors Want More Say in 450mm The 450mm era recently celebrated its first milestone with the announcement of a new consortium. But to help make 450mm happen in a timely fashion, Mike Splinter, chairman, chief executive and president of Applied Materials, said the fab tool industry wants more participation in the consortium. Collaboration, Coordination And Consolidation Applied Materials CEO Mike Splinter sounds off on complexity, the need for companies to work together more closely, and the need to slim down the number of players in each sector to promote efficiency. ASML Holding Makes Bold Promises with EUV ASML will hit another milestone in the next-generation lithography race: It will ship its first production extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool in 2012 and has made some bold promises in the process. For "early NXE:3300 adopters," ASML will deliver an EUV tool with a "stable performance" and a throughput at 69 wafers an hour, said James Koonmen, senior vice president of ASML and general manager of its Brion unit. GlobalFoundries Enters Production in New York Fab Silicon foundry vendor GlobalFoundries is starting off with a bang in 2012: The company's 300-mm fab in New York has moved into initial production. It will also create more jobs in the United States this year. And GlobalFoundries and IBM plan to jointly manufacture advanced chips at both companies' semiconductor fabs. ReRAM Memory Era Starts Amid Industry Skepticism Resistive RAMs (ReRAMs) are one of several next-generation memory candidates to possibly succeed NAND flash and DRAM — if or when today's technologies run out of gas and are unable to scale. Elpida claims to have developed the world's first ReRAM prototype. Analysts are skeptical about ReRAM in general. Soitec Sees 'Significant' Solar Revenues in Q3 Soitec said its concentrated PV operation is starting to take off, with sales of 6.8 million Euros in the third fiscal quarter. Full-year consolidated sales are expected to exceed 325 million Euros, but the company said it expects an operating loss for the full year. More News & Features ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS / VIDEOS Improving the Quality of PVD Cu Seed Layer Authors from Novellus Systems and The University of Illinois describe how the quality of PVD deposited barrier/seed interface in copper interconnect metallization was significantly improved by enhancing Cu nucleation on the Ta surface. More Round Table Discussions/Videos BLOGS / TWITTER Litho Guru Tennant's Law Will multibeam technology save direct-write ebeam lithography? Not likely. ASN's All Things SOI 32nm SOI is GloFo Fab 8's 1st Silicon Huge fab vastly increases designers' access to cost-effective power and performance advantages. ImPatterning High performance LED's on Si wafers – the race is on Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) are about to pick up one of the key drivers from the low cost IC industry – Gallium Nitride (GaN) LED's are being manufactured on large silicon wafers. Viewpoints: SEMI Packaging Community Takes on New Challenges through Industry Collaboration As the semiconductor industry responds to increasing demands for lower power, higher performance and reduced form factor, packaging technologies are increasingly important. Mentor Musings Fill Challenge Solved: Why SmartFill is as Good as it Sounds Among the many steps involved with chip design, there is one known by the deceptively simple name of "fill". Semico Spin 36% of Semiconductor Fabs at Risk from "Ring of Fire" It's called the "Ring of Fire". Actually more of a horseshoe shape Editor's View Tough Power Choices Austin is torn between efforts to generate cleaner power and the need to keep rate increases down.

OUR SPONSORS VIDEOS/PODCASTS Soitec COO Paul Boudre discusses what will be the best solution for 20nm – fully depleted silicon on insulator or bulk 3D transistors? The answer will likely include both. Just how easy is to move designs from one foundry to another? It depends who you ask. More Videos/Podcasts

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Semiconductor Manufacturing & Design Community Newsletter is published by Extension Media LLC and Sperling Media Group LLC Editorial Director: Ed Sperling Editor in Chief: Dave Lammers Senior Editor: Mark Lapedus Semiconductor Manufacturing & Design Community Newsletter is published monthly and contains deep insights for chip builders. Copyright © 2011 Extension Media LLC and Sperling Media Group LLC

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