Category: International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS)

Coupling & Crosstalk: Moore Has Left the Building!

Dollars-Electronics canstockphoto8813445 Geleol 300x330Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Summer 2016 edition on pages 12-13.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column, by mixing technology and general observations, is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Moore has Left the Building!

Unlike Elvis, Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, is still with us. Although the debate continues among very smart people as to whether Moore’s Law is “truly dead”, this argument is now purely academic. As the electronics industry has moved to the “Post Personal Computer (PC) Era”, Moore’s Law which accurately predicted price over time for complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits, is no longer relevant.

Heresy! Did he just say that Moore’s Law doesn’t matter? Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Moore Has Left the Building!”

IEEE Semiconductor Wafer Test Workshop 2014 Presentation

International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) - Ira Feldman - IEEE SWTW2014
Click image to download presentation

At the 24th annual IEEE 
Semiconductor Wafer Test Workshop (SWTW) on Wednesday June 11, 2014,
I had the pleasure of presenting “International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors”. This presentation was co-authored with Dave Armstrong (Advantest) and Marc Loranger (FormFactor).

For the last fifteen years the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) has been looking fifteen years into the future. Based upon technology requirements and other inputs, ranging from the gate size of transistors to advanced packaging technology, the Test and Test Equipment Technical Working Group (Test TWG) has worked to develop the requirements for test technology and equipment.

The Test TWG is over seventy volunteers with deep technical expertise in test from around the world and from every sized company – Fortune 100 to individual consultants – and every type of company – semiconductor independent device manufacturer (IDM), fabless semiconductor, foundry, outsourced assembly and test (OSAT), automated test equipment (ATE) suppliers, prober, probe card, socket, handler, and more. Through Continue reading “IEEE Semiconductor Wafer Test Workshop 2014 Presentation”

Coupling & Crosstalk: Disposable Chips?

cups plates forks canstockphoto2604892 250x345Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Spring 2014 edition on pages 10-11.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column by mixing technology and general observations is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Disposable Chips?

I’m not a fan of disposable cups and other tableware. Yes, they are convenient and in some cases even economical. However, they are not great substitutes for Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Disposable Chips?”

Coupling & Crosstalk: Name Calling

good bad dice canstockphoto9654181 250x320Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Summer 2013 edition on pages 13-14.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column by mixing technology and general observations is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Name Calling

What’s in a name? A lot! A name itself might not mean much but it can trigger expectations and stereotypes. In the United States we have red states and blue states depending on which political party has the majority vote. Similarly, when someone labels themselves on the basis of their political party affiliation (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent, etc.) others Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Name Calling”

SEMI ISS: Sense of Scale

Intel shows first fully patterned 450 mm semiconductor wafer at SEMI ISS 2013
Intel shows first fully patterned 450 mm semiconductor wafer at SEMI ISS 2013

Attending the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) is like drinking from a fire hose with the additional risk of whiplash. Don’t get me wrong, it is an exquisite fire hose but sometimes the data presented can be overwhelming at this conference of semiconductor supply chain executives. The majority of the attendees and presenters are executives from the SEMI member companies that develop the equipment, materials, processes, and technology used to build, test, and package semiconductors. And the executives present from the semiconductor manufacturers are typically the “end customers”.

The greatest value of SEMI ISS, beyond the networking, is the strategic overview of the entire semiconductor ecosystem. What are the market drivers, the technology needed, and the roadmap status of this industry? It is true that we all know where we need to head courtesy of Moore’s Law and the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors which attempts to keep us on that trajectory. The pressure of consumers needing wanting greater functionality at lower costs is relentless. Much of the technological detail of this ecosystem is addressed in a myriad of other forums throughout the year. ISS ties these technical requirements, development needs, and business needs back to the strategic direction and desires of the global marketplace.

The whiplash comes from  Continue reading “SEMI ISS: Sense of Scale”