By Sally-Ann Henry and Jim Straus, ACM Research Let’s face it: When it comes to choosing a substrate material for building power semiconductors, silicon (Si) is no match for up-and-coming compound semiconductors like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Because of their fundamental material properties, these compound semiconductors can do things that simply aren’t […]

By Sally-Ann Henry and Jim Straus, ACM Research   While it might not sound as sexy as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, wet wafer cleaning technology might be even more crucial than EUV for ensuring successful leading-edge node, advanced semiconductor device manufacturing. This is because both device reliability and final product yields are directly linked to […]

In early 2020, the semiconductor supply chain was gearing up for a growth year after pushing through 2019’s 12% year-over-year decline in chip sales. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, this was due to global trade unrest and cyclical pricing.1 Then COVID-19 hit, forcing temporary shutdowns while we figured out the safest next move. The […]

By Jim Straus While the global spotlight is shining on the importance of sustainability in semiconductors, the concept itself is not new. As early as 2003, when the European Union adopted the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, semiconductor manufacturing companies started to become more aware of their impact on the environment and launched efforts that […]