Showing posts with label China ALD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China ALD. Show all posts

Monday, November 18, 2024

China’s Semiconductor Growth Slows Amid Sanctions, Legacy Chips Drive Output While Advanced Tech Struggle - what about ALD?

China's semiconductor industry is at a crossroads, navigating both growth opportunities and significant challenges. As US sanctions restrict access to critical technologies like EUV lithography, China's ambitions in advanced chip manufacturing are stifled, particularly in areas like AI and next-generation devices. While the country remains a strong player in legacy chip production, driven by robust demand from multinational corporations and its booming EV sector, the lack of advanced capabilities limits its ability to compete globally in cutting-edge technologies. At the same time, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), a cornerstone for technologies like GAAFET, DRAM, and 3D NAND, is seeing robust growth globally, with leading OEMs like ASMI, TEL, Applied Materials, and Lam Research emphasizing its pivotal role in scaling advanced architectures. However, China’s ALD market is expected to pivot towards supporting legacy nodes, as geopolitical constraints and domestic manufacturing dynamics shape its future. This evolving landscape underscores a shift in focus, with global players capitalizing on innovation while China's market transitions towards domestic and legacy-driven demand.

China’s semiconductor industry experienced slowing growth in October, reflecting the impact of looming US sanctions on advanced chip manufacturing. While legacy chip production and the EV sector drove industrial growth, advanced semiconductor capabilities remain constrained by restrictions on critical lithography equipment, such as ASML's EUV tools. This has stifled China’s ambitions in leading-edge technologies used in smartphones and AI. Despite producing 353 billion IC units from January to October, a 24.8% year-on-year increase, most of this growth was in legacy chips, heavily demanded by multinational corporations and export markets. Advanced production, meanwhile, lags behind as companies like TSMC and Samsung tighten services to Chinese firms, reflecting a broader global effort to limit China's technological advancement. These restrictions have heightened China's dependence on imported chips, which reached $315 billion in the first 10 months of 2024.

This chart shows the production output of integrated circuits (in hundred million units). China's IC production reflects the semiconductor cycle. The Chinese government sees semiconductors as an important focus for domestic production based on its Made in China 2025 plan. Note: Data for February are the cumulative total of January and February combined.

In Applied Materials' Q4 2024 earnings call, CEO Gary Dickerson highlighted the company's advancements in ALD technology. He emphasized that ALD is crucial for enabling next-generation semiconductor architectures, particularly in the development of gate-all-around transistors and advanced packaging solutions. Dickerson noted that Applied Materials' leadership in ALD positions the company to meet the increasing demand for energy-efficient computing and artificial intelligence applications. Applied Materials reported strong Q4 2024 earnings, highlighting the significant role of China despite challenges from US restrictions. China contributed approximately 30% of revenue, normalized after elevated demand for DRAM and NAND earlier in the year. The company's revenue from ICAPS (IoT, communications, automotive, power, and sensors) nodes remains strong in China, though potential slowing in automotive and industrial sectors may impact future growth. Applied is focusing on advanced materials engineering for cutting-edge technologies like gate-all-around transistors and high-bandwidth memory, areas critical for AI and energy-efficient computing. While China remains a key market for legacy technologies, restrictions on leading-edge technology sales are reshaping Applied’s growth trajectory, emphasizing global collaboration and innovation outside China. Looking ahead, Applied anticipates steady ICAPS demand and continued contributions from China at current levels.

Is the China market gloomy in ALD Equipment demand - hwat does the Tier 1 OMEs report on future ALD demand?

ALD is increasingly vital in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly for Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistors (GAAFET), DRAM, and 3D NAND technologies. Leading equipment manufacturers—ASM International (ASMI), Tokyo Electron (TEL), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Lam Research (LAM)—have highlighted ALD's significance in these areas.

ASM International:

ASMI has reported strong demand for its ALD equipment, driven by applications in advanced semiconductor nodes. The company noted that artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing are propelling the need for GAAFET structures, where ALD processes are essential for precise material deposition. ASMI's recent financial results reflect this trend, with increased bookings attributed to robust demand in these sectors. 

Tokyo Electron:

TEL has been focusing on developing ALD technologies to enhance its position in the 3D NAND market. The company announced advancements aimed at improving 3D NAND flash memory production, positioning itself as a competitor to Lam Research in this domain. TEL's efforts underscore the growing importance of ALD in fabricating complex 3D structures required for high-density memory applications. 

Applied Materials:

AMAT has emphasized its leadership in materials engineering, including ALD, to support next-generation semiconductor architectures like GAAFETs. The company highlighted that ALD is crucial for developing advanced transistors and packaging solutions, which are essential for energy-efficient computing and AI applications. AMAT's focus on ALD aligns with the industry's shift towards more complex device structures. 

Lam Research:

LAM has been at the forefront of ALD technology, particularly for memory applications. The company introduced the ALTUS® Max E Series, featuring an all-ALD low-fluorine tungsten fill process, addressing challenges in scaling 3D NAND and DRAM devices. This innovation enables the production of higher aspect ratio structures with improved performance, demonstrating ALD's critical role in advancing memory technologies. 

In summary, leading OEMs recognize ALD as a pivotal technology for advancing semiconductor manufacturing, especially in GAAFET, DRAM, and 3D NAND applications. The continuous development and adoption of ALD processes are essential to meet the industry's evolving demands for higher performance and greater efficiency. 

China's demand for ALD equipment reflects a mixed outlook, influenced by geopolitical restrictions and market dynamics. Advanced semiconductor manufacturing in China faces constraints due to limited access to critical tools like EUV lithography, stifling progress in leading-edge applications like AI and smartphones. However, the market for legacy chip production remains robust, with strong output driven by demand from multinational corporations and export markets. Leading OEMs like Applied Materials and Lam Research report sustained engagement in the Chinese market, particularly in legacy nodes and AI-driven technologies, though future growth may slow due to challenges in automotive and industrial sectors. Despite these hurdles, Tier 1 OEMs, including ASML, have seen better-than-expected sales in China, highlighting its continued relevance in the global semiconductor landscape. Given that ALD is expected to have double digit growth for GAAFET, DRAM and NAND in leading edge nodes and memory going 3D the China market may be less important looking ahead and will transform to a legacy market for domestic and possibly Korean ALD OEMs.

Sources:

Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Transcript | Seeking Alpha

https://www.techedt.com/chinas-chip-production-slows-in-october-as-us-sanctions-loom

https://en.macromicro.me/collections/4345/mm-semiconductor/316/cn-china-output-of-integrated-circuit

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Why China denied Applied Materials take over of Hitachi Kokusai

According to a recent analysis by Robert Castellano (Seeking Alpha/The Information Network LINK), Hitachi Kokusai holds a strong position in tube/non-tube LPCVD and oxidation/diffusion semiconductor equipment. For some time Applied Material has planned the acquisition of Kokusai that would have increased its global market share, for silicon wafer processing equipment by adding a big segment that it does not have in its product portfolio - LPCVD, Diffusion, and ALD Furnaces. According to the market assessment, Hitachi Kokusai holds a leading market share in this segment over No. 2. Tokyo Electron. 

Castellano brings up the interesting observation that "China blocked Applied Materials' acquisition of Kokusai while permitting the Marvell-Inphi deal the same week". Basically meaning that there are more than just US-China Trade issues behind the decision. He concludes that "China is developing a home-grown equipment industry infrastructure, and the deal would impede on that effort." and follows up by breaking up the segments and global competitive situation as below.

Summary by Castellano of China OEM active in LPCVD, Diffusion, and ALD segments vs. the global leaders

China’s NAURA makes oxidation and diffusion furnaces and its products have captured a significant share (40-50%) of YMTC’s thermal process equipment purchases, per our channel checks. In RTP, major players include Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and Mattson Technology.

NAURA is developing etchers and deposition equipment for 7nm and 5nm nodes. NAURA has a large product offering, and its customers consist of SMIC, Hua Hong, YMTC, and GTA Semiconductors.

NAURA also makes thermal furnaces and has a 45% share of China’s memory maker YMTC purchases. Whereas NAURA sold 8 etch systems and 6 CVD and ALD deposition systems to Chinese semiconductor companies, the company sold 34 furnaces in 2019 as well as 16 cleaning systems.

Shenyang Piotech also supplies PECVD and ALD deposition equipment. Piotech received orders for 4 PECVD (for SiN, SiO2) systems from YMTC, and is also receiving repeat orders from Hua Hong, and SMIC.


The size of the semiconductor equipment market and the small share China's equipment suppliers currently enjoy compared to foreign suppliers (source: The Information Network LINK)

Monday, May 18, 2020

ACM Research Enters Dry Processing Market with Launch of CVD/ALD Ultra Furnace

  • ACM’s First Furnace Product Targets LPCVD Initially, Oxidation, Annealing and ALD in Future
  • ACM Research intends to target customers in China initially, before expanding the offering of the Ultra Furnace into Korea and Taiwan later.
  • ACM delivered the first Ultra Furnace tool to a key logic customer’s manufacturing facility in China in early 2020. This tool targets LPCVD, and has been installed in a production environment to begin qualification.

FREMONT, Calif., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACM Research, Inc. (“ACM” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:ACMR), a leading supplier of wafer cleaning technologies for advanced semiconductor devices, today unveiled the Ultra Furnace, its first system developed for multiple dry processing applications. Initially optimized to deliver high performance for low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), the Ultra Furnace also leverages the same platform to be used for oxidation and annealing processes, as well as for atomic layer deposition (ALD). This achievement represents a two-year collaboration between ACM’s R&D teams located in China and Korea.



“Advanced technology nodes present ongoing challenges that require innovation from the capital equipment suppliers. This demanding environment provides significant opportunities for ACM,” explained Dr. David Wang, CEO of ACM Research. “Continuous innovation is in our DNA. We saw a market need that could benefit from our technology, and expanded our reach into a new market segment. The addition of the Ultra Furnace to ACM’s established portfolio of wet processing tools, expands our opportunity by providing an integrated solution to our customers’ advanced products.”

“The Ultra Furnace product is the result of collaboration between our talented experts in China and Korea to develop differentiated technology,” stated YY Kim, CEO of ACM Research Korea. “ACM’s team in Korea was established to complement the talents of our world-class Shanghai team, accelerate our time to market, and provide outstanding technical support to our local customers.”

Deposition processes utilize process gases at a high temperature to react with each other on a silicon wafer, forming a silicon oxide or nitride layer on the wafers. The Ultra Furnace system is intended for batch processing of up to 100 12-inch (300mm) wafers. The innovative system design combines newly developed hardware that improves durability, with the company’s proven software technology and a proprietary control system and algorithm. This enables the tool to provide stable control of pressure, gas flow rate and temperature.

While the Ultra Furnace system targets LPCVD processes, with a few changes to the components and layout, each tool can address other target applications. About 85 percent of the hardware configuration remains unchanged, so the alterations for the new application can be achieved efficiently.

ACM Research intends to target customers in China initially, before expanding the offering of the Ultra Furnace into Korea and Taiwan later. ACM delivered the first Ultra Furnace tool to a key logic customer’s manufacturing facility in China in early 2020. This tool targets LPCVD, and has been installed in a production environment to begin qualification.

Friday, January 17, 2020

The 5th International Conference on ALD Applications & 1st Asian ALD Conference (2020 China ALD

Following the successes of the previous four International Conferences on ALD Applications and China ALD Conferences since 2010, the 5th International Conference on ALD Applications & 1st Asian ALD Conference (2020 China ALD) will be a three-day meeting, dedicated to the fundamentals and applications of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology in various fields. It will be held in Wuhan, China, from October 12 to 14, 2020. This conference will feature plenary sessions, oral sessions, poster sessions and industrial exhibitions.

The ALD technique has been widely used and explored in numerous fields such as microelectronics, photoelectronics, optical coating, functional nanomaterials, MEMS/NEMS, energy storage, biotechnology, catalysis technology, and etc.

Conference web: http://www.c-ald.com/

Program Chair

Rong Chen (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China)

Program Co-Chairs

Chang Liu (Wuhan University, China)

Soo-Hyun Kim (Yeungnam University, South Korea) 
 






Saturday, October 20, 2018

The 4th International Conference on ALD Applications & 2018 China ALD Conference

[www.c-ald.com] This week the 4th International Conference on ALD Applications & 2018 China ALD Conference was held  in Shenzhen, China, from October 14 to 17, 2018.

The four-day meeting was dedicated to the fundamentals and applications of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology in various fields.This conference will feature plenary sessions, oral sessions, poster sessions and industrial exhibitions.

PROCEEDING AND FULL PAPER:

Full contributed papers will be peer reviewed and published in a special issue Nanoscale Research Letters ((2018 impact factor: 3.125) https://nanoscalereslett.springeropen.com/aald








Thursday, June 28, 2018

Picosun storms over the Asian ALD production market in several key application areas

ESPOO, Finland, 28th June, 2018 – Picosun Group, a leading supplier of advanced Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) thin film coating technology, breaks through into industrial production in Asia in several new, key application areas.

The applications relate to display manufacturing and telecommunications, and a novel approach to use ALD to improve chip quality diagnostics. 
 
 
The rapidly increasing popularity of smartwatches, wearable activity and health monitors, smartphones, and other small, portable electronic devices equipped with a screen puts a new kind of pressure to display manufacturers. A next generation of solutions needs to be developed, where the image quality, brightness, contrast, and resolution are not compromised even if the screen size gets miniaturized. Advanced LED, micro-LED, OLED, and TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) technologies answer this need but also create more challenges. One is passivation and encapsulation of the devices against ambient conditions, air and moisture. This is where ALD shows its strength. The superior conformality(*) and pinhole-free nature of the ALD films, and the possibility to perform the film depositions at moderate temperatures make ALD the ideal technology for advanced display manufacturers.

The same qualities, conformality and uniformity of the coatings over the smallest nanoscale features, trenches and voids, advocate ALD’s use in protection and passivation of semiconductor laser diodes which are widespread in modern telecommunications and data transmission based on fiber optics.

Picosun has also successfully commercialized an ALD-based method with which resolution and imaging properties of TEM (transmission electron microscopy) can be greatly improved. The main application for this method is chip failure analysis in high-volume manufacturing of various semiconductor components.

”We are happy to take our ALD technology to yet new application areas where it creates new, disruptive solutions to our customers’ key challenges. In China, we have been the market leader in research ALD tools for a long time already, and now we are solidifying our position in the industrial market as well. China, Taiwan, and Singapore are key global hubs when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing. There is our largest industrial customer base and expansion potential,” says Mr. Edwin Wu, CEO of Picosun Asia Pte. Ltd.

(*) In PICOSUN™ ALD systems, samples with ultra-high aspect ratios of over 1:2500 have been successfully coated.

Friday, June 1, 2018

ShenZhen Association for Vacuum Technology Industries visits ALD lab at Fraunhofer IKTS

Today we at the Thin Film Technology group of Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden were honored to be the 2nd stop for the delegation from the ShenZhen Association for Vacuum Technology Industries from China on their European Trip. We presented the latest research and industrialization of Atomic Layer Deposition technology and discussed new opportunities for ALD industrial application.

Shenzhen is one of the most dynamic cities in China. It is located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, next to Hong Kong. Shenzhen is famous for its rapid economic development since the establishment of the special economic zone in 1980. Over the past several decades, Shenzhen has been developed from a small fishing village to currently a modern city featured for innovation and high-tech. Many renowned high-tech companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and BYD are located in Shenzhen.

The next China ALD Confernce will be held in Shenzhen, China, from October 14 to 17, 2018 (LINK)

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Picosun sweeps through China with over 20 new customers

ESPOO, Finland, 28th December, 2016 – Picosun Oy, the leading supplier of advanced industrial ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) solutions, reports winning more than 20 new customers in China for its ALD systems since December 2015.
 
 
 
According to SEMI, out of 62 front-end fabs that will open worldwide over the next three years, 26 are in China, representing 42% of the global total. (Data from SEMI)

Amongst these customers are many of China’s leading companies in LEDs, III-V semiconductors, and new energy. Thanks to the high technical level of PICOSUN™ ALD equipment and the excellent customer support, Picosun has become the supplier of choice for ALD technology in China.

Chinese semiconductor manufacturing and the number of planned fabs in the country are booming, making China the new key market for semiconductor processing equipment. This is the most excellent news considering Picosun’s prominent position as the advanced ALD solutions provider. Collaboration with the leading Chinese research institutes is further supporting Picosun’s sprint in the market.

“We are extremely happy with the development of our ALD business in China. Our achievements are based on solid ALD knowhow, high-level support and proprietary designs, which give the best value for our Chinese customers and ensure our steady progress in the Chinese market. We are committed to our customer satisfaction by providing the newest and the best ALD solutions and systems in the market,” states Mr. Xiaopeng Wu, CEO of Picosun China.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Invited Speakers for China ALD 2016 Announced

Following the successes of the previous two international Conferences on ALD Applications and China ALD Conferences since 2010, the 3rd International Conference on ALD Applications & 2016 China ALD Conference will be a four-day meeting, dedicated to the fundamentals and applications of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology in various fields. It will be held in Suzhou, China, from October 16 to 19, 2016. This conference will feature plenary sessions, oral sessions, poster sessions and industrial exhibitions.


Recently the Keynote Speakers (see above) as well as the list of Invited Speakers have been updated and can be found here: http://www.c-ald.com/Data/View/69.

Also full contributed papers will be peer reviewed and published in a special issue Nanoscale Research Letters (2015 impact factor: 2.584)​.