Innovation and IP filing in Atomic Layer Deposition has moved from Memory to Logic

By studying the filing of IP world wide one can clearly see the trend how innovation in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has moved from Memory to Logic. During the introduction of ALD (2003 to 2006) in high volume manufacturing of DRAM on 300 mm wafers most IP was filed by Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix. 10 years later (2013-2018) the IP filing lead has been taken over by Logic MPU manufacturers TSMC, Intel and Globalfoundries.

The patent application assignee from the past 25 years.

Samsung will give insights to their 3nm CMOS technology at IEDM2018

The 64th IEDM conference will be held December 1-5, 2018 in San Francisco (LINK). This year Samsung will give insights to their 3nm CMOS technology that will feature the so calle gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. The GAA is trasistors ar realized by having channels made from horizontal layers of nanosheets that are completely surrounded by gate structures. 

Samsung has recently stated (LINK) that they have started wafer production on its new 7LPP node (FinFET). According to the press release the process uses EUV lithography technology and demonstrates that Samsung's Foundry can follow its roadmap reaching down to 3 nm.

 

 

Samsung Foundry Roadmap as shown at SFF Japan 2018.

 

Samsung refers to this architecture as a Multi-Bridge-Channel architecture, and claims "that it is highly manufacturable as it makes use of ~90% of the company’s existing FinFET fabrication technology, requiring only a few revised photomasks" (LINK). 

 

Paper #28.7, "3nm GAA Technology Featuring Multi-Bridge-Channel FET for Low-Power and High-Performance Applications," G. Bae et al, Samsung

 

 

AP Systems to supply Thin Film Encapsulation to Samsung Display QD-OLED line

DIGITimes China reports [LINK] that Samsung Display is building a large-scale quantum dot organic light-emitting diode (QD-OLED) panel pilot production line. The line is scheduled to be finished in December 2018 and will be activated after 6 months (mid 2019). According to the report the supply ration from Korean equipment manufacturers has increased significantly for this line.

As an example the the report claims that AP Systems beat Applied Materials to supply the Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) equipment. AP Systems has previously supplied TFE equipment for the 8th generation RGB OLED TV panel production line (V1) of Samsung Display. In the past Samsung Display has used TFE equipment supplied by Applied Materials in the 6th generation flexible OLED production line, but has now switched and for its AP Systems in this 8th generation QD-OLED test production line.

Also according to the report, the PECVD equipment will be supplied by Wonik IPS from Korea whereas the blue OLED material evaporation equipment will be supplied by Canon Tokki (Japan) and the red and green QD material inkjet printing machine will come from Kateeva (USA).

The KORONA™ TFE System running PEALD with "Multi-linear Nozzle" technology and ICP antenna design technology (high density/low damage plasma).

For TFE AP Systems are using a Plasma enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PEALD) technology on their KORONA™ TFE System. The system is capable of depositing a film structure that acts as a sealant to prevent oxygen and moisture penetration into OLED device. Based on a 1000Å, SiNx/SiOx multi-layer structure the Water Vapor Permeability is less than 5e-5 g/m2/day.

According to AP Systems they can also apply the film as a flexible sealant to realize flexible, rollable, and foldable displays. 

Memory chips led the way in 2017 boosting a 22% record semiconductor growth in revenue

Memory chips (DRAM & FLASH) led the way in 2017 boosting a 22% record semiconductor growth in revenue. Samsung Electronics became the number 1 in overall semiconductor sales for the first time, displacing Intel, which had held the top spot in sales every year since 1992. 

EE Times reports : Semiconductor sales grew by 22 percent to reach a record $419.7 billion — with memory chips leading the way — according to a preliminary estimate by market research firm Gartner.

Gartner (Stamford, Conn.) estimates that increased sales of memory chips due to shortages of NAND flash and DRAM accounted for about two-thirds of overall chip market growth in 2017. Memory also become the single largest semiconductor products category last year, according to the firm.

Full story: LINK

Gartener 2016 to 2017 revenue change for Top 10 Semiconductor companies [replotted]