2008 SEMICON West

SEMICON West 2008 is sure to be chock full of technology goodness, as it has been in years past. It runs its course over three days of keynotes, TechXPOTs, short courses, workshops and more. So mark down July 15-17 on your calendars, and prepare yourself for some good old-fashioned semiconductor learning.

SEMI has lined up five keynote speakers that definitely warrant mentioning (Table 1). Sure to be a big draw, as usual, is IBM Fellow Bernie Meyerson from IBM Systems and Technology Group. His presentation, titled, “Semiconductor Technology: A Convergence of Technology and Business Models,” will describe how silicon technology and its business model are both in the process of making dramatic changes in trajectory, and what will be needed to sustain those changes.

Yukio Sakamoto from Elpida Memory is also giving a keynote on another topic that challenges the industry: DRAM. The market downturn is over, but price drops have hurt us. Some companies do not have the funds to keep up with R&D and capital expenditures needed for next-generation technologies as a result. Sakamoto plans to discuss how Elpida dealt with the downturn, and what some likely developments in the DRAM future are.

Rounding out the keynote addresses will be Gadi Singer of the Intel SoC Enabling Group, with a presentation on “The Mobile Renaissance and Era of Smart SoCs”; Grant Seiffert of the Telecommunications Industry Association presenting on the ongoing evolution in wireless technology and how it ultimately affects the semiconductor market segment; with a final keynote address given Thursday morning by Jim Miller of Cadence Design Systems titled, “DFM Is a Manufacturing Requirement, but Low Power Will Change Electronics Forever.”

Singer will highlight the great impact of the mobile transformation driven by new trends, such as social networking, visual computing, 3-D Internet and context-awareness. His focus will be on the opportunities created by these trends for the semiconductor industry.

Seiffert will focus on the ongoing evolution in wireless technology and how it ultimately affects the semiconductor market segment. He will also present a near- and longer-term vision for the future, the challenges facing those in the semiconductor field, and the keys to overcoming the challenges and capturing the enormous opportunities that accompany “cutting the cord.”

Finally, Miller's Thursday keynote explains how design for manufacturing (DFM) technologies can model infinitesimal timing differences caused by lithographic polygon rounding, or circuit failures caused by copper pooling, among other effects, in addition to a discussion on how DFM technologies address problems that could result in catastrophic product delay or loss and, in today's world, with 32 nm manufacturing on the horizon and 22 nm just over it, true DFM signoff should be a requirement.

One interesting topic often brought up in the industry is fab repurposing: What do we do with our existing equipment to make it ready for next-generation technologies? If this is something you wonder about, you should attend the “How to Breathe New Life Into Old Fabs” event held Tuesday during the show. As described, “Fab repurposing is going on across the globe and spurring additional business and growth opportunities for equipment and materials supplies and their customers.” 450 and 300 mm does not mean your 200 mm systems are obsolete. Check out this workshop to learn best what to do with your existing equipment.

On the flip-side of that is a presentation on “The 450 mm Transition: When Will It Make Economic Sense for the Semiconductor Industry Ecosystem?” An impressive panel makes up this roundtable discussion, including representatives from Lam Research, ASML and Applied Materials. The emphasis of this roundtable will be on a study conducted by the SEMI Equipment Productivity Working Group that explores the overall cost and benefit of a potential transition to 450 mm wafers. The goal of the study was to develop transparent, objective analysis tools and data that would help the industry determine what the potential outcomes a new wafer size transition would bring for the industry and what the right path might be for a company.

The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) 2008 Summer Public Conference takes place on the Wednesday during the show. ITRS folks will be providing forums for two topics. A morning session will have interactive discussions on global energy and how the ITRS can influence outcomes. The afternoon session focuses on the challenges of industry supply chains. This is a day-long event.

TechXPOTs were introduced a few years back at SEMICON West, and have continued to be a huge hit, designed to be “shows within the show.” Each of the three TechXPOTs feature exhibits, products and free live technical presentations (Table 2). Keep in mind that within each presentation topic are mini presentations that address more specific matters relating to said topic.

The Emerging Markets TechXPOT, located on the second floor of the West Hall, gives attendees the chance to catch up on the developing applications for micro manufacturing, and the emerging opportunities and challenges for suppliers. Tuesday's presentations revolve around MEMS: markets, applications, developments and manufacturing. Wednesday brings with it talks on the topics of portable power and solid-state lighting, while Thursday contains one presentation on flexible and printed electronics.

The Test, Assembly and Packaging TechXPOT can be found on the first floor of the West Hall. The subjects slated to be discussed throughout the three days at this stage are yield management, high-density packaging, emerging technologies in wafer-level packaging, increased functionality with testing, and what is happening on the test floor.

At the Device Scaling TechXPOT in the North Hall, show visitors explore the critical technologies that are enabling continued progress along the Moore's Law curve. Tuesday sessions center on advanced processes and materials for new devices, as well as 22 nm lithography. Wednesday has sessions on advances in device manufacturing and materials equipment challenges for 32 and 22 nm. Rounding out the TechXPOT is a session on design for manufacturing.

SEMICON West 2008 exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the first two days, then 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the last day. The show will take place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information about SEMICON West 2008, visit www.semiconwest.org.