For more than 20 years, Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS) technology—an advanced form of Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) processing—has been used in semiconductor manufacturing. Recently, SOS in the form of UltraCMOS® technology has been designed into high-volume applications that have made it the technology of choice for several demanding RF applications. This technology combines a highly resistive substrate with CMOS …

Fully-depleted transistor technologies, both planar and fin-type, are now in the mainstream for product designs. One of the many interesting topics in the new 3D FinFET technology is the approach to isolation. In this article, key elements that differentiate junction-isolated (bulk) and dielectric-isolated (SOI) FinFET transistors are discussed, encompassing aspects of process integration, device design, …

Hearing the news that GlobalFoundries would be offering two flavors of FD-SOI, ASN asked the company to explain the strategy further. Here are the responses provided by Subi Kengeri, Vice President of Advanced Technology Architecture. What do you see as the FD-SOI benefits for chip designers? Lower SRAM Vmin for retention and lower operating Vmin …

FinFET technology promises continued scaling of CMOS technology via the potential to reduce (deleterious) short- channel effects. Realization of this potential is highly dependent on the ideality of the fin structure and, in particular, the uniformity of fin width and impurity doping. The fin isolation technology has a strong impact on within-fin uniformity and variability, …

To drive the competitiveness of PCs, smartphones and other leading-edge devices, the electronics industry has relied for decades on the continued miniaturization of the multitude of transistors integrated in the chips at the heart of those products. However, at the tiny dimensions transistors are reaching today, conventional technology is becoming ineffective to satisfactorily combine higher …

STMicroelectronics recently issued a major white paper detailing the choice of FD-SOI for consumer SOCs at 28nm and beyond. This article excerpts some of the highlights. From “Planar Fully-Depleted Silicon Technology to Design Competitive SOC at 28nm and Beyond” (White paper by STMicroelectronics and Soitec): “ FD-SOI Executive Summary Planar FD is a promising technology …

Soitec wafers for FD bridge the planar gap between 28nm and 14nm, then accelerate and simplify the move to 3D architectures. Today’s semiconductor industry is moving through several challenging transitions that are creating a significant opportunity for Soitec to bring incremental value to the market and our customers. With traditional CMOS reaching the end of …

STMicroelectronics sees its flavor of planar FD-SOI as an excellent response to the complex needs of mobile multimedia chips. The multi-functional system-on-chips (SOC) needed at the heart of the next generations of wireless, high-performance, low-power multimedia devices have very different needs than the mono-functional processors of the past. Traditionally, the trade-off for computers and servers …

Bulk logic designs can be ported directly to FD-SOI for high-performing, low-power mobile apps. Fully-depleted (FD)-SOI is a potential alternative to BULK 20nm. But what sort of the impact will that have on the design flow? The short answer is: very little. Designs for low-power mobile applications in 28nm bulk benefit significantly in terms of …

EVG’s new wafer bonding system is a fully automated tool for production-level fabrication of 450mm SOI wafers. Transitioning to larger wafers heightens the need for process uniformity.  Wafer bonding is no exception, as process parameters must be applied with a high degree of both precision and uniformity.  This requirement will become particularly critical within the …