For more than forty years continuous improvements in semiconductortechnology have driven major performance and value for moneyimprovements into a broad range of industries. In particular both soldstate memory and microprocessors have been major benefactors from designand process improvements and contributors to this widespread success andpenetration of microelectronics into our lives. The resulting smallerdevice dimensions and larger semiconductor wafers have produced theperformance benefits. The rate of device dimension reduction seems to bedecreasing as we approach the 0.10 to 0.25 micron range, with capitalinvestments approaching $1 billion dollars per facility for the 200 mmwafers increasingly coming into use. Some industry leaders forecast a $2billion dollar next generation manufacturing facility cost as weapproach the year 2000. These challenges threaten the continuedexpectation of device cost reduction and may herald the maturation (end)of the optical lithography technology based S-curve “family”progress, or change the size and/or scope of the wafer manufacturingfacility need to achieve good economics. This summary paper highlightsissues, trends, industry activities and needs
展开▼
