Using SMIF technolog to help retrofit a high-volume fab

摘要

The rapidly increasing demand for digital signal processors has presented the semiconductor industry with the challenge of increasing fab capabilities without disrupting current production capacity. One solution is to retrofit an existing facility so that it can handle larger substrates and smaller device geometries but to keep parts of the fab running during the upgrading project. In the case of Texas Instruments, for example, which has had an accelerated technology development schedule in place for five years, one area where efforts have been focused is converting the firm's 150-mm wafer capacity to 200 mm. Achieving faster ramp-ups and better equipment utilization are complementary goals. As part of this program, the DMOS 4 fab in Dallas was recently retooled to run a sub- half-micron process on 200-mm wafers.