Local strain technology is expected to enhance FDSOI performance.

The French research institute CEA-Leti has announced the development of two new technologies that can induce localized strain in fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) silicon channels, a process that holds promise for enabling next-generation FDSOI circuits with faster speeds, lower power consumption, and higher performance. STMicroelectronics (ST) and GlobalFoundries are advocating the adoption of FDSOI in advanced chips, viewing it as a viable approach to achieving world-class energy efficiency without the complexity and high costs associated with FinFET processes. Strain in the crystal lattice is typically achieved by...

Jiangfeng Target Materials Research Institute Becomes a Ningbo City Enterprise Research Institute

Recently, the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau released the list of enterprises recognized as Enterprise Research Institutes for 2015 in Ningbo City, and the Ningbo Jiangfeng Ultra-High Purity Sputtering Target Research Institute was among those selected. Since its establishment, Ningbo Jiangfeng Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. has been committed to enhancing its R&D capabilities and independent innovation capacity by making substantial investments in innovation, securing proprietary intellectual property rights, cultivating talent, undertaking key projects, and generating tangible results. The company has established a comprehensive R&D management system and processes and has formulated scientific R&D management regulations. The Jiangfeng Ultra-High Purity Sputtering Target Research Institute was founded in August 2014 and is primarily dedicated to the research and development of ultra-high purity sputtering targets for integrated circuits and flat-panel displays.

The Materials Alliance organized a training session on the Orbit patent analysis system.

On December 11, the Materials Alliance organized a training session on the Orbit patent analysis system in Beijing. Fourteen participants, including science and technology directors, intellectual property specialists, and project leaders from member organizations, attended the meeting. The session introduced the features of the Orbit system as well as methods for patent retrieval and analysis. In addition, attendees engaged in an in-depth discussion on how to rapidly improve the efficiency of patent retrieval. The Orbit system covers patent data from 100 countries and organizations, including full-text patent data from 22 countries and organizations, and supports simultaneous searches in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.

The Materials Alliance is participating in the launch of the National Demonstration Alliance for the Integrated Development of Industry, Academia, and Research in Microelectronics.

On November 27-28, 2015, the Promotion Meeting for the Construction of Model Microelectronics Colleges was successfully held at the Yanqi Lake Campus of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The meeting discussed the "Opinions on Strengthening Integrated Circuit Talent Cultivation and Enhancing Industrial Development Capabilities," as well as the Implementation Plan for the Construction of Model Microelectronics Colleges (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). Additionally, the inaugural General Assembly of the National Alliance for Industry-Academia-Research Integration in Model Microelectronics Colleges (hereinafter referred to as the "Alliance") was held, during which the first batch of governing units, members of the Board of Directors, and the Alliance’s articles of association were adopted. As one of the initiating organizations, Secretary-General Shi Ying of the Materials Alliance was invited to attend the meeting. Integrated circuits

The Inauguration Ceremony for the Materials Alliance Advanced Packaging Materials Application Verification Platform Was Held.

On December 9, the “Materials Alliance Advanced Packaging Materials Application Verification Platform,” built by the Integrated Circuit Materials Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance (referred to as the “Materials Alliance”) and依托华进 Semiconductor Packaging Leading Technology R&D Center Co., Ltd. (referred to as “HuaJin Company”), held a unveiling ceremony at HuaJin Company. Electronic materials are the foundation of packaging technology and industrial development, yet the domestic materials industry has fallen significantly behind market demand—a situation that is extremely serious. One key reason for this lag is the lack of an advanced, fully functional, and industry-recognized platform for verifying the application of packaging materials. On the other hand, electronic packaging materials are highly process-specific and application-oriented.

The Big Fund invests in polysilicon.

Poly Xinxin (03800) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jiangsu Zhongneng, has entered into a joint venture agreement with the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (CIF). The two parties have agreed to establish a joint venture company to build in China a production facility for the research and development, manufacturing, and sale of semiconductor-grade polysilicon and other semiconductor raw materials and electrochemical products. According to the joint venture agreement, the total investment and initial registered capital of the joint venture will be RMB 2 billion (approximately HK$2.42 billion) and RMB 1.02 billion (approximately HK$1.234 billion), respectively. Jiangsu Zhongneng and CIF will each contribute RMB 520 million (approximately HK$629 million) toward the initial registered capital.

SMIC Establishes Regional Headquarters of Multinational Corporation in Shanghai

On December 9, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, NYSE stock code: SMI; HKEX stock code: 981), China’s largest and most technologically advanced integrated circuit foundry, announced the establishment of SMIC Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “SMIC Holdings”) with an investment. SMIC Holdings has been recognized by the Shanghai Municipal Government as a regional headquarters for multinational corporations and will assume the management functions of SMIC’s mainland China headquarters. On December 7, SMIC Holdings reached an agreement with Zhangjiang Integrated Circuit to acquire “Building 1, Zhangdong Business Center,” located on Zhangdong Road in Pudong New Area, as its headquarters office.

材料联盟成员单位-全球最大再生晶圆加工厂株式会社RS Technologies旗下新厂落成

集成电路材料产业技术创新战略联盟（简称“材料联盟”）成员单位—全球最大的再生晶圆加工厂株式会社RSTechnologies（RSJP），4日由集团董事长方永义，集团董事本乡邦夫率南科新厂艾尔斯半导体董事长铃木正行，总经理古头泰则与全体员工，举行台湾子公司艾尔斯半导体南科新厂开幕剪彩典礼，到场嘉宾包括南科管理局副局长苏振纲，台南市长赖清德及台湾国内半导体大厂等重要客户；预计，该厂正式投入量产运营后，

The 10 Most Famous People in the History of Integrated Circuits

Throughout the history of integrated circuits, many individuals have made outstanding contributions. As we enjoy the profound transformations that integrated-circuit technology has brought to our lives and production, let’s not forget those who played pivotal roles and made remarkable contributions to the development of integrated circuits. Below, we’ve selected and would like to introduce to you 10 of the most renowned figures in the history of integrated circuits. 1, 2, 3: Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain—the inventors of the transistor. The transistor is the fundamental building block of integrated circuits; without its invention, the development of integrated circuits would have been impossible. That’s why we place Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain at the forefront of the story of integrated circuits.

Shanghai Xinyang has successfully passed the re-certification as a high-tech enterprise.

Recently, Shanghai Xinyang received the “Certificate of High-Tech Enterprise” jointly issued by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, the Shanghai Municipal State Administration of Taxation, and the Shanghai Municipal Local Taxation Bureau. The company has successfully passed the re-certification as a high-tech enterprise. According to relevant national regulations on tax incentives for high-tech enterprises, after re-certifying as a high-tech enterprise, the company will continue to enjoy preferential corporate income tax policies for three consecutive years—from 2015 to 2017—and will pay its corporate income tax at a rate of 15%.

Fu Zhuhong, a director of the Materials Alliance, has been appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the Electronic Gas Sub-Committee of the National Gas Standardization Committee.

2015 marked the fifth year since the establishment of the Electronic Gases Branch of the National Gas Standardization Committee. At the National Gas Standardization Conference held in Chengdu on November 2, 2015, Mr. Fu Zhuhong, President of Guangdong Huater Gas Co., Ltd., was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Electronic Gases Branch of the National Gas Standardization Committee. Mr. Fu Zhuhong has accumulated extensive experience in the R&D, production, and application of electronic gases. As project leader, he has successively spearheaded sub-projects under the national “02” Major Science and Technology Special Project for the R&D and industrialization of high-purity electronic gases, as well as the pilot key project for the cluster development of next-generation display technology industries in Guangdong Province—the R&D of specialty gases for flat-panel displays.

Walter Gas provides a practical internship base for graduates of Guizhou University of Science and Technology.

The School of Chemical Engineering at Guizhou University of Science and Technology has established a cooperative exchange with Guangdong Huater Gas Co., Ltd., jointly conducting research and development on fluorosilicon gases under the platform of the “Advanced Fluorosilicon Technology Collaborative Innovation Center.” Meanwhile, using Guangdong Huater Gas Co., Ltd. as a bridge, the School of Chemical Engineering at Guizhou University of Science and Technology has reached an intention for a strategic cooperation agreement with the Talent Office of Nanhai District. Guizhou University of Science and Technology and Guangdong Huater Gas Co., Ltd. regularly engage in academic exchanges. On November 30, 2015, Guizhou University of Science and Technology awarded Guangdong Huater Gas Co., Ltd. a plaque designating it as a graduate internship base—a first for Guizhou University of Science and Technology outside the province.

Ye Tianchun: Five Issues That Should Be Noted in the Development of Integrated Circuits During the 13th Five-Year Plan

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s integrated circuit industry will face a new industrial landscape. Under this new situation, China’s approach to developing the integrated circuit industry should pay attention to the following five aspects. During the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, with the launch of major national science and technology programs such as “Nuclear High-Base,” “Special Project on Integrated Circuits,” and “Next-Generation Wireless Communications,” China began accelerating the deployment of innovation chains around the integrated circuit industry’s value chain. The “Several Policies on Further Encouraging the Development of the Software Industry and the Integrated Circuit Industry,” issued in 2011 (Document No. 4 [2011] of the State Council), provided integrated circuit enterprises with support in areas including funding, policies, financing, and talent acquisition.

2016 Hot Tech News

In a sense, 2015 marked a turning point—while fostering innovation, it also built bridges to the development of the electronic information industry, an area we’ve long been familiar with. Examples include affordable and high-quality LED lighting, practical wearable devices, vehicles equipped with driver-assistance systems, and advanced powertrains capable of handling massive data processing. As 2016 dawns, we look forward to even more innovation and progress. Here, editors from EDN and EETimes have compiled a selection of cutting-edge technologies that highlight the key trends shaping technology development in 2016. (1) Driven by IEEE standards, Ethernet will take off in 2016.

Frontier Perspective: G450 Update, Panasonic Plasma Cutting, Thin Flexible Chip Packaging, and Osram’s Overview of LED Packaging

G450-450mm Wafer Status Report: For most of us, whether we’re working on FEOL or packaging, we’re closely watching developments related to 450mm wafers—specifically: (1) whether they’ll actually happen at all; and (2) if they do happen, when exactly that will be. Yet, these questions remain unanswered. Recently, at SEMICON Europe, some information about G450C was shared—but we really can’t count on such a highly anticipated project to come to fruition, especially given that it’s been deemed unlikely to succeed. G450C is a consortium operating out of the Albany Nanotech Center, with members including...

Ye Tianchun: Restrict some localities from introducing integrated circuit projects using a “political achievement project” mindset.

On December 3, the National Symposium on Work in the Electronic Information Industry and the Working Conference on the Integrated Circuit Industry—hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and organized by China Electronics News—were held in Beijing. The purpose of this conference was to study and implement the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, put into practice the "National Outline for Promoting the Development of the Integrated Circuit Industry," the "Made in China 2025" initiative, and the Guiding Opinions on the "Internet Plus" Action, and to explore development strategies for China's electronic information industry during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. During the conference, Ye Tianchun, Director of the Institute of Microelectronics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a speech on the development status of China's integrated circuit manufacturing industrial chain as well as his thoughts and suggestions for the 13th Five-Year Plan period.

[Proposal for the 13th Five-Year Plan (3)] The industrialization of critical materials must meet the 28-nanometer process requirement.

As the foundation for the development of the integrated circuit industry, materials not only play a supporting role within the industry but also complement process technologies, jointly driving the continuous upgrading of integrated circuit manufacturing technologies and fostering innovative development in the industry. In the process of achieving secure, reliable development and unimpeded technological advancement in the integrated circuit industry, the strategic importance of integrated circuit materials is becoming increasingly prominent. The overall goals for IC materials during the 13th Five-Year Plan: The overall material goal is to bring the industrialization-level technology of key materials up to the requirements of the 28nm process and achieve large-scale industrial production; in certain specialized fields, industrial technology should advance to the 20- to 14-nanometer level, with products entering...

Nanjing University Optoelectronics Invests in Beijing Kehua, Accelerating the Industrialization of High-End Photoresists in China; Cooperation Among Members of the Integrated Circuit Materials Alliance Finally Yields Practical Results.

On November 24, 2015, the Symposium on Photoresist Technology and Industry Development, together with the signing ceremony for the investment by Jiangsu Nanda Optoelectronic Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Nanda Optoelectronics”) in Beijing Kehua Microelectronics Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Beijing Kehua”), was held at the Beijing Convention Center. Attending the event were Director Qiu Gang from the Office of Major Special Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Director Ye Tianchun, Chief Technical Advisor of National Project 02, Executive Vice Chairman Xu Xiaotian of the China Semiconductor Industry Association, as well as experts from the National Project 02 Advisory Committee, the National Project 02 Overall Group, the National Big Fund, national experts in the field of new materials, representatives from Beijing Kehua, Nanda Optoelectronics, and SMIC.