The Materials and Components Alliance successfully held the training course “Integrated Circuit Chip Manufacturing Processes and Integration Technologies” in Qingdao.

On October 25, 2016, the Strategic Alliance for Technological Innovation in the Integrated Circuit Materials and Components Industry (hereinafter referred to as the “Materials and Components Alliance”) successfully held a training course on “Integrated Circuit Chip Manufacturing Processes and Integration Technologies” in Qingdao. The conference featured a lecture by Dr. Lin Qinghuang, a member of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Materials and Components Alliance and a researcher at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in the United States. Dr. Lin has ten years of experience teaching this course in the U.S. The conference attracted more than 20 participants. In his opening remarks, Secretary-General Shi Ying emphasized the significance of this course and fully acknowledged everyone’s enthusiastic commitment to learning.

　　On October 25, 2016, the Strategic Alliance for Technological Innovation in the Integrated Circuit Materials and Components Industry (hereinafter referred to as the “Materials and Components Alliance”) successfully held a training course on “Integrated Circuit Chip Manufacturing Processes and Integration Technologies” in Qingdao. The session featured Dr. Lin Qinghuang, a member of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Materials and Components Alliance and a researcher at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in the United States, who has ten years of experience teaching this course in the U.S. The conference attracted more than 20 participants. In his opening remarks, Secretary-General Shi Ying emphasized the significance of this course and fully acknowledged everyone’s enthusiastic commitment to learning.

　　Chip manufacturing technology is the core competency of the integrated circuit industry. Advanced chip manufacturing comprises three main process stages: the Front-End-of-Line (FEOL), the Middle-End-of-Line (MOL), and the Back-End-of-Line (BEOL). Together, these three stages constitute the entire manufacturing flow for modern very-large-scale integrated circuits. Before the course began, Dr. Lin collected information on the specific topics that participants hoped to learn from this course. During the lectures, Dr. Lin focused on the unique technical challenges present in each of the three advanced chip manufacturing stages—FEOL, MOL, and BEOL—and highlighted potential solutions, relevant technologies, and successful case studies, all tailored to the participants’ interests. Additionally, Dr. Lin introduced emerging materials (such as high-K dielectrics/metal gates—HKMG, and III-V compound semiconductors), new device architectures and interconnect structures (including FinFETs/tri-gate transistors, nanowires, and copper/air-gap interconnects), novel integration processes (such as 3D integrated circuits and silicon through-silicon vias), and recent technological breakthroughs in lithography (such as double patterning and directed self-assembly). In the in-class quizzes, participants formed small groups to discuss and share their diverse perspectives. As the course drew to a close, Dr. Lin reviewed and compared the participants’ initial needs with what had been covered during the course, and assured them that any topics raised by the participants but not addressed in the course would be further discussed and communicated through other channels after the class ended.

　　After the training session, participants expressed that they had gained valuable insights: By attending this training, they not only understood the seamless integration between upstream and downstream processes in chip manufacturing but also developed a clearer grasp of the company’s R&D direction for new products in the face of technological advancements. They hope that the alliance will organize more technical training sessions like this in the future.

　　The organizations participating in this training session include: Anji Microelectronics, Youyan Yijin, Suzhou Kema, Guangdong Huater Gas, Shenzhen Songyang, Zhejiang Borui, Luling Gas, Hubei Xingfu, and the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others.

　　Photo: Group photo of some members of the training course

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