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Article: 300-mm wafers and automation reduce chip costs; larger silicon wafers are lowering IC production costs. Increased automation is making it possible. (Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology).
- Article from:
- Global Design News
- Article date:
- June 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Reed Business Information. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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As semiconductor manufacturers gear up to produce larger, 300-mm silicon wafers, one might think their goal is to make their chips better in the classic three ways: smaller, faster, cheaper.
That, however, is not entirely true. Smaller is desirable, and faster is desirable, but cheaper is what it's really all about. Just as the three most important features of real estate are location, location, and location, the three most important features of computer chips have become cost, cost, and cost.
In the new, but growing, movement to 300-mm wafers, say industry experts, reducing costs is the driving force. A 300-mm wafer holds about 2.4 times as many chips ...