Infineon Technologies AG, introduced a method that can avoid one of the most common causes of defects in the production of highly integrated semiconductor circuits: the electrical failure of VIA contacts. "VIA" stands for "vertical interconnect" and refers to the contact between two metal layers in integrated circuits. Infineon developed the new method in collaboration with the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences (FH Regensburg) as part of its Automotive Excellence™ program, launched some three years ago to meet the automotive industry’s exacting quality requirements.
Today's integrated circuits contain millions of transistors that are interconnected by several layers of metal wiring. The components known as “VIAs” connect the metal conductors between the layers. They are extraordinarily small: A VIA, manufactured in 0.13µm-Technologie, has a diameter of just 200 nanometers, which makes it about 300 times thinner than a human hair. A modern microcontroller of around half a square centimeter in size contains well in excess of ten million VIAs. There is no possibility to optically or electronically control or measure the quality of a VIA during the manufacturing process. Electrical failure of a single VIA can, in the most extreme case, impair the functionality of the entire microcontroller, causing suboptimal performance, even in applications that are critical to safety.
The VIA array test chip is typical of the holistic methodology employed by Infineon in the Automotive Excellence program. Infineon is the first semiconductor manufacturer in the world to develop a method that can reliably identify potential VIA failures with high probability. The findings clearly locate the corresponding sources of defects in the production chain and eliminate or circumvent them from the outset. The VIA test chip allows Infineon to reduce its VIA defects by a factor of around 10.
The test chip maps an arrangement of more than half a million VIA cells, with each cell containing both the VIA to be evaluated and the associated control electronics. The electrical resistance and voltage drop are measured and then used as parameters to establish whether a VIA is defective, and, if so, where the source of the defect lies.
Infineon is currently using the VIA test chip primarily for components being manufactured in 0.5µm and 130-nanometer technology, e.g. the AUDO NG microcontroller, which uses 130-nanometer embedded flash technology. Infineon is confident that the VIA test chip will also be suitable for future technologies such as 90- and 65‑nanometers.
A Delta IV evolved expendable launch vehicle carrying a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellite was launched from the Space Launch Complex-6 here Nov. 4 at 5:53 a.m.
"I'm extremely proud of the precision with which the base and Vandenberg launch team planned and executed this Delta IV mission," said Col. Terry Djuric, the 30th Space Wing vice commander. "This west coast launch helped kick off the Air Force's yearlong 60th anniversary celebration."
Today, the vision of quieter and more environmentally friendly flying came a step closer as researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) unveiled their revolutionary concept for a silent aircraft.
Originally conceived as making a huge reduction in the noise experienced by people in the vicinity of airports, this highly-efficient design also offers improvements of around 25% in the fuel consumed in a typical flight compared to current aircraft.
Officials are saying the December launch of a tactical satellite, dubbed TacSat-2, will serve as the predecessor for rapid satellite production, launch and operation.
Managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate here, TacSat-2 has evolved into a responsive space demonstrator ready for flight in 24 months. Similar military spacecraft have taken 10 years or longer to go from the drawing board into space. In addition, the micro satellite provides an inexpensive alternative to most current defense-related space systems, which cost about 90 percent more.
The S-LCD Corporation a Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Sony Corporation joint venture, held a ceremony to celebrate a major milestone of the construction of the 8th-generation LCD fabrication line at the Tanjeong production complex.
S-LCD started mass producing LCD panels on the 7G line in April 2005, nine months after the company was officially launched. As a result of that collaboration, both Samsung and Sony have had access to a stable supply of large-screen LCD TV panels, helping the partners to become the global market leaders for LCD TV screens in the 40"-diagonal range.