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Semiconductor International - FEOL Process Challenges Drive Single-Wafer Transition at 65 nm and Below
As advanced semiconductor device technology continues to evolve—spurred by ever-increasing consumer applications that drive demand for smaller, more powerful and less costly devices—chipmakers are experiencing a growing need for better manufacturing process control and lower defect densities, together with lower cycle times and costs. These requirements are a key factor behind the semiconductor industry's transition to single-wafer processes, which has accelerated in recent years. This is particularly true for wet processing, where single-wafer technology is increasingly gaining market share. In back-end-of-line (BEOL) process areas, once addressed exclusively by batch-processing technologies (wet benches and spray tools), single-wafer technology now dominates. Today, the long-awaited conversion to single-wafer for front-end-of-line (FEOL) processes is under way, as well, driven by batch technology's anticipated limitations, such as process marginality.
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