#the semiconductor

The news on December 14, the researcher of the branch school of Champagne of American University of Illinois announces, they have already produced the most quick transistor-resistor logic of world at present, the new transistor speeds of this kind of indium phosphide and what indium gallium arsenide is made reach 845GHz, the relatively record goes beyond about 300GHz. This speed was got at - 55 ℃, this transistor-resistor logic can run in 765GHz at room temperature.

Besides new materials, the manufacture process of this kind of transistor-resistor logic is more superior too, the base is only 12.5 nanometers.

The position of University of Illinois Holonyak professor (Sina's scientific and technological note: Dr. Holonyak of GE invented the first luminescent diode in the world in 1962, namely LED) Milton Feng point out: "The new transistor-resistor logic has utilized false brilliant base and gradient effect in the collecting electrode area. " Utilize device that research and develop newly, he declare transistor-resistor logic already the intersection of approach and hertz (THz, namely 1000GHz) too "Holy grail " .

The graduate students William Snodgrass of this school say: "Through narrowing the device vertically, we have reduced the distance of electronic sport, so the transistor-resistor logic is higher in frequency. And the diameter of the current collector was reduced, so the speed that the transistor-resistor logic charged and discharged has been accelerated. "

At IEEE international electronic device meeting of this week, electrical engineering and computer science professor Jes of Massachusetts Institute of Technology S del Alamo has introduced indium gallium (InGaAs) arsenide Transistor technology. The current yield of flowing through the new transistor-resistor logic is equivalent to 2.5 times of the most advanced silicon transistor at present, greater current yield is the key to running fast.

Alamo think arsenide the intersection of indium gallium and transistor technology in infancy still at present, arsenide indium gallium damage more than silicon, difficult to produce in enormous quantities. But he expects to develop fast within 10 years in this technology, and will exceed silicon technology greatly. From the following 10 years to 15, speaking from the size and characteristic the development of the silicon transistor will reach limit.

In June of this year, IBM and Georgia Institute of Technology succeed in making a chip run in 500GHz, the temperature was - 268 ℃ at that time, this broke the speed record of the Si-Ge chip. This experiment is to explore Si-Ge (SiGe) A project part of chip speed limit, this kind of chip is similar to the canonial silicone base chip, but it contains germanium element to make the power consumption of the chip lower, the characteristic is better.

The researchers of Britain Manchester university have succeeded in developing the transistor-resistor logic minimum in size, its thickness is an atom, the section is 10 atoms.

This great progress has already been issued on the latest Science, and broken the graphite alkene transistor-resistor logic world record of sectional 100nm that this group created last year.

Graphite alkene was connected in an intricate way by carbon atom, even if there is the thickness of a atomic layer that can also keep a lot of characteristics - -Among them the most important thing is the conductivity. Crystal quality and electricity characteristic of this material are surprisingly high, and researchers claim that there is several potential application to condense attitude physics and electronic device field.

The scientist of U.S.A. Maryland university showed last month, it was only one atom thick pure carbon structure that they had already signified single-storeyed graphite alkene out. Different from most semiconductor materials, they find the characteristic of graphite alkene does not vary with temperature.

The group of Manchester adopts the standard semi-conductive manufacturing technology and makes transistor-resistor logic out. Begin with a small graphite alkene lamella, adopt the electron beam exposure and carve the channel out on the material. On a quantum dot with little small circle cage of station keeping of middle part known as the central island. The voltage can change the conductivity of these quantum dots, can store the logic attitude like standard field effect transistor in this way.

Under the leading of physics and astronomical Dr. Kostya Novoselov of institute and Andre Geim professor of the university of Manchester, the latest research develops to reveal, the transistor-resistor logic that can be made of graphite alkene makes up the very small circuit, the size of the transistor-resistor logic is not much older than single atom.

But Dr. Novoselov points out cautiously, can't produce large-scale graphite alkene yet at present. They can only produce graphite alkene crystal of about 100 microns of section, this is really too small to should use in industrying.

" perhaps can solve this problem over the next several years, " He says so.

After the size that the master shortcoming is the material is smaller than 10 nanometers, its stability is very bad. Under this kind of space dimension, all semiconductors - -Including silicon - -Will all oxidize, decompose, it is moved and not controlled along the surface, just the same as the water droplet drop on hot plate.

Four years ago, Geim and his colleagues in Manchester became the first group that studied graphite alkene, this material is a material of the first kind of monoatomic thickness, can regard as level of a layer of atoms collected the graphite structure. Graphite alkene had already become one of the research directions that semi-conductive material science is hottest hereafter.

"Before this, in order to obtain the new circuit structure, researchers adopt the macromolecule to prepare single transistor-resistor logic. Add some chemical methods into computer project " ,Novoselov appraises like this. "it and make up now last kinds of materials the same molecule of transistor-resistor logic computer framework when and it is final ( Graphite alkene) Make, can consider their direct connection. And it was the manufacturing approach the same as semi-conductive industry at present that adopted. "

Geim adds: "It is early to make the promise of the supercomputer of graphite alkene. We are not very high either when making such a small transistor-resistor logic success rate. Unfortunately, have not really cut the technology of the material with the nanometer precision yet at present. But this is a challenge that the electronic device needs facing of era of silicon after all. We have a kind of material that can meet such requirement now at least. "

"These transistor-resistor logics can work, and can work in the air, under the room temperature condition - -The environment that the electronic device can be used at present that that is to say, " Geim introduces so. He still adds the characteristic of graphite alkene " Surmount " A order of magnitude of silicon, are similar to other preferably material characteristics, and adopt graphite alkene craft and silicon craft of producing circuit to be very compatible.

"We adopt the step the same as silicon industry to make transistor-resistor logic at present. So once we have enough large graphite alkene wafer, all right that that adopts the same process sequence directly. "

On the 15th of July of 2008- " SEMICON West 2008 " held on the 17th Have, 450mm brilliant round discussion receiving much concern is still active. Plan launch the three component manufacturers of business this 2012 year ' Intel, Samsung, TSMC) Vigorous, but as a whole, it is cautious about the attitude that every manufacturer has on carrying out the transition to 450mm as soon as possible compared with last year. Worry of economy and development investment risk of heavy-calibre in a value chain their alignment that the commercial data explanation of material factory of the device has been represented. Show at the meeting-place, though some manufacturers have exhibited wafer box and handling device, but can not prove the industry has already begun to carry out the transition to 450mm formally.

In the discussion about 450mm wafer technology, a lot of opinions think that need proving to the rationality continuation of wafer thick 925μ m and interval 10mm of inner wafer of wafer box. International semiconductor engineering manufacture association (International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative, ISMI) of U.S.A. Announce, has already set up ITB (Interoperability Test Bed) in inside ,And already begun to collect the technical data.

According to " semi-conductive provider's online data strategy is assessed " which the organization IC Insight of market survey announces New data analysis reveals, the research and development expenditure of the global semi-conductive trade will increase from 10 billion dollars of last year by 12% and reach 11,100 million dollars in the first quarter of this year. The semiconductor will increase to 17.5 if the semiconductor researches and develops the percentage of the expenditure in the semi-conductive income from sales, and global semiconductor it researches and develops percentage of expenditure in the income from sales to be 16.4 last first quarter.

Investigate the company represents, on the semi-conductive market in the whole world last year, intact chip manufacturers (IDM) , without the mode of the factory (fabless) Semi-conductive Company and until semiconductor research and develop and relevant the intersection of project and the intersection of activity and total number of expenditure it increases 8% than 2006 to be 45,700 million manufacturer, chip of contract, expenditure for 2006 42,500 million, semiconductor it researches and develops proportion of expenditure in the semi-conductive income from sales to be 17.9% last year, it was 17.2% in 2006. The expenditure that the semi-conductive trade is used in research and development is rising year by year, for example, from 1990 to 2007, it is 14.9% that the global semi-conductive trade researches and develops the average proportion of the expenditure in the semi-conductive income from sales.

Investigate the company points out, is used for developing the technical cost of semiconductor manuafcture of the future generation higher and higher, the design cost of the integrated circuit presented explosive growth, began since the early period of 1990s, compared with income from sales of the semi-conductive market, research and development and project budget of the semiconductor are increasing at faster speed. From 1990 to 2007, the comprehensive average growth rates of semi-conductive research and development and project budget ((CAGR) Already been up to 12.7%, and the comprehensive average growth rate of income from sales of semi-conductive market is 9.9% during 17. Investigate the company expects this trend will continue during the following ten years.

Because global economy is weak, a lot of semi-conductive manufacturers attempt to avoid researching and developing investment, shift some research and development activities to third party's contract manufacturers. Historically, used for the expenditure of research and development being far lower than their income from sales at the chip fabrication of contract. Investigate the company expects the research and development expenditure of the global semiconductor only increases by 8% this year, it is 49,200 million dollars.

Great economic challenge of running high etc. that because face U.S. dollar devaluing and crude oil price, it is estimated China's semi-conductive sales amount will only increase by 6.1% compared with 2007 in 2008, close to 74 billion dollars. 2007 annual sales amount is close to 69,700 million dollars.

Compared with double-digit rates of growth kept in the past several years, the speed obviously glides by a wide margin.

Meanwhile, semi-conductive company of factory is not losing investors' support in China, and face keen competition and consumer and pay the continuously depressing predicament in consuming electronically. The price generally rise, impel consumers to curtail expenditures. The final and decisive juncture of the manufacturer will depend on it marches into situation of the special high growth field this year. Pursue expanded or " The long tail " Consumer market, there is not integrated circuit of factory (IC) as to China Industry come, say, seem to be first ways to success.

More than 350 companies enliven and consume the electronic market, the field that they locate obviously remains the main focus of China IC industry. Mobile phone, MP3 / portable media player (PMP) And the IC card occupies an leading position, the proportion accounting for the business volume in 2007 is higher than 50%. Consuming application and demand and promoting industry's pluralism to a great extent. Chinese IC supplier should follow this market in extensive range carefully. In addition, they should help the satisfied and constantly changeable consumers of manufacturers to have a partiality for, avoid the average selling price (ASP) at the same time Competition.

Fig. 1 shows to the applied sales amount rank of the global IC products of 2008 as iSuppli Company.