1992 Annual Report - SRC · 1992: SRC’s Year of Review, Self-Assessment; Industry’s Year of Cooperation, Competitiveness “U.S. Again Leads in Computer Chips: American Firms

Cooperative Research

A Decade of Service to theSemiconductor Industry

Semiconductor Research Corporation1992 Annual Report

MISSION

It is the mission of the

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC)

to enhance the competitiveness

of the North American semiconductor industry

through the support of generic,

pre-competitive research and educational initiatives

in areas relevant to industry needs,

and through the timely transfer

of research results to its participants.

In addition, the SRC will participate with industry

and government in coordination of R&D

and in the identification and analysis of,

and appropriate responses to,

key semiconductor R&D issues.

SEMICONDUCTOR RESEARCH CORPORATION

Excerpt from the October 1992 Letter Nominatingthe Semiconductor Research Corporation forThe National Medal of Technology

Winners of the National Medal of Technology will be announced in 1993.The SRC is pleased to have been nominated by distinguished scientistand medal recipient Erich Bloch. We are honored to be considered forthis prestigious award.

...The SRC is one of the nation s most respecteduniversity research consortia and consists of 70companies and federal agencies who contribute tothe semiconductor value-added chain. In the tenyears since its inception, the SRC has evolved intoa premier research management organization thathas developed a systematic approach to transferringuniversity-generated technology to its participants.As a result of this endeavor, the SRC has played amajor role in enabling the semiconductor industryto regain its global competitiveness... .

...Today, because of the SRC, the followingkey accomplishments have been achieved.

● A semiconductor-research effort exists thatis strategically planned, goal-oriented.cooperative. and non-redundant.

● University research efforts span the spectrumfrom devices and materials to design.manufacturing sciences and packaging.

● Silicon device research is being carried outin the U.S. university system.

● Computer-aided design for integrated circuitshas progressed at a substantial rate in the pastten years.

● Semiconductor manufacturing science is anintegral part of the academic research agendaand curricula.

● Packaging research on semiconductor deviceshas emerged and the electrical. thermal,materials and systems aspects are formed intoa coherent. integrated research effort.

Without the SRC most. if not all, of these keyaccomplishments would not have occurred... .

...The SRC has proven the concept thatresearch consortia can provide their participantswith critical generic research and that these effortscan quickly be commercialized... . The SRC ssuccessful performance is now providing the modelfor other pivotal industries to emulate... .

As a further benefit for the semiconductorindustry, the SRC recognized the critical roleour education system plays in U.S. industrialcompetitiveness. In 1988, the SRC participantscreated a non-profit foundation, the SRCEducation Alliance, to focus attention to bothK- 12 and university (undergraduate and graduate)science and math education... .

The SRC has redefined technology transfer toenable U.S. world-class universities to contributeto the improved competitiveness of the microelec-tronics industry. In the process of developing thiscooperative approach between industry, academiaand government, the SRC has also had a profoundimpact on guiding the U.S. education system inproducing students educated to fulfill industry sneeds or to become the next generation of faculty... .

It is my great pleasure to present the SRC as anominee for the National Medal of Technology.

Erich BlochDistinguished FellowCouncil on Competitiveness

1

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH

“...Become recognized as the best research management organization in theworld.” Owen P. Williams, 1992 SRC Chairman of the Board.

In 10 years, milestones include:

l $200 million in research contracts funded:

l Hundreds of faculty members supported;

l More than 1,000 graduate students hired bythe industry;

l Over 950 interactive meetings and events held;

l 8,000 research reports published; and

l 41 patents issued, another 38 patents filed.

The Semiconductor Research Corporation isthe U.S. semiconductor industry’s first cooperativeresearch consortium. The SRC plans and implementsan integrated program of basic and applied pre-competitive generic research conducted by facultyand graduate students at leading U.S. andCanadian universities and research institutions.

Industry-led and predominantly industry-funded,the SRC has become one of the most successfulresearch management institutions in the world.The consortium currently funds about $32 millionin research contracts at 60 major universities eachyear. This funding represents about half of allsupport for silicon semiconductor research at U.S.universities and research institutions.

The semiconductor industry’s participation inthe SRC research program has resulted in:

Nationally unified research goals for key scienceareas critical to the semiconductor industry;

Graduate students educated in the anticipatedneeds of industry who are becoming leadersin the industry and at universities, and

Timely transfer of research results to SRCparticipants for rapid commercialization.

The SRC model has strengthened globalcompetitiveness for the American semiconductorindustry, and improved relationships amongindustry, academia and government.

2


1992: SRC’s Year of Review, Self-Assessment;Industry’s Year of Cooperation, Competitiveness

“U.S. Again Leads in Computer Chips: American Firms Recapture GlobalSales Share From Japanese.”— Headline, The Washington Post, Nov. 20, 1992

The SRC proudly shares in the competitive comeback of the North American semiconductor industryand looks forward to the continued competitiveness of SRC participants. Universities. government andindustry have forged a unique cooperative relationship, initiated and pioneered by the SRC. The SRC’sresearch and engineering education achievements have assisted the industry in regaining competitiveness,and SRC members are receiving a significant return on their investment.

The year 1992 was a special one for the SRC. The consortium marked its first decade of service to the semi-conductor industry. We began the year by reviewing and quantifying our achievements of the last 10 years.

We also began a comprehensive self-assessment and examination of how we serve our members – ourcustomers – with a comprehensive technology transfer program.

Our year of self-assessment led the SRC to:

Implement a Total Quality program to ensure that the SRC continues to provide outstanding researchmanagement services to participating companies and government agencies;Form the SRC Technology Transfer and Quality (TT&Q) team, a unique linkage of the SRC’s technologytransfer and total quality management activities; andCreate a Technology Insertion Project to move SRC research results to their logical next step —insertion into SRC-participating companies’ design and manufacturing processes.

The SRC has made significant contributions to North American semiconductor industry competitivenessduring the last decade. The SRC’s success in improving industry-wide generic pre-competitive research andSRC’s leadership in scientific studies have resulted in national, unified goals accepted by the vast majorityof the semiconductor industry. The SRC strategy provides academia and government with a clear pictureof the industry’s needs.

In 1992, the SRC played a major organizing and planning role for the Semiconductor IndustryAssociation’s Semiconductor Technology Workshop in Dallas to coordinate a long-term technologyroadmap for the industry.

Among the SRC’s proudest achievements was the initiation of the SRC Technical Excellence Awardsto recognize research contributions with significant impact on the industry.

Another key contribution is the ever-strengthening bond among industry, university and government.This synergistic relationship is the first working example in the U.S. of an industry-led endeavor resultingin a national technology-development plan that serves the needs of all participants and improves thecompetitive position of a vital technology.

Highlighting the year was Erich Bloch’s nomination of the SRC for the prestigious National Medalof Technology for the consortium’s technology transfer accomplishments and contributions toward atechnologically trained workforce for the nation. Part of his nomination letter is included in this annualreport because it so eloquently expresses the value of the SRC.

In 1993, we look forward to holding the TECHCON research conference in Atlanta, filing newpatents and communicating their research benefits to our participating companies, expanding ourelectronic document delivery project and continuing our Technology Transfer and Quality efforts.

The SRC is working to make next decade even more productive and beneficial to SRC membercompanies and participating government agencies than the first decade has been.

Larry W. Sumney

Owen P. Williams

Larry W. Sumney Owen P. WilliamsPresident and CEO Chairman 3


SRC Members Leverage R&D Investments intoGlobal Competitiveness

More than 70 companies and governmentagencies find the SRC’s work.

The SRC’s strength comes from its ability tobring industry relevance to university research and totransfer research results quickly from universitiesto industry.

Our corporate members and participatinggovernment agencies make these technologicaladvances possible. More than 70 companies andgovernment agencies fund the SRC’s work,leveraging their own research and developmentdollars. The potential leverage of their investmentis enormous.

New Participants in 1992The SRC welcomed 18 new participants

in 1992:

Member

Northern Telecom Ltd. — Northern Telecomis a leading supplier of fully digital telecommuni-cations switching equipment. Based in Nepean,Ontario, Canada, Northern Telecom is both a majorproducer and major user of integrated circuits andoptoelectronics at their production facilities inCanada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Associate Member

MITRE Corp. — MITRE is a federally fundedresearch and development center, providing engi-neering consulting services to agencies of the U.S.Department of Defense and the Federal AviationAdministration. MITRE is based in Woburn, MA.

In addition, 16 companies became AffiliateMembers of the SRC:

AG Associates, Sunnyvale, CABrantford Computer Haus, Ontario, CanadaCVC Holdings Inc., Rochester, NYDTX Corp., Lancaster. PAExcimer Laser Systems Inc., Wayland, MAFamtec International, Chandler, AZIbis Technology Corp., Danvers, MAIntegrated Electronics Innovations Inc.,

Charlotte, NCPDF Solutions, Pittsburgh, PAPhenix Semicron Corp.. Hurdle Mills, NCQ-metrics Inc., Woburn, MARealtime Performance Inc., Sunnyvale, CAScientific Exchange, Ontario, CanadaSpire Corp., Bedford, MAUTI Instruments Company, San Jose, CAVerity Instruments Inc., Carrollton, TX

Northern Telecom fabricates custom integrated circuits for use in its advancedtelecommunications systems, including digital switches, private branch exchanges,fiber optic transmission systems and terminals.

4


Integrated Silicon Systems (ISS) produces Vericheck IC Design VerificationSoftware. This photograph shows the layout versus schematic compare module.

And we continued working with thesemembers in 1992:

Members

AT&TAdvanced Micro Devices Inc.AlcoaDigital Equipment Corp.E.I. du Pont de Nemours & CompanyE-Systems Inc.Eastman Kodak CompanyEaton Corp.Etec SystemsGeneral Motors Corp.Harris Corp.Hewlett-Packard CompanyHoneywell Inc.IBM Corp.Intel Corp.LSI Logic Corp.M/A COMMicron Technology Inc.Motorola Inc.National Semiconductor Corp.Rockwell International Corp.Texas Instruments Inc.Union Carbide Corp.Varian Associates Inc.Westinghouse Electric Corp.Xerox

Associate Members

Los Alamos National LaboratoryMCCSEMATECH

U.S. Government Participants

Army Research Office (ARO)Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA)National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST)National Science Foundation (NSF)National Security Agency (NSA)Office of Naval Technology (ONT)Wright Laboratory (USAF)

Affiliate Members

Analogy Inc.Arizona Packaging Software Inc.Dawn TechnologiesHestia Technologies Inc.Integrated Silicon Systems Inc.Meta-Software Inc.Mission Research Corp.nCHIP Inc.Process Technology Ltd.PrometrixSILVACO Data SystemsSolid State Measurements Inc.SRI InternationalSunrise Test SystemsTechnology Modeling Associates Inc.Tyecin Systems Inc.WYKO Corp.

5


1992 Highlights Reflect SRC Imperative:Transfer, Insert and Commercialize Research Results

The SRC has developed a Concurrent Technology Transfer Systemthat has re-defined technology transfer:

Progress for the North American semiconductorindustry is often described in terms of a technologychain. Each link is an activity essential to the creationof new products. The chain begins with researchand ends with production of competitive products.

The SRC has developed a ConcurrentTechnology Transfer System that has re-definedtechnology transfer as a multi-directional,concurrent process among industry, academiaand government, throughout every stage fromplanning through commercialization.

Since its inception in 1982, the SRC hascontributed many elements to the nation’s overalltechnology base, including its novel approach totechnology transfer. In doing so, the SRC hasstrengthened each link in the technology chain.

Pre-competitive research is a fundamental component of the SRC’s mission.

6


Some of the technology transfer highlightsof 1992 include:

Texas A&M-SRC Analysis and PlanningWorkstation Used at Systems Modeling Corp.

The development of a cost-benefit modelfor automated manufacturing systems is a highpriority within the semiconductor industry.CHIPS (CoHerent and Integrated PlanningSystem) is a cohesive, data-driven modelingsystem for predicting semiconductor integratedcircuit manufacturing performance.

Dr. Don T. Phillips of Texas A&M and hisresearch team developed a prototype of a softwaremodeling tool for production systems and costanalysis. The tools were developed in closecooperation with Dr. John W. Fowler, DarrenDance and Neal G. Pierce of SEMATECH andPaul Stachura of Advanced Micro Devices.

Systems Modeling Corporation, Sewickley, PA,is in a joint development program with SEMATECHto commercialize CHIPS methodologies.

“A fundamental problem existed,” saidC. Dennis Pegden, president of Systems ModelingCorporation. “Our technology was not focusedenough on the specific areas that SRC’s membersare faced with, and the software was not easyenough to use for an engineer who frequentlyemployed simulation technology. Our approachto the problem was to develop a general modelingtool that could easily be customized to specificapplication areas... .”

Heavy Metals Project in Florida Transferredin One Year

Usually the SRC process takes approximatelyfive years from the initial planning stage to tech-nology insertion. The following project was ofsuch interest to industry that it was researched andthe results transferred to industry in only one year.

In 1991, a SEMATECH Center of Excellence,managed by the SRC, was established at theFlorida Institute of Technology, University ofFlorida and University of South Florida. Twoof its goals were to:

Predict yield reduction caused by heavy metalcontamination for a given technology; and

Provide guidance concerning how much theheavy metal concentration must be reducedwith further technology evolution.

In 1992, research results were alreadyin use at AMD, Applied Materials, AT&T,Harris Semiconductor, Honeywell, IBM,Micron Semiconductor, SEMATECH, TexasInstruments. and TMA.

This is an example of an SRC TechnologyInsertion Project in which researchers and end-users collaborate closely for the duration of theproject and the cycle time required for successfultransfer is compressed.

7


1992 Highlights

“ These projects enable industry to have muchquicker access to usable, ‘hard core’ technologiescoming out of the university research program.”

University of California-Berkeley Computer-Aided Manufacturing System Installed at IBM,Lam Research and DEC

The University of California at Berkeley’s“Computer-Aided Manufacturing System,” called“B-CAM,” has created a supervisory controller asan application module. B-CAM was demonstratedat the 1992 CIM-IC Workshop, sponsored by theSRC and DARPA (Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency), and has been implemented atDigital Equipment Corporation in Hudson. MA,for control of an AME 5000.

IBM, Lam Research Work with ProfessorSpanos to Improve Equipment Performance

SRC initiated collaboration among ProfessorCostos Spanos, IBM, Lam Research, SEMATECHand SRC to test a new set of software tools thatwill predict when a piece of manufacturingequipment is about to deviate from acceptableperformance specifications.

This project was part of the Technology Inser-tion Program initiated by SRC and SEMATECHin 1992 to enhance university research efforts byproviding support for early application of laboratoryresults.

“These projects enable industry to have muchquicker access to usable, ‘hard core’ technologiescoming out of the university research program,”said Dr. William C. Holton, SRC vice president ofresearch operations.

The collective efforts of Professor Spanosand two students in UC-Berkeley’s Computer-AidedManufacturing Group, IBM’s Semiconductor Groupand Lam’s etch process and software engineerscentered on four primary areas:

Real-time statistical process control to spotprocess trends:

Automated malfunction diagnostics to providereal-time identification of internal conditionvariations that can affect process results;

Statistical-based equipment models that can beused for automated recipe generation, as wellas equipment control and diagnosis; and

Run-by-run control that entails the develop-ment of standard test patterns and automatedmeasurements to generate and downloadcorrected recipes to the etch systems.

University of North Carolina-Charlotte Workswith Texas Instruments on Etch Resists

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte,working with Texas Instruments, has evaluated theproperties of ionic modifiers in UCB-JSR 1X 500 ELand Shipley SPR511 i-line resists. Results showenhanced etch resistance to chlorine plasmas,while still removable in oxygen plasmas, with littleadverse impact on the lithographic properties ofthese resists.

8SRC-sponsored research in plasma etch resists at the University of NorthCarolina at Charlotte has resulted in two patents.


Then-US. Rep. Les Aspin (D-WI) discussed next-generation technologyrequirements for U.S. competitiveness during his tour of the X-RayLithography Center at the University of Wisconsin. Aspin was joined byJim Rutledge (left) of SEMATECH and Howard Phillips of the SRC (right).

Wisconsin Center for X-ray LithographyResearch Links with DARPA, IBM, Motorolaand Silicon Valley Group Lithography

“You’ve done an amazing job,” said then-Rep.Les Aspin (D-WI) and current U.S. Secretary ofDefense, describing the cooperative researchprogram forged by the SRC, SEMATECH, semi-conductor companies and the federal government.

The Navy and DARPA announced theirsponsorship of a research contract to developX-ray lithography equipment in conjunction withIBM and Silicon Valley Group Lithography. Theprogram will lead to evaluation of a new quarter-micron X-ray stepper by IBM and the installationof the stepper at the University of Wisconsin’sSynchrotron Radiation Center. The equipmentwill be used for quarter-micron device researchleading to more powerful silicon microchips foruse in computers and telecommunications products.

Motorola also announced a research programwith the University of Wisconsin to concentrateon quarter-micron microcircuit research anddevelopment, including the investigation ofmanufacturability issues which face industry.

Universities Receive Silicon Wafers fromMicron Semiconductor

In an ideal example of cooperative researchand technology exchange, Micron SemiconductorInc. donated thousands of silicon wafers to a groupof U.S. universities and research institutions.Distribution of the wafers was arranged by the SRC.The gift had a value of about $200,000.

The donation provides semiconductorresearchers a unique opportunity to comparetheir research results.

“University research can be done moreeffectively if it is performed with the appropriatematerials,” said Steven R. Appleton, chairman andCEO of Micron Semiconductor Inc. “The use ofsilicon wafers in research on the production ofsemiconductors will be of greater benefit to thoseof us in the industry.”

Institutions receiving wafers included theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, NorthCarolina State University, UCLA, Universityof Texas at Austin, Purdue, New Jersey Instituteof Technology, University of Illinois, MCNC(formerly the Microelectronics Center of NorthCarolina) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“Micron’s gift of thousands of wafers willimprove the technology exchange betweenuniversities and industry,” said Professor NinoMasnari of N.C. State and chairman of the SRC’sUniversity Advisory Committee.

“SRC’s goal is to match university and industryresearch and development more closely,” saidLarry W. Sumney, SRC president and CEO. “Thisis an excellent example of the kind of university-industry partnerships the SRC makes possible.”

9


1992 Achievements in Intellectual Property ReflectIndustry’s Long-Term Goals

The SRC’s patent portfolio is growing.

Long-term SRC-sponsored research isbeginning to result in key generic patents andcopyrighted Works of Authorship. The SRC hasa worldwide, unrestricted, nonexclusive licenseto use the results of the SRC’s funded research,as well as the ability to sub-license such rightsto SRC participants. In 1992, two such patentsissuing from SRC-sponsored research were:

UCLA Transistor

Technology developed by ProfessorsKang L. Wang and Jason C.S. Woo of UCLAresulted in a patent for complementary field effecttransistors having strained superlattice structure.

Using this device technology, it is possible tohave equal and symmetrical rise/fall times on logicsignals using matched-geometry CMOS interfacesto digital data bus circuits. Because most computersuse data bus architecture, this patent potentiallyhas broad commercial applications.

For CMOS transistors. the carrier mobilitiesof holes are increased significantly and can be ofabout the same magnitude for electrons. This is anadvantage for complementary logic applications.

N.C. State Fabrication Technology

Professor F. Yates Sorrell, Jimmie J. Wortmanand John R. Hauser of NC. State developed atechnology for controlling rapid thermal processing(RTP) systems. This method produces a constanttemperature at the wafer surface.

This approach solves the problem of largetemperature excursions which limited the useful-ness of previous RTP equipment designs.

10


SRC Produces a Technically Competent Workforce

A comprehensive and focused university researchprogram in semiconductor technology exists.

Ten years ago, very little university researchwas directed to the needs of the semiconductorindustry. When a new university graduate was hiredby a semiconductor company, a lengthy trainingprogram was required before the new employeewas able to contribute to the company’s productdevelopment efforts.

A decade later, because of the SRC, a compre-hensive and focused university research programin semiconductor technology exists. More than1,000 SRC-funded graduates have now entered theworkforce with the ability to immediately transfertheir advanced knowledge into industry for thedevelopment of new processes and products.

The Graduate Fellowship Program adminis-tered by the SRC Education Alliance is a separateeducational effort created by the SRC. There were36 fellows participating in the program in 1992.Students in the Graduate Fellowship Program areU.S. citizens pursuing Ph.D. degrees and workingon research tasks associated with SRC-fundedprojects. Currently, of these three SRC Fellows(one at the University of Michigan; two at N.C.State) are key contributors to six new U.S. patents,issued and/or applied for.

A portion of the SRC student funding isprovided to the Fellow in the form of a loanwhich is converted to a gift if the student completesgraduation and is employed with a participatingcompany, North American university or govern-ment laboratory. In 1992, all 11 graduating SRCFellows joined the ranks of SRC participatingcompanies or the faculty of U.S. universities.

In addition, more than 800 students wereenrolled in SRC-funded university research programsin 24 industry-identified research areas in 1992.

More than 800 students were enrolled in SRC-funded university researchprograms in 1992.

11


1992 Industrial Mentors Bring Industry Perspectiveto the University Research Laboratory

The program has grown to more than 450 mentorswho represent a broad spectrum of SRC-participantresearch and manufacturing expertise.

Student and faculty researchers receive thebenefit of direct contact with industry engineersthrough the SRC Industrial Mentor program.Ten years ago, there were 50 mentors assistinguniversity researchers with collaborative technicalguidance and a variety of industrial resources.

In 1992, there were 479 individual industrialmentors serving 571 specific task assignments.Some participating companies have more than50 employees assigned to the Mentor Program.Three graduated SRC Fellows (and many morestudents who worked on SRC-funded projects)are now themselves Industrial Mentors to SRCuniversity research teams (at the University ofMichigan, University of Texas and CarnegieMellon University).

Each year, the SRC names recipients of theSRC Outstanding Industrial Mentor Award.In 1992, the winners were:

Don Sharfetter of Intel Corp., Santa Clara,CA, who mentors an SRC Microstructure Sciencescontract at the University of Texas at Austin;

Sury Maturi of National SemiconductorCorp., Santa Clara, CA, who mentors an SRCDesign Sciences contract at Yale University;

Jack Linn of Harris Semiconductor,Melbourne, FL, who mentors a ManufacturingProcesses Sciences contract at the University ofNew Mexico; and

George Katopis of IBM Corp., HopewellJunction, NY, who is one of the mentors of thePackaging Sciences contract at the University ofArizona.

12

Technical Excellence Awards Honor ResearchContributions Benefiting Industry

The SRC Technical Excellence Awards are based on scientificmerit, relevance to the industry's technical objectives, utility andtechnology transfer potential.

In 1992, the SRC Technical Excellence Awardswere first presented to recognize research contribu-tions having significant impact on the productivityof the North American semiconductor industry.Awards are made to key contributors to programsjudged on the basis of scientific merit, relevanceto the technical objectives of the semiconductorindustry, utility and technology transfer potential.The awards are competively selected from nomi-nations by industry engineers and scientists.

In June 1992, four research teams were honoredat the first awards dinner in Research TrianglePark recognizing contributions made through 1991.The winners were congratulated by Jack Kilby,co-inventor of the integrated circuit.

University of Texas at Austin: “MOSFETStructure for Deep Submicron ULSI Processes” —Key contributors: Professor Al F. Tasch, Jr.,Professor Christine M. Maziar, Dr. Hyungsoon Shin.Industry impact: These researchers have generatednew structures and models to design and evaluatehot carrier supressed MOSFETs, in which devicesthe dopant profile reduces the voltage drops acrossthe more highly doped region of the drain, therebyreducing the electronic field. The resulting submicrondevices have better long-term reliability.

Carnegie Mellon University: “AsymptoticWaveform Estimator (AWE)” — Key contributors:Professor Ronald A. Rohrer, Professor LawrencePillage. Industry impact: This research resulted ina new simulator for the evaluation of transientwaveforms at the chip level for large linear circuits.The impact is expected to be a reduction of risk indesigning complex VLSI chips through accuratesimulation analysis.

Jack Kilby, to-inventor of the integrated circuit, presents a TechnicalExcellence Award to Asad M. Haider.

University of Arizona (Arizona SEMATECHCenter of Excellence): “Contamination Control inGases and Liquids” — Key contributors: ProfessorFarhang Shadman, Mr. Robert A. Governal,Mr. Asad M. Haider, Ms. Alison L. Bonner. Industryimpact: This research team developed novel methodsfor removal and control of organic impurities in DIwater systems and for purification of gases. Theyalso developed a new technique for determining theimpurity levels in gas distribution systems and insidetools. These point-of-use techniques will make itpossible to reduce particle and impurity levels in acost-effective manner.

University of California at Berkeley:“Berkeley Reliability Tool (BERT)” — Keycontributors: Professor Chenming Hu, ProfessorPing K. Ko, Dr. Peter M. Lee, Mr. Boon-KhimLiew, Ms. Elyse Rosenbaum, Dr. J. David Burnett.Industry impact: This research contributed a designtool that simulates IC reliability during the circuitdesign stage which addresses gate oxide lifetimeelectromigration and hot carrier lifetime. A bipolarreliability module is being added to enhance thisimportant tool. Industry is provided a means to buildreliability into chip design.

13


1992 Survey Proves Americans Support Technology Industries

The American public regards high-technology industriesas strategic to the nation’s future.

In February 1992, the SRC and SemiconductorIndustry Association (SIA) commissioned a publicopinion survey that found broad support amongAmericans for the concept that high-technologyindustries are critical to the nation’s productivity,economic health and military security.

Almost unanimously (96 percent), the Americanpublic regards high-technology industries as strategicto the nation’s future. However, as few as 12 percentof Americans believe the U.S. will lead the worldin technology 10 years from now, according to thesurvey conducted by the Roper Organization.

An analysis of the survey results showed:

A majority of the public from both majorpolitical parties believe government shouldtake a more active role to assist Americanhigh-tech competitiveness in the world market.

As to possible actions the government mighttake if it were to play a more active role intechnology policy, the strongest support wasgiven to providing higher education with morefinancial support for research (58 percentstrongly favor), and pursuing a trade policythat would preserve American interests inhigh technology (54 percent strongly support).

If a national technology strategy were tobe developed, it should be led jointly bygovernment and industry, said the respon-dents. Government leadership of a nationaltechnology strategy was rejected by a largemajority of the public.

“This survey shows that the American peoplewant and expect strong efforts to strengthenand maintain our technology base,” saidLarry W. Sumney, SRC president and CEO.

14


Washington Hears Semiconductor Research Messageat 10th Annual Conference

The SRC completed 18 national technical research roadmaps foruse in the cooperative tripartite process (universities-industry-government) for the advancement of semiconductor technology.

Global forces. Expansion in the consortium’smembership base. Total quality management.Research expansion. These are trends seen by SRCPresident Larry W. Sumney as the SRC entersits second decade.

Sumney discussed these trends at the plenarysession held during the annual joint meeting of theSRC and Semiconductor Industry Association inWashington in March 1992.

In his remarks, Mr. Sumney noted, the SRChas completed 18 national technical researchroadmaps for use in the cooperative tripartiteprocess (universities-industry-government) forthe advancement of semiconductor technology.The U.S. Air Force has provided funds to developa research plan and roadmap for semiconductorpackaging, providing an example to follow inother areas of microelectronics.

In addition, Mr. Sumney noted that number oforganizations funding the work of the SRC continuesto grow. Additional membership classifications arebeing created to encourage the participation of abroad range of organizations. Membership in theSRC is open to Canadian companies and prepara-tions are being made to fund research at Canadianuniversities. With the North American Free TradeAgreement with Canada and Mexico, the potentialis developing for the SRC to evolve into a NorthAmerican consortium. In addition, Mr. Sumneymentioned the possibilities of joint researchalliances with foreign universities and researchinstitutes, particularly in Europe.

Rep. Tim Valentine (D-NC), chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee onTechnology, Environment and Aviation, spoke at the 1992 joint meeting of theSIA and the SRC.

Other speakers and topics included:

Ian Ross, president emeritus of BellLaboratories and chairman of the NationalAdvisory Committee on Semiconductors (NACS),spoke on a national strategy for semiconductorsand reviewed the NACS recommendations.

Rep. Tim Valentine (D-NC), chairman ofthe Congressional Subcommittee on Technology,Environment and Aviation, and sponsor of thelegislation that created NACS, emphasized thatthe federal government can play a role throughits support of a national technology strategy.

Erich Bloch, former director of the NationalScience Foundation and now a distinguished fellowat the Council on Competitiveness, addressed theissue of workforce preparedness. He spoke of theneed to attract students to engineering, retain them,and modernize curricula.

Dr. Gerhard H. Parker of Intel and chairmanof the SRC Board of Directors enumerated theSRC’s accomplishments during its initial decade.

15

COOPERATIVE R ESEARCH

SEMATECH, Other Consortia Provide Benchmarks for 1992

The SRC has strengthened its relationship withSEMATECH to develop advanced technologytransfer programs.

Five years ago, SRC was instrumental indeveloping the model and generating support forthe concept of SEMATECH, the semiconductorindustry’s consortium to focus on improving thesemiconductor industry’s manufacturing equip-ment and processing technology. The manufacturingsciences research begun by the SRC laid the ground-work for expanded research efforts in this vitalarea now managed by the SRC and funded bySEMATECH.

Today, the SRC has strengthened its relation-ship with SEMATECH to develop advancedtechnology transfer programs to promote timelyacquisition of new developments by semiconductorequipment manufacturers and to share best-demonstrated practices.

In 1992, SRC worked with SEMATECH tomanage six new Technology Insertion Programs.These programs provided financial support forearly industrial application of university research.They involved activity by professors and studentsat an industry manufacturing site and includeda Technology Demonstration Workshop at theconclusion of each project.

SRC continued to manage the SEMATECHCenter of Excellence (SCOE) research program in1992. The SCOE program was established in July1988 to address manufacturing technologies requiredfor U.S. leadership in IC manufacturing in the 1990sand beyond. The program is conducted in U.S.universities under SEMATECH’s contract withthe SRC and is fully integrated with the entireSRC-sponsored university research program.

Significant research results have been andcontinue to be achieved. In particular, advanceshave been made in contamination control, plasmaetching, metrology and the development of responsesurface methodologies, including sensor technology,which have immediate application for invasivemanufacturing tool control. Opportunities exist forthe initiation of substantial technology exchangeactivities.

In 1992, the SRC also continued to workcooperatively with the Council of Consortia CEOs,chaired by SRC President Larry W. Sumney.The Council addresses issues of common concern,seeks solutions to shared problems, encouragesindustry, government and academic support for theuse of consortia to address shared problems, andworks to assure that the results of consortia activi-ties are widespread, equitable and beneficial tomembers and the economic community.

The Council includes representatives of theElectric Power Research Institute, Gas ResearchInstitute, MCC, Software Engineering Institute,Great Lakes Composites Consortium, BELLCORE,Software Productivity Consortium, MCNC,National Center for Manufacturing Sciences,SEMATECH, Ohio Aerospace Institute, StrategicMicroelectronics Consortium (Canada), andUSCAR.

SEMATECH’S mission is to solve the tethnical challenges required to keepthe U.S. number one in the global semiconductor industry.

16


The SRC Takes a Long-Term View

SRC strategically plans, prioritizes and implements a researchprogram in support of industry consortia, universities, nationallaboratories and government agencies.

Packaging

In January 1992, top U.S. semiconductorand electronics packaging technologists met inResearch Triangle Park to begin developmentof a national strategic research and developmentprogram for semiconductor and electronics pack-aging. Packaging includes an IC chip’s protectiveenclosure and interconnection of subassembliesinto the completed equipment.

Participants of the three-day workshop agreedthat there was a tremendous shortfall in realresearch into technologies for the products of theyear 2005.

New packaging technologies hold greaterpromise for future electronics systems than minia-turization or increases in the number of circuits perchip. The largest volume of an electronic product,and the greatest cost, is devoted to packagingcomponents.

The SRC coordinated the development ofthe packaging research plan, which has identifiedand prioritized research needed to be done byindustry, consortia, universities, national laboratoriesand government. Work on the plan was guided bya steering committee composed of members fromSRC, MCNC, DARPA, MCC, the U.S. Air ForceWright Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories,SEMATECH, industry and academia.

The key packaging technologies included inthe strategic plan included: signal transmissionand interconnect, environmental protection ofintegrated circuits (ICs), IC to multiple-moduleDesign-for-Test and test methods, power/thermaltechnologies, and analysis, design and simulationof packages and assemblies.

Packaging technologies hold greater promise for future electronics systems thanminiaturization or increases in the number of circuits per chip.

The SRC has contracted more than $11 millionfor packaging research since its packaging programwas initiated in 1983. In 1992, the SRC increasedits annual funding of microelectronics packagingresearch by 30 percent to $2.2 million.

The SRC is currently managing and fundingIC packaging research at six universities: Arizona,Cornell, Lehigh, Ohio State, Purdue and Stanford.

17


The SRC Enhances Communications,Electronic Document Delivery

Satellite videoconferences were held on such topics as TCAD Modelintegration for VLSI Manufacturing, Silicon-on-Insulator Technologyin VLSI Processing and Multi-Level Interconnect Technology.

Videoconferencing

A June 1992 conference on TCAD ModelIntegration for VLSI Manufacturing took advantageof satellite videoconferencing as an effective toolfor widespread, immediate distribution of researchinformation. The broadcast originated from N.C.State University in Raleigh and was distributedaround the country. People at 11 locations partici-pated in the videoconference.

Other 1992 satellite videoconferences includedone on the topic of Silicon-on-Insulator Technologyin VLSI Processing, carried at 20 sites, and a broad-cast on Multi-Level Interconnect Technology, seenat 20 sites around the country.

Now, the SRC is evaluating videoconferencesas an effective means for reducing costs and cycletime associated with interactive technologyexchange. The SRC has acquired a PictureTelSystem 4000, Model 400 station to utilize video-conferencing as an alternative to face-to-facemeetings.

18


The SRC Electronic Document Delivery Project integrates text, graphics, tables andmathematics supplied from many sources and in many formats.

Electronic Document Delivery Project

The SRC Electronic Document Delivery(EDD) Project made significant progress in 1992.The project’s goal is to migrate the SRC’s entirelibrary of publications, now distributed on paper,to a common electronic format that could beviewed on an engineering workstation or a desktopcomputer. The electronic library would be updatedregularly and distributed via CD-ROM, and couldbe accessed either directly, or from a network fileservice to which it is downloaded.

Specific application and distribution issueshave been addressed. However, the project teamrecognized that its most significant challenge wasto integrate text, graphics, tables and mathematicssupplied from many sources and in many formats.The team sought advice from its advisory boardand reviewed the related efforts by IEEE, ACMand AMS (among others) before selecting theinternational standards of SGML for modellingof text, TIFF and CGM for storing graphics, andTeX for representation of mathematics.

The project team prepared and presented aproof-of-concept prototype application to the SRCAdvisory Board Executive Committee and to theSRC Board of Directors. Pilot universities werechosen to begin submitting documents to the SRCelectronically, and all universities began submittingtheir abstracts via Internet e-mail.

The EDD project team prepared a four-yearroadmap that outlines long-term goals of theproject, and suggests a timeline for integrationinto the SRC’s information delivery strategy.

19


SIA Technology Roadmap

SRC worked with SIA to help the industry devise a commontechnology roadmap for the next 15 years.

Dr. Gordon Moore, chairman of theboard of Intel Corp., convenedthe SIA Semiconductor TechnologyWorkshop to help the industrydevise a common technologyroadmap for the next 15 years.

SRC’s Dr. Robert Burger provided co-leadershipwith Dr. William Howard, a SEMATECH consultant,for the planning and implementation of the SIASemiconductor Technology Workshop in Dallas inNovember 1992. Dr. Gordon Moore, chairman of theboard of Intel Corp., convened the working sessionto help the industry devise a common technologyroadmap for the next 15 years. More than 170 ofthe country’s leading IC technologists formedbreakout groups to devise the plan which used asa starting point the National Advisory Committeeon Semiconductors’s reports. Committee membersincluded representatives of industry, academia,SEMATECH, DARPA, NIST (National Instituteof Standards and Technology) and the nationallaboratories.

The summary report was released in March1993 and is being used by the Clinton Administra-tion, universities, government agencies and theindustry.

Moore told Electronics magazine: “The industrydoes short-term, tactical research very well, but werecognize that we’re not doing some of the long-term things that we need to do.”

He told the magazine that the industry canlook to the SRC working with universities, andwith government agencies, such as the nationallaboratories, to meet the industry’s long-term goals.

Excerpt from SIA Semiconductor Technology –Workshop Conclusions:

“These efforts put forth by and on behalf ofthe U.S. semiconductor industry are bearing fruit.Worldwide market share of the U.S. industryclimbed in 1991 for the first year in decades,and the semiconductor manufacturing equipmentindustry regained worldwide market share leader-ship. Preliminary estimates for 1992 show continu-ous U.S. strength with U.S. semiconductor marketshare nearly equal to that of Japan. While theseresults are extremely encouraging, they must beviewed in the light that the Japanese market isextremely depressed.

The semiconductor industry has proved thatit can advance more rapidly by cooperating inpre-competitive areas. It has demonstrated the abilityto recover competitiveness in the world marketby means of focused programs addressing itsshortcomings. I believe that it is likely that otherindustries could benefit by emulating the modelthat the semiconductor industry has pioneered.Of course, many improvements to the model arestill possible. and alternatives should be considereddepending on the specific situation... .

Both SRC and SEMATECH will use theseroadmaps to plan their programs, and we hope thatothers supporting research and advanced technology,including individual companies, universities, andgovernment funding agencies, will also use themto advantage.”

Dr. Gordon MooreChairTechnology Committee of the SIA

20


The Annual Report of the Semiconductor Research,Corporation is published each June to summarizethe directions and results of the SRC ResearchProgram, present the formal financial report, andprovide information on activities and events of theSRC industry/government/university communityfor the previous calendar year.

2 4

This report is available to my interested personby requesting SRC Publication Number S93011

Semiconductor Research Corporation79 Alexander Drive, Building 4401, Suite 300Post Office Box 12053Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709

Documents

1992 Annual Report - SRC · 1992: SRC’s Year of Review, Self-Assessment; Industry’s Year of Cooperation, Competitiveness “U.S. Again Leads in Computer Chips: American Firms