Semiconductors

Part 2 – MRAM in 22FFL The second 22FFL paper at IEDM18 [1] describes the integration of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ)-based MRAM (magnetic random-access memory) into the back-end of the process. MTJ technology is attractive for embedded non-volatile memory because of relatively low cost compared with e-flash, with comparable endurance and data retention properties. Intel’s MRAM memory cells are built from dual-MgO MTJs, separated by a CoFeB-based free layer in…

At IEDM last year, Intel gave a half-dozen papers on various topics, including two on their 22FFL SoC process aimed at low power IoT and mobile products. The first (14.1) was an invited presentation on “Intel 22nm FinFET (22FFL) Process Technology for RF and mmWave Applications and Circuit Design Optimization for FinFET Technology”, and the second (18.1) introduced “MRAM as Embedded Non-Volatile Memory Solution for 22FFL FinFET Technology”. I had…

By David W. Price, Jay Rathert and Douglas G. Sutherland Author’s Note: The Process Watch series explores key concepts about process control—defect inspection, metrology and data analytics—for the semiconductor industry. This article is the fourth in a series on process control strategies for automotive semiconductor devices. The first three articles1-3 in this series discussed methods that automotive semiconductor manufacturers can use to better meet the challenging quality requirements of their…

By David W. Price, Douglas G. Sutherland, Jay Rathert, John McCormack and Barry Saville Author’s Note: The Process Watch series explores key concepts about process control—defect inspection, metrology and data analytics—for the semiconductor industry. This article is the third in a series on process control strategies for automotive semiconductor devices. For this article, we are pleased to include insights from our colleagues at KLA-Tencor, John McCormack and Barry Saville. Semiconductors…