Equipment builders and device makers need to do a better job of working together or we're all in trouble. That was the flavor of the keynote address delivered by Steve Appleton, chairman, president and CEO of DRAM maker Micron Technology, the second day of the Semicon West events in
Collaboration, said
Device manufacturers that make major equipment decisions before the manufacturing process is really ready to go find themselves using advanced equipment to build older products--a costly mistake. The other side of the coin, of course, is that, if the device makers' don't have equipment when the new process comes on line, will pay dearly with costs higher than their competition.
Micron has conducted equipment efficiency studies and
A another well-attended keynote was given by Paolo Gargini, director of Technology Strategy for Intel Corp and chairman of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS).
Gargini addressed the topic of nanotechnology and the roadmap.
Gargini addressed his assessment of the current state of
Gargini encouraged input and additions to the roadmap because that helps to facilitate future scaling. “The ITRS is not cast in stone--it is not even cast in wax and it continuously changes,” he said.
The ITRS is intended as a guideline for the global industry to provide a 15-year outlook on projected technology needs and opportunities for continued industry innovation. The ITRS was created and intended for technology assessment only, without regard to commercial considerations about products or equipment. The first roadmap was published in 1993, went global in 1998, and now has more than 900 members from chip makers, equipment manufacturers, and research institutes and universities.
Semiconductor Equipment Market Forecast by Equipment Segment
| Actual 2003 |
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Equipment Type |
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Wafer Processing | $14.8 | $23.7 | $29.7 | $28.55 | $30.12 |
Assembly/Pkg. | 1.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.07 | 3.79 |
Test | 4.1 | 6.9 | 8.5 | 8.16 | 10.87 |
Other | 1.6 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 2.84 | 3.17 |
Total Equipment* | $22.2 | $36.2 | $44.8 | $42.62 | $47.95 |
Source:SEMI