Shivraj Dharne

UBM (Under Bump Metallization) Purpose: UBM is a critical layer in advanced semiconductor packaging, enabling reliable electrical and mechanical connections between the chip and solder bumps or copper pillars. Functions: Provides electrical interconnection, wetting for solder, diffusion barrier, and mechanical support. Prevents failures like delamination, solder voids, and electromigration. Applications: Used in Flip-Chip, Wafer-Level Packaging (WLP), Fan-Out WLP, 2.5D/3D IC stacking, and high-end 3D packaging (e.g., HBM, CoWoS). Materials: Multi-layer stacks: adhesion (Ti, TiW, Ta), seed/conductor (Cu), barrier (TiN, Ta, Ni), wetting (Au, Ag), and solder (Sn, SnAgCu). Etching: Selective etchants are used for each metal layer (e.g., HF+H₂O₂ for Ti, H₃PO₄+H₂O₂ for Cu, KI/I₂ for Au). Process control is crucial to avoid over-etching and ensure pad accuracy. Trends: Moving toward finer pitches (<50 μm), eco-friendly chemistries, cost reduction (less Au), and dry/plasma etching for better precision. Conclusion: UBM is foundational for next-gen semiconductor reliability, yield, and performance, especially as packaging becomes more complex and dense.

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What is Front End, Middle End, and Back End of Line in Semiconductor Manufacturing? 🚀 The semiconductor manufacturing process can be broadly divided into three stages: the 1) Front end of the line (FEOL) 2) Middle end of the line (MEOL), and 3) Back end of the line (BEOL). Let's explore this complex process using a simple analogy. 🚀 The Front End of Line (FEOL): Building the Foundation Imagine building a house. The front end of the line is like laying the foundation and constructing the walls. In semiconductor manufacturing, this stage involves creating the fundamental structures and transistors on the silicon wafer. 🚀 Key Steps in FEOL: 1. Wafer Fabrication: - The process starts with a thin slice of silicon, known as a wafer. - This wafer undergoes cleaning to remove any impurities. 2. Oxidation: - A layer of silicon dioxide is grown on the wafer to insulate different parts of the chip. 3. Lithography: - Photolithography techniques are used to etch patterns onto the wafer. - Think of it as drawing blueprints on the wafer using light. 4. Etching: - The unwanted silicon dioxide is etched away, revealing the desired patterns. 5. Doping: - Impurities are introduced into the silicon to change its electrical properties. - This step creates the transistors, which are the basic building blocks of any chip. 🚀 The Middle End of Line (MEOL): Connecting the Dots Continuing with our house analogy, the middle end of the line is like installing the electrical wiring and plumbing. This stage focuses on making connections between the transistors created in the FEOL. 🚀 Key Steps in MEOL: 1. Dielectric Deposition: - Insulating layers, known as dielectrics, are deposited to protect the transistors. 2. Contact Formation: - Contacts are formed to connect the transistors to each other and to the outside world. 3. Interconnects: - Metal layers are added to create pathways for electrical signals. - This is akin to laying down the wiring in a house, ensuring that power and data can flow seamlessly. 🚀 The Back End of Line (BEOL): Finishing Touches The back end of the line is like putting the finishing touches on the house – installing fixtures, painting, and ensuring everything works perfectly. 🚀 Key Steps in BEOL: 1. Additional Metal Layers: - Multiple layers of metal are added to enhance the interconnections. - This ensures that the chip can handle complex tasks and high speeds. 2. Passivation: - A protective layer is applied to shield the chip from environmental damage. 3. Testing: - The chip is rigorously tested to ensure it meets all specifications. 4. Dicing: - The wafer is cut into individual chips, each ready to be packaged and used in electronic devices. For all semiconductor and AI related content, follow TechoVedas ---- P.S : If you are looking to invest in semiconductors and need expert consulting, drop us a DM.

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TSMC Exits GaN Foundry Business — Is IDM the Winning Formula for Gallium Nitride? TSMC has confirmed its complete exit from the GaN wafer foundry market by 2027, signaling a turning point for how the industry approaches gallium nitride production. While traditional foundries step back, players like Infineon and China’s Innoscience are charging ahead, backed by an IDM model and deep vertical integration. 🔘 Why is the foundry model losing traction in GaN? According to Innoscience Chair Weiwei Luo, power GaN devices aren’t well-suited for the traditional foundry model. These devices require close coupling between design, epitaxy, process, and application, which the foundry-client model struggles to support. Instead, IDM offers the agility and control needed to meet market demands. 🔘 Process Clues: GaN Is Fundamentally Different GaN devices may involve ~100–150 process steps, primarily around MOCVD epitaxy, isolation, and device fabrication on 8-inch wafers. By contrast: - Silicon superjunction MOSFETs require ~200–250 steps with complex trench and doping processes at ~0.18–0.35 µm nodes. - Advanced logic CMOS runs beyond 1,000 steps at 5–28 nm nodes. GaN’s value lies in material advantages not lithographic scaling. This makes it better suited for power efficiency at higher voltages and frequencies, rather than density or integration. 🔘 IDM Momentum Is Building Innoscience is already delivering: - 13,000 wafers/month by end-2024, aiming for 70,000 wafers/month by 2028. - Full-spectrum 8-inch GaN-on-Si product lines. - AI/datacenter GaN shipments up 669.8%, EV-grade up 986.7% YoY. - Mass production of 100W GaN drivers for humanoid robotics. Though 12-inch GaN is on the roadmap, MOCVD tools aren’t yet ready for production-grade 12” GaN epitaxy, making 8-inch the current industry sweet spot. 🔘 What’s Next for the GaN Market? - Global GaN power device market projected to reach $4.38B by 2030 (TrendForce). - Growth driven by EVs, AI data centers, robotics, and industrial power. - IDM players with process control and vertical integration will likely lead. Foundry models optimize for volume and versatility. GaN, by contrast, demands vertical specialization and tight design-manufacturing coupling. 💡 TSMC’s exit may mark a turning point for differentiated manufacturing strategies—one that favors depth over breadth, collaboration over commoditization, and value-chain ownership over transactional scalability. Reference sources: https://lnkd.in/g5DzSKap ; https://lnkd.in/gXXrdsn8 Let’s shape the future together: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJ3SSg8c #GaN #PowerElectronics #TSMC #IDM #Innoscience #Semiconductors #Infineon #EV #MOCVD #TechStrategy #12InchWafer #AdvancedPackaging

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Ever wonder what solar panels could do if they had brains? That’s basically what HTEC and Infineon Technologies pulled off. Their AI-powered system, running on Infineon’s PSOC™ Edge platform, uses real-time voltage, current, and temperature data to tweak power output on the fly—no fancy irradiance sensors needed. ⚡ 23× faster response 🔋 42× less energy used 🔧 Built-in predictive maintenance Smarter energy. Less waste. More uptime. This is the kind of tech that moves us forward. Curious how it works? 🔗 Check out the whitepaper: https://lnkd.in/gKqhM_F4

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🔍 The Formal Verification Cold Start Problem You’ve read the spec. You’ve discussed with the designer. You think you understand the design… But now you’re staring at a blank SVA file wondering: “Where do I even begin?” If that feels familiar, welcome to the cold start problem of formal verification—and yes, we’ve all been there. 💡 The Fix: Start with Cover Properties Forget trying to prove everything from day one. Your goal is to observe behavior before you start proving constraints. 🎯 Real Example: FIFO Design When I was verifying a simple synchronous FIFO, I started like this: cover property (@(posedge clk) wr_en && !full); ✅ Covers a write happening when FIFO isn’t full cover property (@(posedge clk) rd_en && !empty); ✅ Covers a read when FIFO isn’t empty cover property (@(posedge clk) wr_en ##[1:5] rd_en); ✅ Covers a write followed by a read within 5 cycles That’s it. From there, I built ordering checks, flag assertions, and finally full correctness proofs. The key was just starting. 🧪 Design Exercise Plan (for You or Your Team) Try this simple cold-start exercise on a FIFO design: 🔹 Step 1 – Cover Activity Cover a write when not full Cover a read when not empty Cover write followed by read 🔹 Step 2 – Observe State Cover full and empty being reached Cover FIFO staying non-empty for N cycles Cover pointer wraparound 🔹 Step 3 – Simple Assertions assert property: write only when not full assert property: read only when not empty assert: empty and full never both high 📌 Just like in software: don’t over-engineer your first line of code. In formal, don’t overthink your first property. Momentum matters more than perfection. Start anywhere. Learn as you go. #FormalVerification #VLSI #FIFO #SVA #SystemVerilog #DesignVerification #Semiconductors #HardwareDesign #VerificationEngineer #FormalMethods #ColdStartProblem #TechTips

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