ASML and TSMC’s proposed shift from 6-inch to 12-inch photomasks is an attempt to redesign a critical but often overlooked part of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Photomasks are precision plates carrying the circuit patterns projected by a lithography scanner onto a silicon wafer. In extreme-ultraviolet lithography,… Read More
Author: Daniel Nenni
ASML and TSMC’s 12-Inch Photomask Initiative: Technical Significance
Comparing Advanced Packaging from TSMC, Intel Foundry, and Samsung Foundry
Advanced semiconductor packaging has become essential to improving computing performance as conventional transistor scaling grows more difficult and expensive. Instead of manufacturing an entire processor as one large monolithic die, chipmakers can divide it into smaller chiplets and combine logic, memory, input/output… Read More
CEO Interview with Sander den Hoedt of Delmic
Sander is an Applied-physics graduate from TU Delft. Worked at a semiconductor start-up during his studies, decided building a company would be the most interesting way to shape his career. In 2010, a TU Delft professor suggested combining light and electron microscopy. Sander and co-founder Andries Effting took the patent … Read More
Semicon West: Transforming Tomorrow One Chip at a Time
SEMICON West 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for the global chip industry. Scheduled for October 13–15 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, the event returns to the Bay Area after its 2025 edition in Phoenix. Organized by SEMI under the theme “Transform Tomorrow,” it will bring together semiconductor manufacturers, equipment… Read More
CEO Interview with Timothy Regan of IN2FAB
Timothy Regan has substantial experience in analog/ mixed signal design and its supporting EDA technologies. His career began in linear engineering at Texas Instruments.
He then worked as an applications specialist for both GE-Calma and Valid Logic Systems. After that, he spent 10 years as managing director at Design Resources… Read More
Technical Case Study: MicroLED Yield Management with Plessey and yieldWerx
Plessey Semiconductors manufactures monolithic MicroLED displays for near-eye augmented-reality systems, where pixel pitch, brightness, uniformity, and defect density directly determine usable yield. Its process integrates device design, epitaxy, wafer fabrication, bonding, and production in one facility. The displays… Read More
Intel 18A-P Pushes RibbonFET and Backside Power Beyond the First Generation
Intel Foundry has a blog on LinkedIn that is worth a look. The blogs are by trusted Intel Foundry technical experts and are filled with content. I will cherry pick write a bit about them but be sure and subscribe to this, absolutely.
Intel 18A-P is not a new process node in the conventional sense. It is a performance-enhanced derivative… Read More
Building a Faster Path from Semiconductor Idea to Commercial Silicon
SEMI and Silicon Catalyst’s new strategic partnership addresses one of the semiconductor industry’s most persistent technical problems: transforming a promising hardware concept into a manufacturable, commercially viable product. Announced through a memorandum of understanding signed at SEMICON Taiwan 2026, the collaboration… Read More
How Agentic AI Turns IC Engineers into Architects
There is an interesting article by Kexun ZHang of ChipAgents on their blogsite. This is a company to watch, absolutely. Here is my take on it:
Software engineering has already demonstrated the trajectory of agentic AI. Coding tools progressed from autocomplete to systems that interpret requests, inspect repositories, modify… Read More
Keysight ADS Enables First-Pass Silicon at 3 THz for AttoTude
AttoTude has expanded its use of Keysight Technologies’ Advanced Design System (ADS) to support an integrated-circuit design flow spanning signaling frequencies from 100 GHz to 3 THz. The company reports that the resulting workflow has reduced IC development cycles by more than 50%, enabling projects to move from concept to… Read More
Why America’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Capacity Matters