Education and Training for the Electronics Industry
Semitracks provides education, training, and certification services and products for the electronics industry. We specialize in serving Semiconductor, Microsystems and Nanotechnology suppliers and users. Semitracks, Inc. helps engineers, technicians, scientists, and management understand these dynamic fields. We offer courses in Semiconductor Reliability, Test, Packaging, Process Integration, Failure and Yield Analysis, and Focused Ion Beam technology. Learn from the Experts.
Reverse breakdown is an important concept for both discrete semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. As the electric field increases to approximately 100,000 volts per cm, impact ionization becomes significant. At these fields the free carriers near the peak field gain enough energy to create electron-hole pairs by impact. At the "critical" field, usually in the range of 100,000 to 900,000 volts per cm, avalanche breakdown occurs. In this regime, the carriers generated by impact ionization in turn create new pairs by impact. At even higher fields, tunnel becomes significant. In this regime, the probability for direct band-to-band transition increases. This graph shows reverse leakage as a function of voltage. BV represents the breakdown voltage. The reverse leakage typically increases by a factor of 2 to 4 every 10 degrees centigrade. The breakdown voltage increases by 0.05 to 0.1 volts for every 10 degrees centigrade. The fact that reverse bias leakage increases with temperature can lead to a condition called thermal runaway. The leakage increases where the device is hot, which in turn increases the leakage at that point. This produces a positive feedback situation, and can lead to permanent device damage.
Semitracks' new and improved Online Training is convenient, up-to-date, and cost effective. Access the same material presented in our courses whenever you need it, right when you need it without having to worry about the high costs and hassle of traveling. The semiconductor field is an ever-changing one. With access to the most current information, you can stay on top of the new technology. Online Training is also very cost effective. For only $500 per year, you gain access to thousands of dollars worth of courses and course material.
Give our Online Training a try – for free. This month's topic is Time Resolved Emission.
This segment is no longer available. If this topic interests you, perhaps you would be interested in our Online Training. For more information or to sign up, please visit http://www.semitracks.com/online-training/.
Failure and Yield Analysis is an increasingly difficult and complex process; engineers are required to locate defects on complex integrated circuits. In many ways, this is akin to locating a needle in a haystack, where the needles get smaller and the haystack gets bigger every year. Engineers are required to understand a variety of disciplines in order to effectively perform failure analysis. This requires knowledge of subjects like: design, testing, technology, processing, materials science, chemistry, and even optics! Failed devices and low yields can lead to customer returns and idle manufacturing lines that can cost a company millions of dollars a day. Your industry needs competent analysts to help solve these problems. This is a multi-day course that offers detailed instruction on a variety of effective tools, as well as the overall process flow for locating and characterizing the defect responsible for the failure.
Failure and Yield Analysis on March 12-15, 2007 in Santa Clara, CA, USA
Invest in yourself and your staff. Our 2007 schedule is now available, come and learn from the experts!
CMOS and BiCMOS Process Integration
Semitracks, along with Semiconductor International, have put together a 3-day course on Semiconductor Process Integration for CMOS and BiCMOS Technologies. Dr. Badih El-Kareh, an independent consultant, will give an overview of the process integration challenges associated with today's advanced semiconductor devices. Dr. El-Kareh will cover passive and active components, contact and interconnect issues, isolation technologies such as STI and SOI, transistor integration issues, as well as full CMOS, BiCMOS and high speed bipolar process integration techniques. To learn more, click on the link below to visit the course page.
Process Integration on January 29-31, 2007 in Tempe, AZ, USA
Wafer Fab Processing
This new intensive 4-day course offers a comprehensive examination of the wafer fab processes used to manufacture state-of-the-art microchips. Topics include semiconductor devices and ICs, silicon crystal growth and crystal defects, ion implantation, thermal processing, contamination control, wafer cleaning, LPCVD, PECVD, PVD, CMP, microlithography, etch, multilevel interconnect technology, and manufacturing technology. Process integration will be illustrated using a basic CMOS process flow.
The course is designed primarily for process engineers and process technicians. The emphasis is on understanding how each individual process step works, and understanding the key process control variables for each step. The functional design of the process tools is also discussed, as are process characterization, monitoring, and control.
Engineers new to semiconductor manufacturing will gain a solid, broad understanding of the entire wafer fab process. Engineers experienced in one or more functional areas of wafer fab will benefit from a thorough understanding of processes in other areas, as well as a better appreciation of process interactions.
Each student will also receive a copy of Microchip Manufacturing by Stan Wolf. This unique, full color book is a "must have" reference text for anyone working in the semiconductor industry.
Semiconductor Processing on February 26-March 1, 2007 in Santa Clara, CA, USA
Semiconductor Reliability
Semiconductor reliability is at a crossroads. In the past, reliability meant discovering, characterizing and modeling failure mechanisms and determining their impact on the reliability of the circuit. Today, reliability can involve tradeoffs between performance and reliability, assessing the impact of new materials, dealing with limited margins, etc. Analysis and experimentation is now performed at the wafer level instead of the packaging level. This requires knowledge of subjects like: design of experiments, testing, technology, processing, materials science, chemistry, and customer expectations. While reliability levels are at an all-time high level in the industry, rapid changes may quickly cause reliability to deteriorate. Your industry needs competent engineers and scientists to help solve these problems.
Semiconductor Reliability on March 27-29, 2007 in Santa Clara, CA, USA
Packaging Technology and Challenges
Semitracks, Inc. and Semiconductor International have put together a course which will provide an overview of the current business climate, anticipated trends and the associated impact on assembly/packaging roadmaps. There will be an in depth discussion of both high-end CPU roadmaps plus the roadmaps to address the multitude of communications and network devices that are driving the digital revolution.
Packaging Technology and Challenges on April 9-10, 2007 in Tempe, AZ, USA
Packaging Design and Modeling
Semitracks, Inc. and Semiconductor International have assembled a course on IC Packaging Design and Modeling. This course provides an overview of the packaging design process. The course covers current packaging technologies, including chip scale packaging, Ball Grid Array technology and other current concepts. This class focuses on techniques and the importance of thermal and mechanical simulations. Discussions and examples will concentrate on thermal performance simulations, assembly & packaging stresses, package reliability (including solder joint fatigue simulation), and interactions between chip and package. In addition, a special section will be examples of successful wafer level simulations.
Packaging Design and Modeling on April 11-13, 2007 in Tempe, AZ, USA
Registration
To register for our courses, register online or download the registration form. Fax completed registration form to us at 1-866-205-0713, or call us at 1-505-858-0454 to register by phone.
If you have a suggestion or a comment regarding our courses, online training, discussion forums, reference materials, or if you wish to suggest a new course or location, please feel free to call us at 1-505-858-0454, or e-mail us at info@semitracks.com.