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.
This flowchart helps to illustrate the value of the FIB. When the IC design house starts a design, they first create the design, then lay it out, perform extensive verification. If the design verifies and simulates correctly, masks are then generated and the design is fabricated. After fabrication, the silicon devices are tested. If the circuit is working, full production can begin, followed by packaging, assembly, system test and debug. If the circuit is not working, it must be debugged. This occurs using a combination of test techniques, electron beam probing, and optical beam probing. Once the fix is identified it can be implemented. Before the FIB was available, the method for implementing the fix essentially involved running clear back through the design cycle. The most expensive part of this activity are the generation of new masks, and the fabrication of new wafers. Furthermore, the fabrication of new wafers can take upwards of two months. If an FIB is available, one can use the FIB to make the modifications on a few prototypes, and the devices are ready for re-testing. By using the FIB circuit edit process, the costs associated with the mask set changes and the fabrication can be eliminated. More importantly, the turn around time can be reduced from several months to several days or less.
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 an overview of Thermal Degradation.
Thermal Degradation is a continuing concern in today's semiconductor components. This includes intermetallic formation and lead degradation. To learn more, click here.
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/.
International Reliability Physics Symposium
March 26-30, 2006 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA, USA
Semicon West 2006
July 10-14, 2006 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA, USA
Semitracks, along with Semiconductor International, have put together a 3-day course on Semiconductor Process Integration for CMOS, Analog, and Mixed Signal Technologies. Dr. Badih El-Kareh of Texas Instruments will give an overview of the process integration challenges associated with today's advanced semiconductor devices. Dr. El-Kareh is an expert in process integration with over thirty years experience at IBM and Texas Instruments. He is also the winner of EDN's 2002 Innovator of the Year Award. 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. This course will be held at the Embassy Suites in Santa Clara, California, from Tuesday, December 6 through Thursday December 8 starting at 8:00AM going to 5:00PM with an hour lunch break each day.
Semiconductor Process Integration on December 6-8, 2005 at the Embassy Suites in Santa Clara, CA, USA
Invest in yourself and your staff. Time is running short to enroll in our Winter courses on Thermal Management, Packaging Technology, Packaging Design, and ESD. Come and learn from the experts!
Thermal Management
As new, more powerful chip designs are introduced, they consume more power. This has made thermal management an important concern in today's high performance systems. Systems ranging from active electronically scanned radar arrays to web servers require components that can dissipate heat efficiently.
Thermal Management on January 20, 2006 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Packaging Technology
This course 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. The course will generically address typical assembly flows and cost implications for both wafer fabrication and assembly with special focus on what the low cost alternatives will be in both camps
Packaging Technology on January 23-24, 2006 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Packaging Design
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 on January 25-27, 2006 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
ESD Tech Course
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and Latchup are a critical concern for the semiconductor and electronics industry. Both ESD and Latchup account for more than $4 Billion in losses each year. This problem is likely to grow in the future as smaller feature sizes are susceptible to damage at lower static voltages and latchup under more subtle conditions.
In this course, the fundamentals of latchup to modern latchup issues will be discussed. The curriculum will include latchup physics, test structures, characterization, process and technology issues, and new latchup issues in the industry today. The topic will then change to fundamentals of ESD. The instructor will first give a background tutorial on ESD physics, electro-thermal and statistical models. The course will then cover CMOS, silicon on insulator (SOI) and silicon germanium (SiGe) technologies. The course is also cover ESD devices, circuits, and process issues in RF CMOS, RF BiCMOS silicon germanium technologies, and gallium arsenide (GaAs).
ESD Tech on January 18-19, 2006 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Failure and Yield Analysis
Are you new to failure analysis? Does your position require you to have an understanding of failure analysis? Learn about the latest techniques for analyzing complex devices. We have the most comprehensive short course in the industry covering failure analysis. We cover all the techniques from the simple ones (such as Liquid Crystal) all the way to complex ones (such as PICA and Laser Voltage Probing). Learn the secrets of analyzing a component correctly every time.
Failure and Yield Analysis on April 24-27, 2006 in Austin, TX, USA and on May 15-18, 2006 in Munich, Germany
Reliability
Reliability is a critical element to the success of any semiconductor product. Reliability margins are increasingly squeezed by today's deep submicron technologies. Learn about the major reliability failure mechanisms, test structures, and test equipment. Learn how to optimize reliability, performance, and cost.
Semiconductor Reliability on May 10-12, 2006 in Munich, Germany
Process Integration
Process Integration is becoming more challenging with each technology node. The fortunes of your company may depend on how successfully you and your team can integrate disparate processing steps into a single, optimized flow. Lily Springer, our expert in Process Integration and Mixed Signal Design, guides you through the critical and challenging aspects of this topic. She covers both digital and analog issues related to process integration. Let your colleagues know!
Semiconductor Process Integration on December 6-8, 2006 at the Embassy Suites in Santa Clara, CA, 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.