DI Corporation’s subsidiary, Digital Frontier, has supplied samples of its wafer inspection kit to SK Hynix for use in the production of HBM4. The equipment is currently undergoing quality testing by the chipmaker, and official orders are expected within three to six months.
Recent #Wafer news in the semiconductor industry
➀ The process of shipping wafers requires specialized knowledge and handling techniques; ➁ Proper packaging solutions, logistics, and environmental controls are crucial; ➂ Innovations like eLX™ and ePRO™ are redefining shipping standards.
➀ TrendForce predicts a further 10%+ drop in NAND contract prices in Q4; ➁ PC client SSD contract prices will decline by 5–10% due to limited AI practical use cases; ➂ Q4 server OEM orders have declined due to delays in AI server deployments; ➃ Smartphone and notebook manufacturers are adopting inventory reduction strategies, with Q4 eMMC and UFS prices expected to drop 8-13%.
➀ The conventional wisdom was that the oxide layer on a wafer needed to be removed after masking to prevent contamination. ➁ A Swiss genius proposed that the oxide layer might serve as protection for the circuitry, enhancing reliability. ➂ His idea led to the mass production of ICs. ➃ The moral is that counter-intuition should not be dismissed.
➀ Okmetic is constructing a fab expansion in Finland; ➁ The expansion will more than double the capacity of Okmetic's Vantaa site; ➂ The expansion is scheduled to be operational in 2025, focusing on 200mm crystal growth and wafers.