Nanotechnology Now - News Story: MEARS Technologies Chosen to Present at SEMICON West 2007 Technology Innovation Showcase

Home > News > MEARS Technologies Chosen to Present at SEMICON West 2007 Technology Innovation Showcase

July 16th, 2007

MEARS Technologies Chosen to Present at SEMICON West 2007 Technology Innovation Showcase

Abstract:
MEARS' MST(TM) for CMOS Technology Recognized by SEMI Judges for Its Ability to Push the Limits of Moore's Law by Increasing Semiconductor Performance While Reducing Static Power.

Story:
SEMICON West 2007, Booth T5 --

MEARS Technologies, Inc., a provider of advanced silicon processes and
engineering services to semiconductor device manufacturers and contract
foundries, has been selected by SEMI to participate in the Technology
Innovation Showcase at SEMICON West 2007, July 16-20, at the Moscone Center
in San Francisco, Calif. A SEMI panel of industry judges chose MEARS
Technologies as one of 19 companies to present based on the technical
merit, commercialization potential and the expected impact the company and
its technology will have on the semiconductor and related industries. MEARS
Technologies' MST(TM) for CMOS technology is a new approach to silicon
engineering that enables IC makers to simultaneously increase semiconductor
performance and reduce static power, while maintaining compatibility with
standard manufacturing equipment and processes.

As one of the SEMICON West 2007 Technology Innovation Showcase winners,
MEARS Technologies' founder and president, Dr. Robert Mears, will present
"MST: A Fab-Friendly Approach for Reducing Gate Leakage," July 17 from 3:30
- 3:50 p.m. at the Device Scaling TechXPOT located in the Moscone Center,
North Hall. Launched in 2006, the TechXPOTs are focused
"shows-within-the-show" that feature exhibits, special displays and live
technical presentations on the latest topics and trends in micro- and
nanoelectronics manufacturing, markets and technologies. During SEMICON
West, MEARS Technologies also will be available in Technology Innovation
Showcase Booth T5 in the North Hall.

MEARS Technologies' MST for CMOS technology is an advanced approach
that re-engineers the physical properties of silicon to increase
semiconductor power and efficiency and reduce static power at the 65-nm and
45-nm process nodes and beyond. Static power dissipation is a growing
problem for chip designers and can account for as much as 60 percent of the
power loss in semiconductors manufactured at the 65-nm process node. By
enhancing the physical properties of silicon through a breakthrough in
quantum engineering, MEARS Technologies' MST for CMOS technology improves
overall chip performance and reduces static power by as much as 80 percent,
without introducing new materials into existing manufacturing process flow.

"With each new semiconductor process generation, something challenges
the ability of Moore's Law to continue delivering the performance benefits
that the industry has come to expect," said Dr. Mears. "Clearly, the issue
of transistor static power is one of the most pressing concerns facing IC
manufacturers today, particularly at 65 nm, 45 nm and beyond. We're
delighted that SEMI is giving us the opportunity to educate the audience at
SEMICON West and explain how MST for CMOS technology can quickly and
cost-effectively increase semiconductor performance and efficiency and
reduce static power with virtually no impact to the fab line."

"We are pleased to have MEARS Technologies delivering one of this
year's highly anticipated presentations as a Technology Innovations
Showcase winner," said Ralph Kirk, technical director for SEMI, regarding
this year's SEMICON West show. "As microelectronics take on more
characteristics of nanotechnology, it is fitting that companies like MEARS
Technologies are tackling the issues of chip performance and power
dissipation at the atomic level."

About MST for CMOS

Static power dissipation can account for as much as 60 percent of the
total power budget of devices manufactured at the 65-nm process node. Using
a breakthrough silicon engineering technique, MEARS Technologies has
developed its patented MST for CMOS technology to provide a simultaneous
increase in transistor performance with dramatically reduced static power,
providing a significant advantage for all applications that benefit from
reduced power consumption or need to optimize performance per Watt. MEARS
Technologies' MST for CMOS is designed to be fully compatible with
semiconductor manufacturers' baseline processes, whether bulk CMOS,
strained silicon, silicon-on-insulator or high-k / metal gate. The
improvements are achieved through a band engineering approach that is based
on a deep understanding of the quantum mechanics of modern deep-submicron
devices. In its first implementation, MST for CMOS is a precision
nano-doped silicon layer that is integrated into a standard CMOS flow. The
channel replacement layer can be added without introducing new materials in
the fabrication process. This "silicon-on- silicon" solution adds only a
few steps to the standard CMOS manufacturing flow-at virtually no
additional manufacturing cost or yield impact.