Semiconductor Insights
TechOnline

Recognition of innovations implemented in any technology and product is not a straightforward exercise. Especially when the innovations are embedded deeply in the architecture and circuit designs of semiconductor chips in the form of state of the art memory devices or complex logic chips performing tasks unprecedented with previous technology. When it comes to new materials, it is even harder to identify, compare, and select the true innovator.

The Insight Awards has been recognizing innovators in semiconductor industry since 2000. Despite the challenges, parallel innovations made inside Semiconductor Insights to identify and analyze innovative technologies introduced by the industry leaders have made this program a continued success.

By focusing on the most advanced technologies and products, the Insight Award has been helping the industry to understand the current state of the art of the industry's leading technologies. The areas of focus include DRAM, Non Volatile Memory, RF and Wireless ICs, Process technology, Display driver ICs, Mobile processors, which represent the full gamut of the program.

Past Insight Award winners include Qualcomm MSM6260, Micron 78nm 1Gbit DDR3 SDRAM, Samsung 51nm 16Gbit MLC NAND Flash, Marvell 88W8686 Mobile 802.11a/b/g RF  Transceiver IC, Toshiba T6K84 Display driver IC, Texas Instrument BRF6300 Bluetooth Transceiver IC, Toshiba 70nm 8Gbit MLC NAND Flash to name a few.

This year's awards program has attracted many nominees in four categories " most innovative process technology, most innovative DRAM technology, most innovative Non Volatile Memory technology and most innovative mobile process technology. There are many nominees from 5x nm DRAM process nodes which represent the state of the art of the DRAM industry. 4x nm and 3x nm NAND Flash nominees also signify the true competitive nature of this program in the cutting edge NAND Flash technology category. Mobile processor category, which was added to the 2008 program to recognize the growing interest and market in mobile computing area has attracted interesting devices from major companies and one startup. Process category, has seen various 40 nm logic process technologies from IDMs and one foundry, and three memory technologies, which made this category the most challenging to choose a winner.

The most innovative Process technology

The winner in this category is the 32nm MLC NAND Flash from Micron Technology Inc. This product, achieving the highest bit density with 190Mbit per mm2, ushered in the 3x nm process era in the commodity NAND Flash industry. Micron Technology has successfully implemented the immersion lithography with Self Aligned Double Patterning which is critical in achieving the bit density with 3x nm process node. Some other innovations that Micron implemented include the introduction of a new material wordline to reduce RC delays, special measures to minimize cross talks between memory cells.

Vishal Sarin, Director of NAND Analog for Micron Technology accepts the Award for Most Innovative Process Technology