Ausgabe zur PRODUCTRONICA 2019

14 Ausg.Nr._21/2019 Semiconductors S emiconductors have been an indispensable part of our lives for a long time. The tiny chips are the most im- portant technology of the mod- ern world—they are the key components of all electrical sys- tems. From November 12 to 15, 2019, productronica, together with SEMICON Europa, which takes place at the same time, will organize the largest micro- electronic exhibition in Europe at the Messe München fair grounds with innovative solutions and products from the complete sup- ply chain. Semiconductors are everywhere. Since 1978, their numbers have been growing worldwide at an average rate of 8.9 percent. In 2018, industry experts from IC Insights counted more than a trillion ICs, sensors and optical and discrete components (O-S- D) for the first time. According to Gartner, they generated USD 476.7 billion in sales revenue— an increase of 13.4 percent com- pared to 2017. Almost 35 percent of this was earned in the “micro- chips” area. According to WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Sta- tistics), this year's figure is ex- pected to collapse by more than thirty percent, thus pulling the semiconductor market into the red by twelve percent. Europe, in contrast to America (-23.6 percent), Japan (-9.7 percent) and the Asia-Pacific region (-9.6 percent), was comparatively less affected with a decline of 3.1 per- cent. However, a global increase of 5.4 percent is expected as early as 2020. Regardless of this, the rapid changes in technology in highly complex and machine-intensive IC production will see an increase in demand for new equipment. For example, analysts from “The Insight Partners” estimate sales revenue from manufacturers of plant and machinery for semi- conductor production last year at USD 62.1 billion. With an aver- age annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2 percent, total income of USD 101.58 billion can be expected by 2027. Most of this will be generat- ed with wafer production, followed by test equipment. However, the semiconductor in- dustry is not only stretched to its limits from a physical aspect, but also in financial terms. Factories for manufacturing 7-nanometer chips cost many billions of dollars, also due to the changeover from li- thography processes to extremely shortwave ultraviolet light (EUV). Europe’s semiconductor industry is facing competition This technology is also regarded as a prime example of European collaboration. ZEISS Semicon- ductor Manufacturing Technol- ogy (SMT) and the world’s biggest supplier of lithography systems, ASML in the Netherlands, have been making significant contribu- tions to this for many years. How- ever, the European semiconduc- tor industry is under enormous pressure. In the 1990s its share of worldwide semiconductor pro- duction was more than 15 percent, but last year, this had fallen to less than ten percent. Cross-country funded projects, such as “Electronic Components and Systems for European Lead- ership (ECSEL),” have been es- tablished to stop this decline and drive the development and pro- duction of semiconductors and other electronic components in Europe. Within this scope, Fraunhofer IPMS and the research hub for nanoelectronics and microelec- tronics, Imec in Belgium—both at productronica/Semicon 2019—to- gether with European partners in the project “TEMPO (Technol- ogy & hardware for nEuromor- phic coMPuting)” are developing innovative hardware based on the structure of the human brain. TEMPO will help intensify collabo- ration between the most impor- tant semiconductor companies and the largest European micro- electronics research institutes. The EuroPAT-MASIP project for planning innovative processes for complex electronics systems is also aimed at strengthening the semiconductor industry in Europe and productronica exhibi- tor BE Semiconductor Industries from the Netherlands is involved as well. Semiconductors – at the core of electronics production The 300 mm clean room of the Fraunhofer-CNT in Dresden-Klotzsche Wafer-level reliability testing saves time Fully automatic die-bonding systems for highly complex and microme- ter accurate placement applications