It is a milestone on the path to the chip factory of the future: at the new Bosch semiconductor fab in Dresden, silicon wafers are passing through the fully automated fabrication process for the first time. This is a key step toward the start of production operations, which is scheduled for late 2021. Manufacturing of automotive microchips will be a primary focus when the fully digital and highly connected semiconductor plant is up and running. “Chips for tomorrow’s mobility solutions and greater safety on our roads will soon be produced in Dresden. We plan to open our chip factory of the future before the year is out,” says Harald Kroeger, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. The company already operates a semiconductor fab in Reutlingen near Stuttgart. The new wafer fab in Dresden is Bosch’s response to the surging number of areas of application for semiconductors, as well as a renewed demonstration of its commitment to Germany as a high-tech location. Bosch is investing around one billion euros in the high-tech manufacturing facility, which will be one of the most advanced wafer fabs in the world. Funding for the new building is being provided by the federal German government, and more specifically the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Bosch plans to officially open its wafer fab in June 2021.
Cleanroom Industry News Articles
MTI Instruments’ Accumeasure HD System Proven to Be Highest Resolution Capacitance System in the World
MTI Instruments’ Accumeasure HD System Proven to Be Highest Resolution Capacitance System in the World. The results were recently published in a white paper by Kevin Harding of Optical Metrology Solutions. Harding’s white paper can be accessed on MTI Instruments’ website. Harding’s independent study confirmed the findings of an internal experiment by MTI Instruments that concluded the Accumeasure HD system can provide picometer-level accuracy when used with 50-micron HD capacitive probes.
Viant Completes Major Expansion of Costa Rica Manufacturing Facility
Viant announced today that it has completed a major expansion of its medical device manufacturing facility in Heredia, Costa Rica. The company invested in the additional capacity to meet market demand for minimally invasive surgical devices, including energy-based devices. The expansion will benefit customers by enhancing Viant’s ability to provide speed to market for high-quality, complex medical devices.
CRISPR Gene Editing Technology
“CRISPR” (pronounced “crisper”) stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which are the hallmark of a bacterial defense system that forms the basis for CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology. In the field of genome engineering, the term “CRISPR” or “CRISPR-Cas9” is often used loosely to refer to the various CRISPR-Cas9 and -CPF1, (and other) systems that can be programmed to target specific stretches of genetic code and to edit DNA at precise locations, as well as for other purposes, such as for new diagnostic tools.
Spacecraft Microbiome Discovery
Engineers work on Opportunity (in its cruise configuration) in a cleanroom at Kennedy Space Center. A very important part of planetary protection is keeping contaminants from humans from riding aboard spacecraft. The pictured engineers are donning “bunny suits” that only allow their eyes to be exposed.
Inline Metrology New Technology
Correlation-free measurements will change inline metrology measuring technology fundamentally and permanently and also the world of manufacturing. The robotic cell AICell trace from ZEISS not only enables automotive manufacturers to make measuring and production more efficient, additionally the new product delivers reliable results starting with the very first component.
Memory Chip Fabrication Process
Micron shares their process for memory chip fabrication in their state-of-the-art nanofab cleanrooms
From laptops to mobile phones to connected cars and homes, memory and storage are helping change how the world works, plays, communicates and connects. Check out this behind the scenes look at Micron’s state of the art fabrication process for how memory chips are made – from initial design all the way through testing and packaging.
Nanowires convert heat to electricity more efficiently
Led by Drs Andrij Vasylenko, Samuel Marks, Jeremy Sloan and David Quigley from Warwick’s Department of Physics, in collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, the researchers have found that the most effective thermoelectric materials can be realised by shaping them into the thinnest possible nanowires.
Chemical-Feasting Bacteria for Water Decontamination
Chemical-Feasting Bacteria Provide New Key for Water Decontamination. NJIT researchers find “catalyst” behind a rare bacteria’s ability to feed on and remove the contaminant 1,4-dioxane from impacted groundwater and drinking water. Scientists at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have uncovered a rare enzyme in bacteria with the ability to degrade the “likely human carcinogen” and water contaminant, 1,4-dioxane.
Nanoplastics Threaten Marine Life
Plastic nanoparticles – these are tiny pieces of plastic or nanoplastics less than 1 micrometre in size – could potentially contaminate food chains, and ultimately affect human health, according to a recent study by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS). They discovered that nanoplastics are easily ingested by marine organisms, and they accumulate in the organisms over time, with a risk of being transferred up the food chain, threatening food safety and posing health risks.
How to use Tacky Mats
Tacky Mats help to capture impurities and particulate in areas that require dust and particulate control. Tacky mats have a sticky surface which removes dirt and dust from shoe surfaces before they enter a contamination-free area. This adds a layer of protection for the controlled environment or cleanroom environment.
Cleanroom Technology Awards
The winners of the Cleanroom Technology Awards 2018 have been announced. The awards have been introduced to recognize and reward achievements, celebrating the best product innovations from those exhibiting at the Cleanroom Technology Conference 2018.








