Gigabit age microelectronics and their manufacture

The benefits of gigabit chips, which will enter production around the year 2000, are discussed. These chips will be enablers for smart and brilliant systems. The systems will be ultralow power. The design and software productivity enhancements needed are described. The numerous manufacturing challenges that lie ahead in the 1990s represent opportunities to implement advanced concepts currently under development in the industry. It is predicted that software-driven concepts such as flexible manufacturing and distributed computer integrated manufacturing will evolve. Processing concepts using cluster tools, real-time process control, all-dry processing, and wafer microenvironments should be ready for manufacturing in the gigabit age. The costs of electronics should continue to decrease, concomitant with extraordinary increases in functionality and performance.< >