Articles tagged with: Nist and Semiconductor

Cracking a tough nut for the semiconductor industry

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (nist) have developed a method to measure the toughness - the resistance to fracture - of the thin insulating films that play a critical role in high-performance integrated circuits. The new technique could help improve the reliability and manufacturability of ICs and, better yet, itÃ's one that microelectronics manufacturers can use with equipment they already own.  more

Related Tags: conductors, nanoscale

Job-related stress: Fatigue effects in silicon

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (nist) have demonstrated a mechanical fatigue process that eventually leads to cracks and breakdown in bulk silicon crystals - a phenomenon that's particularly interesting because it long has been thought not to exist. Their recently published results have important implications for the design of new silicon-based micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices which are increasingly used in application such as optical zooms on camera phones.  more

Related Tags: mems