Fabrication technology costs

[Techno+]

Hello,

Today a question popped in my head.

Does the cost of implementing a fabrication technology (by which i mean cost of equipment) decrease as new technologies are created.

For example, does the cost of implementing 130 nm technology decrease gradually as we advance from 90nm to 65nm and then 45nm?

Your replies are most appreciated and thank you.

 

[3dilettante]

Quite the opposite.

I ran across this story a while back.

http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198701495&printable=true

 

[Rufus]

No, the hardware for every new generation costs substantially more than the previous generation. With fabs costing billions of dollars to build there's a reason a number of the smaller players are getting out of the business or forming large joint ventures.

Sadly I can't seem to find any press release links off the top of my head...

 

[AlNom]

Quite the opposite.

I think he means the cost of 130nm fabrication/fab hardware despite having newer process technologies available.

For example, does the cost of implementing 130 nm technology decrease gradually as we advance

 

[AlphaWolf]

are we talking overall costs per wafer or cost per transistor?

 

[MfA]

What is "implementing a fabrication technology"?

 

[chavvdarrr]

are we talking overall costs per wafer or cost per transistor?

huh ? the difference is?

 

[Gubbi]

huh ? the difference is?

With finer geometries you can pack a lot more transistors on a wafer.

So even though the cost of each wafer goes up because of more expensive equipment (and more metal layers/processing steps), the overall cost of transistors decrease.

Cheers

 

[3dilettante]

I think he means the cost of 130nm fabrication/fab hardware despite having newer process technologies available.

If that is the case, there is some difficulty in getting like for like comparisons.

Wafer costs are higher with the more advanced processes, but it also depends on what extra features were added.

Large wafer size, copper interconnects, low-K dielectrics, high-K gate dielectrics, SOI, strained silicon, and other features add to the cost of a given process node.

A lot of the older processes were put to pasture prior to these coming into vogue.

On the other hand, some of these "extras" are needed to make the more advanced processes usable.
The more involved process control machines and systems needed for decent yields are a worry older nodes worried less about, because their larger geometries were more resistant to process variation, leakage, and quantum effects.

Mask sets, light sources, steppers, and the chemical mixes are significantly more complex with smaller geometries, so that is also a cost older nodes have less of.

The rise in fab building costs can attest to this.

It is also the case that there are cheap old fabs out there that are either for sale or have old equipment that can be bought relatively cheaply.


I don't know about getting new equipment for an old node. The machines in general should be cheaper, but I don't know how much inventory there is on such parts or whether they are being manufactured for very old nodes.

 

[Techno+]

Thanks again for your answers.