IMEC and National Semiconductor are working to develop a 180-nm process for silicon germanium–based BiCMOS processes. The Belgian R&D consortium and the chipmaker are targeting low-power applications. National plans to offer the process by December 2003 at its fab in South Portland, ME. The partners have been working together since January 2002 to develop an 180-nm SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor module. The second phase of the four-year contract calls for IMEC and National to develop more-advanced BiCMOS technology based on silicon germanium by the first half of 2005.

In other news, IMEC has extended its industrial affiliation program on high-k dielectrics for sub–65-nm devices. The program was established in order to find solutions for the use of metal gate stacks in planar-scaled CMOS processes. The consortium also received the first full-field 157-nm step-and-scan system from ASML Holding of Veldhoven, The Netherlands. The Micrascan VII is the first such system for manufacturing working devices, ASML says.

Cypress Semiconductor of Round Rock, TX, has made its first 90-nm device using an Acuity 90 advanced imaging mask from DuPont Photomasks. Cypress used the mask set in its 90-nm RAM9 process technology to manufacture 72-Mb SRAMs. Depending on the layer requirements, the chipmaker customized the set using a combination of Definity binary masks and Luminex phase-shift masks from DuPont.

The United States Display Consortium (USDC) is collaborating with a manufacturer of inspection tools to improve machine-vision inspection for microdisplays. San Jose–based USDC awarded $286,720 to DCI Acquisition of Exeter, RI, for the joint project. DCI says improved inspection tools will aid in commercializing microdisplays, which are used for devices such as rear-projection HDTV, front-projector systems for conference rooms, and virtual-reality goggles. Poor defect inspection has hindered commercial development of liquid crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) microdisplays, according to DCI.

The company says current detection capability can spot defects measuring a few microns. Improvements are needed, however, because projector systems magnify even the smallest defects, the company says. Robert Pinnel, USDC's CTO, says improved speed and accuracy of defect inspection is imperative if LCOS-based projection is to thrive. "These capability shortfalls impact both the cost and quality of the displays and must be improved for the LCOS market to reach maturity." The improvements should be ready this year as field upgrades to DCI's DisplayCheck MDT-250LH system for microdisplay inspection.

ASTM International has established a membership category for undergraduate and graduate students. The voluntary standards development organization says the new student membership category is free for those who qualify. Benefits include e-mail delivery of Standardization News, the monthly magazine; free admission to ASTM symposia; a reduced fee of $25 for the first year of membership following graduation; and sharing in an international network of future peers. Information: www.astm.org/studentmember.