ZpNetics
Ronald Newman of ZpNetics succeeded in extending his current Si and SiN 40mm ingot growth processes to support SiC with very high-quality, minimal yield-impacting and crystal-dislocation defects in a fraction of the normal time required -- using Mr. Newman’s "lights-out" systems approach.
Ronald Newman initiated the minimal fab concept in the late 80’s due to the cheap cost of semi-conductor equipment from foundries scaling up, but stalled the process for several decades due to the availability of cheap shared wafers, cheap dense FPGA fabrics and cheap PCBs. Those options are all but gone to date! Mr. Newman’s current ‘lights-out” process manufactures ingots and now there is no need to purchase ingots!
Actual delivery periods are shortened to several days from the usual several months and due to COVID-19 pandemic, years, if at all! As previously mentioned, the technology comes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and forcing Mr. Newman’s R&D to high-mix, low-volume production with short delivery periods, which increases the rapid R&D process with zero employee defects and/or delays.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Newman noticed he could extend his carbide and doped carbide ‘lights-out’ process used for machining to produced super SiC ingots. Mr. Newman stated, "COVID-19 sparked my push for small-volume production from various viable types of ingots to be utilized in my machining, metallurgy and R&D. Furthermore, the current commercial processes are bypassed which prohibited all the possibilities to experiment with various compounds, doping and strained methodologies, and eventual coupling to Carbon based entities.”
Mr. Newman’s ‘lights-out’ concept holds down costs using a minimal manufacturing approach coupled with true 3rd generation automaton robotics to bypass the need for HR, employees, training, large structures, etc. “Bio-Synthetic Automatons and eventual coupling with DNA\RNA is the future! SiC is the next logical step to realize one of my top holy-grails.” stated Mr. Newman.
“To follow-up on the push for small scale ‘lights-out’ machining and fabrication, there is no need for employees, which is another ‘COVID-19’ road-block”, stated Mr. Newman. Mr. Newman’s approach evolved over decades of “lights-out’ processes, which began with his ‘lights-out’ super-precision machining of super alloys & metals due to the recent availability of super-high-precision Servos, screws and positioners.
At present, Mr. Newman has realized several of his “lights-out” zero employee minimal manufacturing processes, which in-turn is now being utilized to further enhance and extend Mr. Newman’s original “lights-out” approach. Mr. Newman further stated, “now I’m able to move towards Silicon-Carbon based bio-synthetics, automatons and eventually couple with DNA/RNA – this is the future!”
Staff Writer
ZpNetics
einpr@zpnetics.com
