Case Study

Using TechInsights to understand inflection points when new toolsets will be adopted

A leading equipment manufacturer essential to DRAM chip manufacturing must maintain its position as an innovation leader by delivering comprehensive solutions to chipmakers. This includes offering cutting edge hardware, software, and services necessary for the mass production of advanced DRAM devices. The company plays a key role in supporting the industry’s push towards ever-smaller technology nodes, ensuring their equipment enables the continued scaling of feature sizes.

The Challenge

The organization needs to understand changes in design considerations, particularly the integration of Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) for peripheral circuitry, such as sense amplifiers outside the array for DRAM devices. Although they have a general understanding of their customers’ plans, they need to identify critical inflection points that signal when the introduction of next generation equipment toolsets will be necessary for further scaling. As their customers strive to innovate in order to delay the adoption and installation of next generation toolsets, the business must pinpoint when these customers will no longer be able to scale through such innovation alone and will require next generation equipment.

The Solution

TechInsights’ Storage products provided the organization with detailed structural and materials analysis, along with insights into design innovations in DRAM devices, particularly in the peripheral regions where significant innovations are occurring. This information helped the business identify the scaling inflection points that will necessitate integration of their new toolsets. By understanding these pivotal moments and when they will occur, the organization can better plan their build strategies and position themselves to capture market share.

The Results

By leveraging insights from TechInsights’ Storage, the organization was able to project when current toolsets would no longer enable further scaling in their customers’ manufacturing processes. This knowledge identifies the timing of the need for new tools that the business can provide, presenting an opportunity to expand their market share in the DRAM memory sector. Even a modest 1% increase in market share could translate to an additional almost $55 million in revenue for the organization.