re: Front vs Back End. The terms can mean something quite different depending on the context used. From a cross-section point of view, the part of the chip that contains the transistor, or "active" portion is called front end, while the interconnect, or "wiring" layers are called back end. This is possibly more technical than the readers of these posts care to think about, but should be noted to avoid confusion, because your definition is also correct, in a different context (which I'm sure you already know).
Equipment that is involved in adding, removing, or changing the properties of material are front end in your definition. In the context of a fab, processes that create the transistor and it's physical boundaries are called front end. The layers that wire them together, both metal and insulating material, are called back end.
Probably more than most care to know, but I have seen some "mainstream" articles confuse the two contexts. If I see the terms front or back end in Semiconductor International or Solid State Technology, it's most likely describing difference in layers on the chip, while if I see it in the Mercury News, it's probably talking about wafer processing vs testing, although I've seen it used both ways in both types of publications. Knowing that it can mean either helps you look for the context in which it was written. |
