Methods To Overcome Limited Labeled Data Sets In Machine Learning-Based Optical Critical Dimension Metrology


With the aggressive scaling of semiconductor devices, the increasing complexity of device structure coupled with tighter metrology error budget has driven up Optical Critical Dimension (OCD) time to solution to a critical point. Machine Learning (ML), thanks to its extremely fast turnaround, has been successfully applied in OCD metrology as an alternative solution to the conventional physical... » read more

Better, Faster, And More Efficient Verification With The Power Of AI


Verification is often the most challenging part of the chip development process. Verification engineers have to balance quality of results (QOR) with time to results (TTR) and cost of results (COR). AI and ML technologies can play a significant part in increasing QOR, speeding up TTR, and reducing COR. This white paper outlines some of the major challenges for verification, describes how AI pro... » read more

Surfscan SP3/Ax Unpatterned Wafer Inspection Systems


Unpatterned wafer inspection systems are used for process qualification, tool qualification, tool monitoring, outgoing wafer quality control, incoming wafer quality control, and process debug. Learn more about a system from KLA that identify defects and wafer surface quality issues that affect the performance and reliability of chips manufactured for the automotive, IoT, 5G, consumer electronic... » read more

Plasma Dicing 101: The Basics


Taking place at the end of the semiconductor process flow, dicing is the process where the silicon wafer is finally turned into individual chips, or die, traditionally by means of a saw or laser. A saw blade, or laser, is used to cut the wafer along the areas between the chips called dicing lanes. This step separates the chips from the wafer making them ready to be packaged and fitted to whiche... » read more

How Overlay Keeps Pace With EUV Patterning


Overlay metrology tools improve accuracy while delivering acceptable throughput, addressing competing requirements in increasingly complex devices. In a race that never ends, on-product overlay tolerances for leading-edge devices are shrinking rapidly. They are in the single-digit nanometer range for the 3nm generation (22nm metal pitch) devices. New overlay targets, machine learning, and im... » read more

Sky High: More Thoughts To Consider Before Transitioning To The Cloud


In our previous blog, I talked about the essential factors that a company must consider in leveraging cloud resources to accelerate their goals. The objective here is not just about putting some of the workload in the cloud; rather, it is about realizing the transformation adopting cloud technologies will bring about. In particular, it is more important to think of the cloud not only as a set o... » read more

Nanosheet FETs Drive Changes In Metrology And Inspection


In the Moore’s Law world, it has become a truism that smaller nodes lead to larger problems. As fabs turn to nanosheet transistors, it is becoming increasingly challenging to detect line-edge roughness and other defects due to the depths and opacities of these and other multi-layered structures. As a result, metrology is taking even more of a hybrid approach, with some well-known tools moving... » read more

Are You Leaving Performance On The Table? Here Is One Sure Way To Find Out


Compute platforms are always hungry for more performance. This is a fact that we simply cannot escape. Whether you are targeting high performance computing, IoT, mobile, or the automotive market, you need to unlock the best performance for your specific workloads. This relentless quest for performance comes with an unwelcome side effect: system complexity. As hardware becomes more capable, the ... » read more

Making The Most Of Data Lakes


Having all the semiconductor data available is increasingly necessary for improving manufacturability, yield, and ultimately the reliability of end devices. But without sufficient knowledge of relationships between data from different processes and computationally efficient data structures, the value of any data is significantly reduced. In the semiconductor industry, reducing waste, decreas... » read more

The Great Migration To 5G Is Underway


Every decade brings with it a plethora of technology changes, and the cumulative effects of 50+ years of changes in wireless technologies are noteworthy for how they have changed the way we communicate. The 80’s began the era of personal computing along with 1G rollout The 90’s saw the advent of 64-bit microprocessor architecture in consumer devices coinciding with 2G rollout The... » read more

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