Hunting For Macro Defects


Detecting macro-defects early in the wafer processing flow is vital for yield and process improvement, and it is driving innovations in both inspection techniques and wafer test map analysis. At the wafer level, a macro-defect can affect more than one die, and in some cases large regions of a wafer. Finding macro defects can indicate a significant issue with a process module, a particular fi... » read more

A Universal Deep Learning Model For Segmenting Automated Optical Inspection Images


A new technical paper titled "A Universal AI-Powered Segmentation Model for PCBA and Semiconductor" was published by researchers at Nordson Corporation. "This paper introduces a novel universal deep learning model designed to segment AOI images for both PCBA and 17 semiconductor components, offering a more robust and adaptable solution for defect detection," states the paper. Read more he... » read more

Using Deep Learning ADC For Defect Classification For Automatic Defect Inspection


In traditional semiconductor packaging, manual defect review after automated optical inspection (AOI) is an arduous task for operators and engineers, involving review of both good and bad die. It is hard to avoid human errors when reviewing millions of defect images every day, and as a result, underkill or overkill of die can occur. Automatic defect classification (ADC) can reduce the number of... » read more

Return On Investment Of A Pre-Reflow AOI System


This paper describes the losses from defects at the placement process in the SMT line. Two case studies of European and Taiwanese SMT manufacturers illustrate the actual losses from their defects. An evaluation method to select a pre-reflow AOI system maximizing the return on investment (ROI) is introduced. In the end, ROIs of three commercial pre-reflow AOI systems are compared to demonstrate ... » read more

Using Automatic Defect Classification To Reduce The Escape Rate Of Defects


Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a cornerstone in semiconductor manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities, and as such, it plays a crucial role in yield management and process control. Traditionally, AOI generates millions of defect images, all of which are manually reviewed by operators. This process is not only time-consuming but error prone due to human involvement and fatigue, whi... » read more

Challenges Grow For Creating Smaller Bumps For Flip Chips


New bump structures are being developed to enable higher interconnect densities in flip-chip packaging, but they are complex, expensive, and increasingly difficult to manufacture. For products with high pin counts, flip-chip [1] packages have long been a popular choice because they utilize the whole die area for interconnect. The technology has been in use since the 1970s, starting with IBM�... » read more

Fabs Drive Deeper Into Machine Learning


Advanced machine learning is beginning to make inroads into yield enhancement methodology as fabs and equipment makers seek to identify defectivity patterns in wafer images with greater accuracy and speed. Each month a wafer fabrication factory produces tens of millions of wafer-level images from inspection, metrology, and test. Engineers must analyze that data to improve yield and to reject... » read more

Demand Grows For Reducing PCB Defects


Board manufacturers are boosting their investment in inspection, test and analytics to meet the increasingly stringent demands for reliability in safety-critical sectors like automotive. This represents a significant shift from the past, where concerns about reliability primarily targeted the devices connected to printed circuit boards. But as SoCs become disaggregated into advanced packages... » read more

Inspection And Metrology Of Micro LED Technology


Micro LEDs developed using Rohinni’s technology can be deployed in consumer electronics devices, automotive applications and outdoor signage, among other applications. The disruptive technology enables products that are brighter, thinner, lighter and more dynamic that those currently on the market, with lower power consumption than LCD or OLED. Rohinni needed an inspection and metrology so... » read more

Test In New Frontiers: Flexible Circuits


Test is becoming increasingly complicated as new technologies such as flexible electronics begin playing mission-critical roles in applications where electronics have little or no history. Although flexible circuitry has been around for while, testing needs to catch up as these circuits are deployed across a variety of markets where conditions may be extreme. In many cases, sensors for monit... » read more

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