Week In Review: Semiconductor Manufacturing, Test


Imec released its semiconductor roadmap, which calls for doubling compute power every six months to handle the data explosion and new data-intensive problems. Imec named five walls (scaling, memory, power, sustainability, cost) that need to be dismantled. The roadmap (below) stretches from 7nm to 0.2nm (2 angstroms) by 2036, and includes four generations of gate-all-around FETs followed by thre... » read more

Metrology Options Increase As Device Needs Shift


Semiconductor fabs are taking an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to solving tough metrology and yield management challenges, combining tools, processes, and other technologies as the chip industry transitions to nanosheet transistors on the front end and heterogenous integration on the back end. Optical and e-beam tools are being extended, while X-ray inspection is being added on a case-by-... » read more

IR Laser Imaging Is Rapidly Changing IR Microscopy


IR laser imaging is finally being commercialized into smart analytical equipment. New applications continue to emerge and yield massive advantages, thanks to the direct combination with FT-IR technology. The application notes below provide valuable insights into three applications of IR laser imaging: Tissue imaging Surface analysis Forensic science Click here to read more. » read more

Systematic Yield Issues Now Top Priority At Advanced Nodes


Systematic yield issues are supplanting random defects as the dominant concern in semiconductor manufacturing at the most advanced process nodes, requiring more time, effort, and cost to achieve sufficient yield. Yield is the ultimate hush hush topic in semiconductor manufacturing, but it's also the most critical because it determines how many chips can be profitably sold. "At older nodes, b... » read more

Legacy Tools, New Tricks: Optical 3D Inspection


Stacking chips is making it far more difficult to find existing and latent defects, and to check for things like die shift, leftover particles from other processes, co-planarity of bumps, and adhesion of different materials such as dielectrics. There are several main problems: Not everything is visible from a single angle, particularly when vertical structures are used; Various struc... » read more

Super-Resolution Microscopy


The enhanced resolving power of super-resolution microscope technology enables the imaging and quantitative analysis of cellular dynamics and nanostructures that were previously inaccessible. Download this eBook to learn about: Principles and advantages of super-resolution microscopy (SRM) for life sciences research. Problems solved by SRM Common approaches to achieving be... » read more

Bump Co-Planarity And Inconsistencies Cause Yield, Reliability Issues


Bumps are a key component in many advanced packages, but at nanoscale levels making sure all those bumps have a consistent height is an increasing challenge. Without co-planarity, surfaces may not properly adhere. That can reduce yield if the problem is not identified in packaging, or it can cause reliability problems in the field. Identifying those issues requires a variety of process steps... » read more

Quantification Of Steels And Alloys Using A Dual Source Multidetector System On SEM


The accurate and precise analysis of steels and alloys is essential for understanding their mechanical and thermal properties. Such materials often have a wide range of elements at various concentrations down to trace ppm levels. Accordingly, it is not possible to determine the concentrations of all elements with a standard scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive spectromete... » read more

Enabling Test Strategies For 2.5D, 3D Stacked ICs


Improved testability, coupled with more tests at more insertion points, are emerging as key strategies for creating reliable, heterogeneous 2.5D and 3D designs with sufficient yield.  Many changes need to fall into place to make side-by-side 2.5D and 3D stacking approaches cost-effective, particularly for companies looking to integrate chiplets from different vendors. Today, nearly all of t... » read more

Deep Learning To Classify And Establish Structure Property Predictions With PeakForce QNM Atomic Force Microscopy


Machine learning and specifically, deep learning, is a powerful tool to establish the presence (or absence) of microstructure correlations to bulk properties with its ability to flesh out relationships and trends that are difficult to establish otherwise. This application note discusses the use of deep learning tools, to explore AFM phase and PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanics (QNM) im... » read more

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