Compound Semiconductor Innovation Advances EVs And Other Green Technologies


As the world works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving an increased demand for high-power, energy-efficient compound semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC)-based components, throughout the entire EV assembly process. Renewable energy technology is now at the forefront of climate-forward research, with accelerating EV sales playing�... » read more

Novel E-Beam Techniques For Inspection And Monitoring


In this paper, we report an advanced e-beam defect inspection tool (eProbe®250) and the Design-for-Inspection™ (DFI) system that has been built and deployed by PDF Solutions down to 4nm FinFET technology nodes. This tool has a very high throughput which allows for in-line inspection of nanometer-level defects in the most advanced technology nodes. We also present eProbe applications for... » read more

Nip The Defect In The Bud


As technology nodes shrink, end users are designing systems where each chip element is being targeted for a specific technology and manufacturing node. While designing chip functionality to address specific technology nodes optimizes a chip’s performance regarding that functionality, this performance comes at a cost: additional chips will need to be designed, developed, processed, and assembl... » read more

Case Study — 3D Wire Bond Inspection and Metrology


The growing amount of electronics within modern vehicles has made the inspection process for wire bonds increasingly challenging, as active devices shrink and bonds are arranged in complex ways. CyberOptics addressed the need for an automated solution to replace labor-intensive and imprecise manual inspection methods for wire bonds and loop heights. After consideration of competitive products, ... » read more

Fundamental Shifts In IC Manufacturing Processes


High chip value and 3D packaging are changing where and how tests are performed, tightening design-for-reliability and accelerating the shift of tools from lab to fab. Heterogeneous integration and more domain-specific designs are causing a string of disruptions for chip manufacturers, up-ending proven fab processes and methodologies, extending the time it takes to manufacture a chip, and ul... » read more

The Importance Of Layering Data


The chip industry generates enormous quantities of data, from design through manufacturing, but much of it is unavailable or incomplete. And even when and where it is available, it is frequently under-utilized. While there has been much work done in terms of establishing traceability and data formats, the cross-pollination of data between companies and between equipment makers at various pro... » read more

The Gargantuan 5G Chip Challenge


Blazing fast upload and download speeds for cellular data are coming, but making the technology function as expected throughout its expected lifetime is an enormous challenge that will require substantial changes across the entire chip ecosystem. While sub-6GHz is an evolutionary step from 4G LTE, the real promise of 5G kicks in with millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology. But these higher-freq... » read more

Deep Learning Delivers Fast, Accurate Solutions For Object Detection In The Automated Optical Inspection Of Electronic Assemblies


When automated optical inspection (AOI) works, it is almost always preferable to human visual inspection. It can be faster, more accurate, more consistent, less expensive, and it never gets tired. However, some tasks that are very simple for humans are quite difficult for machines. Object detection is an example. For example, shown an image containing a cat, a dog, and a duck, a human can insta... » read more

Case Study — Deep Learning For Corner Fill Inspection And Metrology On Integrated Circuits


CyberOptics utilized deep learning to accurately inspect the corner fill on integrated circuits (ICs) produced by a large memory supplier. Traditional methods of inspection showed limitations in their ability to entirely detect the presence and absence of fill, indicating that a more advanced approach was necessary. CyberOptics drew on its large pool of algorithm and neural network expertise to... » read more

Big Payback For Combining Different Types Of Fab Data


Collecting and combining diverse data types from different manufacturing processes can play a significant role in improving semiconductor yield, quality, and reliability, but making that happen requires integrating deep domain expertise from various different process steps and sifting through huge volumes of data scattered across a global supply chain. The semiconductor manufacturing IC data... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →