FOPLP Gains Traction in Advanced Semiconductor Packaging

By Gregory Haley - 21 Nov, 2024 - Comments: 1

Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging (FOPLP) for advanced nodes, once hindered by manufacturability and yield challenges, is emerging as a promising solution to meet the industry’s demands for higher integration densities and cost efficiency. Traditionally, FOPLP has been a go-to solution for cost-sensitive applications in consumer electronics, IoT devices, and mid-tier automotive systems. Its ab... » read more

Advanced Packaging Drives Test And Metrology Innovations

By Gregory Haley - 12 Nov, 2024 - Comments: 0

Advanced packaging has become a focal point for innovation as the semiconductor industry continues to push for increased transistor density and better performance. But the pace of change is accelerating, making it harder for the entire ecosystem to keep up with those changes. In the past, major developments were roughly on an 18-month to 2-year cadence. Today, this is happening every few mon... » read more

Big Changes In Optical Inspection

By Ed Sperling - 16 Oct, 2024 - Comments: 0

Optical inspection always has been the workhorse technology for finding defects in chips. It's fast, cost-efficient, and generally reliable enough for most chips. But as logic scales into the angstrom range, and as systems become collections of chiplets, optical inspection needs to be combined with other types of inspection such as X-ray and acoustic. Kyle Vander Schaaf, application engineer at... » read more

Metrology Advances Step Up To Sub-2nm Device Node Needs

By Laura Peters - 15 Oct, 2024 - Comments: 0

Metrology and inspection are dealing with a slew of issues tied to 3D measurements, buried defects, and higher sensitivity as device features continue to shrink to 2nm and below. This is made even more challenging due to increasing pressure to ramp new processes more quickly. Metrology tool suppliers must exceed current needs by a process node or two to ensure solutions are ready to meet tig... » read more

Metrology And Inspection For The Chiplet Era

By Gregory Haley - 06 Aug, 2024 - Comments: 0

New developments and innovations in metrology and inspection will enable chipmakers to identify and address defects faster and with greater accuracy than ever before, all of which will be required at future process nodes and in densely packed assemblies of chiplets. These advances will affect both front-end and back-end processes, providing increased precision and efficiency, combined with a... » read more

X-ray Inspection Becoming Essential In Advanced Packaging

By Gregory Haley - 09 Jul, 2024 - Comments: 0

X-ray technology is moving into the mainstream of chip manufacturing as complex assemblies and advanced packaging make it increasingly difficult to ensure these devices will work as expected throughout their lifecycles. A single defect in a chiplet or interconnect can transform a complex advanced package into expensive scrap, and the risk only increases as the chip industry shifts from homog... » read more

Thermal Challenges Multiply In Automotive, Embedded Devices

By Karen Heyman - 02 Jul, 2024 - Comments: 0

Embedding chips into stacked-die assemblies is creating thermal dissipation challenges that can reduce the reliability and lifespan of these devices, a growing problem as chipmakers begin cramming chiplets into advanced packages with thinner substrates between them. In the past, nearly all of these complex designs were used in tightly controlled environments, such as a large data center, whe... » read more

3D Metrology Meets Its Match In 3D Chips And Packages

By Laura Peters - 11 Jun, 2024 - Comments: 0

The pace of innovation in 3D device structures and packages is accelerating rapidly, driving the need for precise measurement and control of feature height to ensure these devices are reliable and perform as expected throughout their lifetimes. Expansion along the z axis is already well underway. One need look no further than the staircase-like 3D NAND stacks that rise like skyscrapers to p... » read more

The Race To Glass Substrates

By Gregory Haley - 29 May, 2024 - Comments: 4

The chip industry is racing to develop glass for advanced packaging, setting the stage for one of the biggest shifts in chip materials in decades — and one that will introduce a broad new set of challenges that will take years to fully resolve. Glass has been discussed as a replacement material for silicon and organic substrates for more than a decade, primarily in multi-die packages. But ... » read more

Using Predictive Maintenance To Boost IC Manufacturing Efficiency

By Laura Peters - 14 May, 2024 - Comments: 0

Predicting exactly how and when a process tool is going to fail is a complex task, but it's getting a tad easier with the rollout of smart sensors, standard interfaces, and advanced data analytics. The potential benefits of predictive maintenance are enormous. Higher tool uptime correlates with greater fab efficiency and lower operating costs, so engineers are pursuing multiple routes to boo... » read more

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Knowledge Centers
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