Why Thin Film Measurements Matter


Semiconductor devices are becoming thinner and more complex, making thin deposited films even harder to measure and control. With 3nm node devices in production and 2nm nodes ramping toward first-silicon, the importance of precise film measurement is only growing in significance as fabs seek to maintain the performance and reliability of leading-edge devices. Whether it’s the read and writ... » read more

2025-Product Design Enhancement With Test Structures For Non-Contact Detection Of Yield Detractors


Abstract: Detection and monitoring of the yield loss mechanisms and defects in product chips have been a subject of extensive efforts, resulting in multiple useful Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) and Design-for-Test (DFT) techniques. Defect inspection techniques extend optical inspection further into sub-10 nm nodes, but many buried defects are formed as a result of multi-layer 3-D interaction... » read more

Improving Manufacturing Yields With Process Control Solutions


Even after 20 years or so, process control continues to be a confusing or misunderstood technology. A short description of process control is an accurate one—It’s a means of controlling manufacturing equipment and reducing variability to improve yields and performance of the products manufactured through that equipment. Tools like PDF Solutions Fault Detection and Classification (FDC)... » read more

Automation And AI Improve Failure Analysis


When a chip malfunctions it’s the job of the failure analysis engineer to determine how it failed or significantly deviated from its key performance metrics. The cost of failure in the field can be huge in terms of downtime, recalls, damage to a company’s reputation, and more. For these reasons, chipmakers take customer returns very seriously, focusing resources to quickly get to the bot... » read more

Unlocking The Value Of Yield


Have you stopped to consider the impact of yield on your overall product cost? Of course you did, when you considered your yield targets and set your product goals. But is it good enough to stop once the goals are achieved, or should you find ways to drive additional value into your organization once production has begun? What is the value of a 1% improvement in product yield? The short answer ... » read more

Failure To Launch


Failure analysis (FA) is an essential step for achieving sufficient yield in semiconductor manufacturing, but it’s struggling to keep pace with smaller dimensions, advanced packaging, and new power delivery architectures. All of these developments make defects harder to find and more expensive to fix, which impacts the reliability of chips and systems. Traditional failure analysis techniqu... » read more

Using Test And Metrology Data For Dynamic Process Control


Advanced packaging is transforming semiconductor manufacturing into a multi-dimensional challenge, blending 2D front-end wafer fabrication with 2.5D/3D assemblies, high-frequency device characterization, and complex yield optimization strategies. These combinations are essential to improving performance and functionality, but they create some thorny issues for which there are no easy fixes. ... » read more

Cut Defects, Not Yield


Many chipmakers face a difficult trade-off — improve quality without affecting yield. Traditional testing methods fail to navigate this challenge due to their limited visibility below the pass/fail limits, discarding perfectly good chips or letting small defects slip through to the field. The challenge is clear: manufacturers must achieve both quality and yield goals without sacrificing one f... » read more

Shift Left Strategy For Semiconductor Production Testing


In the fast-paced world of semiconductor manufacturing, achieving higher yields and reducing costs are constant challenges. Ideally, yield should only be impacted by unavoidable defects when everything else is performing as expected. However, when yield reduction occurs due to the process sensitivity of the design, these issues can be detected and, in many cases, corrected. proteanTecs has d... » read more

Aftermarket Sensors Boost Yield In Wafer Fabs


Third-party sensors are being added into fab equipment to help boost yield and to extend the life of expensive tools, supplementing the sensors that come with equipment used in fabs. The data gleaned from those sensors has broad uses within the fab. It can measure process module performance, identify defect sources, and alert fabs of impending equipment failure. And when coupled with machine... » read more

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