Installing Yield Software Early In A Ramp Up


In 1999, the White Oak Semiconductor Fab in Richmond, VA, was awarded the prestigious “Top Fab of the Year” (yes, that actually existed – proof attached!) by the leading semiconductor magazine of the time. Back then, I was a young engineer on the ramp up team and I recall that the reason we were chosen for the award was the incredibly short time in which we were able to ramp up production... » read more

Preventing Process Excursion With AI And Yield Management Software


Process excursion, or any deviation in a certain process, significantly impacts the cost of semiconductor manufacturing process and product yield. During production, process excursion can be detected early during in-line inspections. However, in some cases, excursion isn’t detected until later in the production process such as during wafer testing in the probing area after production. Apar... » read more

What Is Achievable With A Yield Management System?


Semiconductor manufacturers are under constant pressure to increase yields and cut costs. Yield Management Systems (YMS) are designed specifically to meet the needs of semiconductor manufacturers, enabling them to investigate yield excursions, streamline the manufacturing processes, optimize the supply chain, analyze tools and eliminate workplace inefficiencies. In terms of data challenges... » read more

Chasing Test Escapes In IC Manufacturing


The number of bad chips that slip through testing and end up in the field can be significantly reduced before those devices ever leave the fab, but the cost of developing the necessary tests and analyzing the data has sharply limited adoption. Determining an acceptable test escape metric for an IC is essential to improving the yield-to-quality ratio in chip manufacturing, but what exactly is... » read more

18 Things Fabless Start-Ups Should Look For In A Yield Management System


Do you work for a fabless start-up? Are you ramping up? If so, you need data-analysis tools for your production data. You will struggle without them. You have two options for yield management analysis. You may decide to hire an engineer (or team of engineers) whose job it is to transfer the data from datalogs to a spreadsheet. Then generate reports. Or, you could invest in a system that takes c... » read more

6 Signs You Need A Yield Management System


We often speak to companies who don’t know if they need yield management software yet. While most semiconductor companies need to invest in yield management, there could be instances where you’ll get by without one for a while. This article is for companies that use an internal option (such as Excel or JMP) and those who don’t have yield management at all. We will share the six most obvio... » read more