INDUSTRIES
Semiconductor
Challenge
Semiconductors are essential to the modern world– they’re used not only in computers and cell phones but also telecommunications, transportation, industrial equipment, and renewable energy.
Manufacturers face strong global competition from highly specialized and advanced players– to win and maintain market share, they need to meet high quality standards while optimizing yield and producing chips at a competitive cost. But raw materials and skilled labor are as limited as ever, driving up costs. And semiconductor technology itself is increasingly complex and difficult to inspect: shrinking transistors are susceptible to minute defects and the shift to 3D chip structures creates complex structures with hidden layers, requiring inspection at each layer.
To gain a competitive advantage while addressing cost and quality challenges, semiconductor manufacturers are leveraging advanced technologies to automate inspection.
Manufacturers face strong global competition from highly specialized and advanced players– to win and maintain market share, they need to meet high quality standards while optimizing yield and producing chips at a competitive cost. But raw materials and skilled labor are as limited as ever, driving up costs. And semiconductor technology itself is increasingly complex and difficult to inspect: shrinking transistors are susceptible to minute defects and the shift to 3D chip structures creates complex structures with hidden layers, requiring inspection at each layer.
To gain a competitive advantage while addressing cost and quality challenges, semiconductor manufacturers are leveraging advanced technologies to automate inspection.
Introducing UnitX
UnitX provides AI vision to help manufacturers automate inspection. Semiconductor manufacturers use UnitX solutions to detect defects across the entire manufacturing process from wafer layering and dicing to integrated circuit wire bonding and packaging.
Advantages
UnitX's unique advantages ultimately help semiconductor manufacturers ensure quality while improving yield:
Reduced cost
100% automated inline inspection replaces need for manual inspectors
Increased throughput
High-speed imaging & AI inference speeds that match cycle times
Reduced waste
Deployable across all stages of semiconductor manufacturing processes to identify defects early in the production process and provide rapid corrective action
Reduced escapes
Accurately detects defects that are highly variable and complex in shape, size, and presentation
Reduced overkill
Distinguishes functional defects from normal marks/patterns as part of manufacturing process. Adjustable thresholds to distinguish unacceptable defects from defects that are within tolerances
Reduced cost
100% automated inline inspection replaces need for manual inspectors
Increased throughput
High-speed imaging & AI inference speeds that match cycle times
Reduced waste
Deployable across all stages of semiconductor manufacturing processes to identify defects early in the production process and provide rapid corrective action
Reduced escapes
Accurately detects defects that are highly variable and complex in shape, size, and presentation
Reduced overkill
Distinguishes functional defects from normal marks/patterns as part of manufacturing process. Adjustable thresholds to distinguish unacceptable defects from defects that are within tolerances
Applications
UnitX automates inspection across all seminconductor manufacturing processes such as:
Wafer Layering
Semiconductors wafers are composed of individual layers, each undergoing a meticulous sequence of processes such as lithography, etching, ion implantation, and deposition. Each individual layer needs to be inspected for defects before the next layer is applied– if a defect is missed at this stage, it may only be caught at final testing or not at all.
UnitX detects wafer defects that, if undetected prior to layering, can compromise chip performance and lead to premature failure.
Wafer Layering
Semiconductors wafers are composed of individual layers, each undergoing a meticulous sequence of processes such as lithography, etching, ion implantation, and deposition. Each individual layer needs to be inspected for defects before the next layer is applied– if a defect is missed at this stage, it may only be caught at final testing or not at all.
UnitX detects wafer defects that, if undetected prior to layering, can compromise chip performance and lead to premature failure.
Wafer Testing/Dicing
After they are processed, wafers undergo electrical testing to identify faulty circuits. Then the wafers cut into individual semiconductor devices or dies that can then be packaged into a final integrated circuit (IC). The goal of dicing is to separate the dies while minimizing damage to the wafer and ensuring the integrity of each die.
UnitX detects defective testing equipment that can lead to faulty electrical testing and impact die yields. UnitX also detects dicing defects that can ultimately lead to degraded performance and device failure. Its detection models are able to distinguish between normal marks on wafers and defects that may signal issues with the testing and dicing technologies themselves. And UnitX's configurable threshold capabilities allowing users to specify which defects are within acceptable tolerances and which are not in order to minimize waste.
After they are processed, wafers undergo electrical testing to identify faulty circuits. Then the wafers cut into individual semiconductor devices or dies that can then be packaged into a final integrated circuit (IC). The goal of dicing is to separate the dies while minimizing damage to the wafer and ensuring the integrity of each die.
UnitX detects defective testing equipment that can lead to faulty electrical testing and impact die yields. UnitX also detects dicing defects that can ultimately lead to degraded performance and device failure. Its detection models are able to distinguish between normal marks on wafers and defects that may signal issues with the testing and dicing technologies themselves. And UnitX's configurable threshold capabilities allowing users to specify which defects are within acceptable tolerances and which are not in order to minimize waste.
IC Assembly/Packaging
Dies are then packaged into a final integrated circuit (IC). First, dies are mounted onto a package and provided connections so it can be integrated into electronic devices. Thin wires are bonded to the chip and package to provide a path for signals and power to travel into and out of the chip. Then the chip and wire bonds are encapsulated in protective material to prevent damange.
UnitX detects defects throughout the packaging process, ranging from cosmetic problems to those that compromise an IC's structural integrity and protection against the environment, which can result in catastrophic failure.
Dies are then packaged into a final integrated circuit (IC). First, dies are mounted onto a package and provided connections so it can be integrated into electronic devices. Thin wires are bonded to the chip and package to provide a path for signals and power to travel into and out of the chip. Then the chip and wire bonds are encapsulated in protective material to prevent damange.
UnitX detects defects throughout the packaging process, ranging from cosmetic problems to those that compromise an IC's structural integrity and protection against the environment, which can result in catastrophic failure.
Applications:
Solutions
AI Only(via integration with third party vision systems)Rapid deployment of UnitX AI with existing systems. UnitX's CorteX integrates with specialized semiconductor optical inspection equipment and X-Rays to detect and classify sub-micron wafer fabrication and advanced packaging defects
Semiconductor Application Examples
To learn more about how UnitX can automate inspection for you, please contact us here