Microtronic, maker of superior macro defect inspection methods and software program, has introduced a handy and extremely exact option to monitor the weights of semiconductor wafers concurrently defects are being inspected – all on a single instrument. This patented functionality is named WaferWeight and it integrates absolutely into Microtronic’s EAGLEview™ line of high-speed macro defect inspection methods. It may be added to the most recent EAGLEview 6 and likewise to earlier fashions of the instrument.
Picture Credit score: Microtronic
“Wafer mass metrology has grow to be more and more vital as semiconductor processes have grow to be extra advanced and delicate,” mentioned Microtronic CEO Reiner Fenske in making the announcement. “At present’s fabs would really like to have the ability to measure the wafer mass adjustments that happen throughout processing, particularly in deposition, etch, plating, backgrinding, bonding, TSV, and related steps. Nonetheless, earlier wafer weight measurement strategies have been sluggish and costly, requiring a separate instrument. Now, WaferWeight permits fabs to trace wafer mass shortly, precisely, and economically – concurrently with macro defect inspection. Our EAGLEview can do defect inspection and wafer weighing each on the similar time, on a single system.”
“And throughput velocity performs a vital position on this course of,” Fenske added. “As a way to monitor adjustments in wafer weight, fabs really want to acquire information from each single wafer in each single lot. It’s the distinctive velocity of the EAGLEview that makes this attainable. Which is why many top-tier fabs all over the world have already chosen to include our WaferWeight functionality.”
The brand new WaferWeight measurements could have a decision as little as 0.1mg. This enables exact monitoring of adjustments in wafer mass between course of steps – and likewise between completely different wafers in lots. Monitoring wafer weight at numerous factors all through processing might be invaluable for locating sure course of issues that can not be detected visually. A wafer weight change that exceeds allowable ranges can instantly flag a problem that wants additional inspection or correction. Complete wafer weight data will also be included in SPC methods to reinforce the precision and high quality of a fab’s course of monitoring general.
WaferWeight data can all be saved in EAGLEview’s highly effective ProcessGuard™ software program. This method maintains a database of data on each wafer run by the instrument – by lot, date and time. It could possibly routinely randomize wafers and observe incoming and outgoing slot positions of each wafer. ProcessGuard’s built-in Slot-Positional Evaluation Instrument can plot and evaluate a variety of wafer data, together with wafer weight. It could possibly present wafer weights and pre/submit course of weight deltas for each slot place.