SemiProbe manufactures a family of manual and semiautomatic Double Sided Probing (DSP) systems. More and more applications are requiring the ability to probe from both sides of a die or wafer. Most DSP solutions involve one of the following scenarios:

• Simultaneously probe from both sides
• Probe from the top, detect an output from the bottom
• Probe from the bottom, detect an output from the top

Probing
The system is designed to used standard DC probes on individual manipulators, probe cards, probing wedges or HF/Microwave probes. The user has the option of using them to contact the device from the top or bottom sides. Manipulators are helped in place using magnetic, vacuum or bolt down bases. Bolt down bases provide the most strength and rigidity.

The SemiProbe PILOT Control Software Suite semiautomatic and fully automatic probe systems employs the SemiProbe patented Adaptive Architecture. Software modules can be added to the base system as needed. PILOT Control Software consists of a Microsoft Windows-based user interface built on the SemiServer application for communicating to and from the probe system. Individual customer applications can be integrated with PILOT Control Software for a customized system to meet individual needs.

PILOT Control Software comes with standard modules including Navigator and Position Matrix with more sophisticated options like the Wafer Map and Vision module available. Modules interfacing to the SemiServer have a set of remote commands that can be accessed by any other module, providing the capability to perform its own specific function, yet access all other features of the suite seamlessly. Full driver libraries are available for LabView, C++, and Visual Basic with specific instrument drivers to support the most advanced instrumentation available. Communications may be made using RS-232, GPIB or TCP/IP, enabling the system to be either a controller or a slave in an integrated solution.

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About SemiProbe: SemiProbe continues to expand our patented Probe System for Life (PS4L) family of probe systems, modules, and accessories. The PS4L probe system is the most modular in the world and is designed to reduce the cost of capital equipment. The systems are designed to provide a perpetual field upgrade path to address new applications and requirements.

SemiProbe is a global supplier of test and inspection solutions for microelectronics, MEMS, high frequency, nanotechnology, microfluidics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and more. Their signature product, the Probe System for Life (PS4L) family of probing and inspection systems, embodies their patented adaptive architecture. All key building blocks are interchangeable. Because they’re easily customized, the PS4L systems enable customers to realize substantial time and cost savings over traditional probe systems when wafer size, levels of automation, or test requirements change. Customers can start with a system that meets their initial application and budget and then perpetually field upgrade it as their requirements change without having to purchase an entirely new system.

Benefit of SemiProbe solutions versus alternatives:

1. In many cases the homebrew solutions are purpose built and can be short-lived. Quite often, the recipe is lost when the original designers/manufacturers move on. Another downfall to a homebrew solution is the people that designed it or manufactured it always own it. They can’t distance themselves from it – essentially, they own it as long as they are with the company.
2. Capital equipment is expensive. With a PS4L system the prober can continually be field upgraded to add new capabilities as the customer’s requirements change. SemiProbe provides insurance against obsolescence since capabilities can be added as requirements change or evolve.
   
3. SemiProbe is willing to make customized solutions and has decades of experience – mechanics, optics, electronics, software and applications – at getting everything to play.
   
4. As a small company SemiProbe usually responds faster and pricing is often lower because overhead is lower.

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Problem:

• Data is siloed in different production areas & hard to combine

In semiconductor manufacturing, production data is generated in multiple formats and is usually siloed into different databases. To analyze the data, it needs to be integrated into a single, unified view.

Solution:

• Combine several datasets into one standardized YieldWatchDog data warehouse

• With YieldWatchDog Ultimate edition you can consolidate the data from multiple factories

YieldWatchDog supports different data formats, combines all the production data into one standardized format and merges them into one data warehouse with the aim of facilitating further data analysis.

In addition, with YieldWatchDog Ultimate edition, manufacturers can consolidate their data from multiple factories.

DR YIELD has years of experience, knowledge and expertise in yield analytics, and especially in data integration and data integration and data parsing as this is the crucial first step in data analytics.

YieldWatchDog offers many visualization and calculation tools that are specifically designed for the semiconductor industry. The interactive, user-friendly interface enables a deep dive into you manufacturing and test data.

• Numerous visualization and calculation tools

• Analyze factory events most efficiently

• More efficiently monitor equipment and optimize performance

• Analyze complex yield issues that require insight into the full supply chain

• Support equipment qualification and product ramp-ups

About DR YIELD: DR YIELD is the provider of YieldWatchDog and YieldWatchDogXI – smart, powerful data analysis and AI solution specifically designed for the semiconductor industry. DR YIELD is headquartered in Austria, with a team of dedicated, experienced engineers providing outstanding customer support from demo to data integration, customization, license renewal and beyond.

DR YIELD’s YieldWatchDog (YWD) is the smart, flexible, innovative and high-performance semiconductor data analysis solution.

YieldWatchDog integrates perfectly within the manufacturers infrastructure, allowing you to quickly identify yield issues and correlate test results from WAT/PCM, wafer/die sort and final assembly/test, all within one tool.

Leading semiconductor manufacturers around the world use YieldWatchDog to improve yields, reduce test times and get products to market faster while improving the bottom line.


We look forward to hearing from you.

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SURAGUS are specialists in high frequency (HF) eddy current testing systems. A wide measurement frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 MHz enables the characterization of diverse materials ranging from thick metal films to highly resistive semiconductors; all with only a single system. Additionally, frequency modulation enables penetration depth variation, which provides insight into vertical resistivity profiles.

With strong competence in designing and manufacturing non-contact eddy current sensors, SURAGUS solutions characterize single or multilayers in three modes: frontside reflection mode, backside reflection mode and transmission mode.

Click here for details about Eddy Current Technology
Non-contact Eddy Current Technology

One of the most important quality parameters that determines the electrical characteristics of conductive coatings and substrates is sheet resistance (R_sor R). Sheet resistance (typically stated in Ω/sq or Ohm/sq) is a measure of the electrical resistance of thin layers. It is the main physical parameter for describing the electrical performance of electrodes. The sheet resistance Rs correlates with the material thickness if the bulk resistivity can be assumed to be constant. The formula is R_s = ρ/t

1. Non-contact: Eddy current
2. Contact: Two-point Probe, Four-point probe (4PP), Hall effect, Van der Pauw

The eddy current testing method is a non-destructive evaluation method that allows accurate measurement without impacts due to inhomogeneous contact quality, without damaging any sensitive surface or inducing artefacts due to contacting. Applying noncontact technology, there is no wear of needles or tips, which typically causes high replacement costs in common 4-point-probe mapping systems. A further significant advantage is the short measurement time. A measurement takes only a few milliseconds for each measurement and no time for contacting the sample is needed. This also allows to measure inline during production or “on the fly” in mapping systems. In result, the eddy current sheet resistance mapping systems measure thousands of positions in a couple of seconds. No interpolation between measurements points as typical in 4-point-probe mapping systems is required. Hence, defects and nonuniform areas can be identified. Furthermore, it allows the accurate measurement of single and multilayer systems which includes inaccessibly buried or encapsulated layers.

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SURAGUS Product overview for Thin-Film Characterization

What is Important to SURAGUS: Their solutions contribute to a sustainable use of resources in various industries. SURAGUS solutions for process control and quality assurance support efficient production processes with highest product qualities at high throughput and low scrap rates. Moreover, it is important to them that they offer an inspiring, professional work environment to their staff, which provides freedom for self-actualization as well as security and flexibility for their families.

SURAGUS provides non-contact metal metrology process control measurements of the metallization uniformity. Often, SURAGUS tools achieve much lower tolerances as compared to alternate methods. As a result, it is stable at much higher frequencies and significantly more stable over time. There are also several benefits over alternative methods:

1. It is non-contact.
2. After the initial calibration, it can be used in SPC mode.
3. It can determine thin film thickness if sheet resistance is known.
4. It can provide an end point measurement of Cu plating removal during CMP.
5. Metal tool qualifications after PM.
6. Eliminates these types of problem with contact measurements:

• Four-point probe can have issues with metal contamination (from metal films to bare substates)
• Cross contamination from monitoring different metals
• Changing probe conditions which can lead to erroneous and inconsistent data

We encourage customers to put SURAGUS to schedule an initial online consultation, to be followed if appropriate by no charge sample testing of your material, and a comprehensive written report of the findings.

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The SemiProbe family of vacuum probing systems have expanded due to new application requirements – high volume MEMS testing, High Voltage testing and 300 mm. SemiProbe has a family of manual, semiautomatic and fully automatic vacuum probing systems primarily to test MEMS and High Voltage Devices.

Sometimes customers like the ability to use the vacuum chamber as a multi-purpose probing solution for a variety of applications – open air and under vacuum. Basic I-V, C-V and HF measurements using coaxial, triaxial, kelvin and HF probe arms, cables and connectors are used for open air and low voltage applications. When vacuum is required, the chamber is cleaned and sealed and operated to vacuum levels as low as 10-6 torr. Similar basic measurements under vacuum can be made as well as high voltage up to 10 KV.

About SemiProbe: SemiProbe continues to expand our patented Probe System for Life (PS4L) family of probe systems, modules, and accessories. The PS4L probe system is the most modular in the world and is designed to reduce the cost of capital equipment. The systems are designed to provide a perpetual field upgrade path to address new applications and requirements.

• The starting point is listening to customers and asking lots of questions about your testing challenges – mechanics, optics, electronics, software and applications. From there, they design solutions and source pieces where they are best made. These then get assembled and fully tested to demonstrate – before it ships – that the prober works precisely like it is supposed to – and only then does it ship. This means probers can be put to use immediately after installation while avoiding surprises.


• SemiProbe’s modular approach to probers means all of the key building blocks are interchangeable. This Lego-like method is your insurance against obsolescence, ensuring that the Probe System for Life (PS4L) prober can be field upgraded as requirements change.


• Modular designs keep ongoing support costs low, as repairs or upgrades can often be accomplished by shipping a replacement component that your trained staff can install if problems ever do occur.

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With increased computational capabilities, the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in semiconductor manufacturing is ever growing.

While there are already many reported use cases of how AI can be applied in areas such as wafer scheduling and dispatching, unit process optimization and defect classification, the application of AI looks especially promising in the field of yield data analytics.

In order to analyze the vast amounts of data coming from the test equipment of semiconductor manufacturers, a premium, powerful software solution is required. High-performing software is a must as it enables fast and efficient processing of massive amounts of data.

As companies in the semiconductor industry strive to achieve manufacturing excellence, using yield analysis software allows test and yield engineers to improve yield and throughput, significantly increase productivity, save costs, reduce waste and reduce time-to-market.

The main stages in effective yield data analysis include: obtaining the data from semiconductor equipment, data integration, data analysis and obtaining the information needed for further actions. The knowledge gained results in the lifetime quality and reliability of the smart products that shape our lives.

Artificial Intelligence A deep learning framework based on neural networks (CNNs & GANs) and other intelligent algorithms.

Smart Pattern Recognition Profit from automatic pattern recognition and classification.

Intelligent Tool Analytics Analyze tool combinations and pinpoint process improvement possibilities.

Multidimensional View Improve your operation through multivariate data monitoring.

Deep Root Cause Analytics Smart root cause analysis enables immediate implementation of corrective measures.

Smart Decision Making Data driven decision-making leads to substantial productivity gains.

The multivariate monitoring feature of YWD^XI allows you to review individual parameters and detect issues that would otherwise not be visible. Fast processing and calculation times are ensured by deploying mechanisms such as dimension reduction. Built-in Principal Component Analysis enables you to set corrective measurements immediately.

About DRYIELD: DR YIELD is the provider of YieldWatchDog and YieldWatchDogXI – smart, powerful data analysis and AI solution specifically designed for the semiconductor industry. DR YIELD is headquartered in Austria, with a team of dedicated, experienced engineers providing outstanding customer support from demo to data integration, customization, license renewal and beyond.

DR YIELD’s YieldWatchDog (YWD) software allows one to quickly identify yield issues and correlate test results from WAT/PCM, Wafer/Die Sort and Final Assembly/test, all within one tool. Hundreds of world-wide customers use (YWD) to improve yields, reduce test times, and help to get products to market faster while improving the bottom line. Most importantly, performance does not get bogged down as the volume of data grows, so it remains fast at finding wafer signatures regardless of the number of wafers in the database.

At SEMICON West 2022, DR YIELD will present the importance of AI and machine learning in semiconductor manufacturing with a focus on yield data analytics.

CURRENT AI APPLICATIONS: Three AI applications currently being used in yield data analytics will be presented using actual recent fab data.

FUTURE OUTLOOK: The future outlook includes the technology roadmap for the application of AI for comprehensive semiconductor analytics to the end of the decade.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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