AUTOMATING ACOUSTIC MICROSCOPY FOR PROCESS CONTROL IN THE FAB AND BACK-END

摘要

Acoustic Microscopy (AM) has been utilized by labs within the microelectronics industry for failure analysis and quality assurance testing of front-end and back-end for many years. As manufacturing processes have become more critical, more costly and higher yields desired there has been a push toward more integrated process control systems. Initially standard AM lab systems were utilized with skilled operators trained to inspect and interpret the results. As volume increased improvements to the through put were made by simplifying the operator handling of devices/parts to be screened in trays for modified laboratory systems. Eventually the increases in the volume of device/parts lead to operator fatigue, leading to poor interpretation of the data and miss-handling. Initially full automation of an AM system was done for front-end processes, such as the bonded wafers, for all handling, staging, scanning, drying and analysis functions. An application engineer sets-up the scanning and analysis recipes upon installation. Technicians load the systems, if AGV/OHT is not implemented, and based on the lot information the proper recipe is downloaded from the Host and data for the lot is sent back via the SECS/GEM protocol. As the push for process control into the back-end and mid-end has increased an automated AM had been developed for those manufacturing processes, too. Controls have been added to monitor and compensate for small variations and to match systems from site to site for consistent, reliable data for total process control. This presentation will discuss the development of the AM systems and controls that can be generally integrated into a microelectronics manufacturing process to ensure your control limits and higher yields.