Semiconductor Analysis, Imaging, and Metrology Information

Improving yield in semiconductor manufacturing

Demand for semiconductor wafers will continue its vigorous growth as the demand for mobile devices, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, artificial intelligence, and other uses increases. The complexity of the processes and costs of semiconductor fabrication (FAB) manufacturing are high, so those in the industry is always looking to improve production efficiencies.

The key to improving production efficiency is to ensure the highest wafer yield possible. As Figure 1 implies, yield is affected at every stage in the process—from design to final assembly and packaging. Yield is affected by the individual process steps (500-1500) but also by the quality of the manufacturing environment to which the wafers are exposed, including clean room air, ultrapure water (UPW), chemicals and inert and reactive gases.

Control of the process steps and wafer environment to meet the daily challenges of routine wafer compliance requires the use of many diverse characterization techniques, including electron microscopy and those employing analytical instrumentation. Learn about semiconductor fabrication and how Thermo Fisher Scientific electron microscopes and analytical instrumentation can help you control process steps and analyze the wafer environment throughout semiconductor manufacturing to ensure you are reaching the highest yield possible.

Review the quality control (QC) challenges at different phases of semiconductor fabrication.

Learn how electron and ion microscopy workflows are required for wafer fabrication control and to address process induced yield loss in an industry facing shrinking geometries, new materials, and novel architectures.

Learn about the analytical methods for monitoring environment-induced wafer contamination, ultratrace metal analysis of chemicals and reagents, anion analysis of ultrapure water, and electroplating bath analysis.

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