At SEMICON West 2014 in San Francisco (8-10 July), CyberOptics Corp of Minneapolis, MN, USA (which provides inspection and sensing systems for electronics assembly and semiconductor process equipment) showcased its most efficient and effective wireless measurement devices for chamber gapping, leveling, wafer handoff teaching, vibration and airborne particle measurement.
CyberOptics demonstrated the new ReticleSense airborne particle sensor (APSR), which is an extension of the wafer-shaped WaferSense airborne particle sensor (APS) line that has been adopted by major fabs and OEM equipment makers worldwide.
To address the market demand for airborne particle measurement in 150mm silicon and gallium arsenide (GaAs) fabs as well as LED fabs in China, Europe, Japan, the USA and Taiwan, CyberOptics also announced an extension of its APS line to include a 150mm wafer form factor.
With APS technology, equipment engineers can quickly and wirelessly monitor, identify and troubleshoot airborne particles in real-time within semiconductor process equipment and automated material handling systems. WaferSense and ReticleSense airborne particle sensors enable equipment engineers to shorten equipment qualification, release to production and maintenance cycles, all while reducing costs, claims CyberOptics. By using the WaferSense APS, customers have experienced up to 88% time savings, up to 95% reduction in costs, and up to 20x the throughput with half the manpower resource requirements relative to legacy surface scan wafer methods, the firm reckons.
“Minimizing airborne particles in the semiconductor industry and other markets operating under stringent manufacturing quality and productivity standards is critical,” says president & CEO Subodh Kulkarni. “CyberOptics is delivering on our customers’ needs for airborne particle measurement in various form factors that help improve fab productivity while continuing to reduce costs,” he adds.
The accuracy, precision and versatility of the specialized WaferSense and ReticleSense measurement portfolio can enable improvements in fab yields and equipment uptime for semiconductor fabs and OEMs, says CyberOptics.
The WaferSense measurement portfolio including the Auto Leveling System (ALS), the Auto Gapping System (AGS), the Auto Vibration System (AVS), the Auto Teaching System (ATS) and the Airborne Particle Sensor (APS) are available now in 150, 200, 300 and 450mm wafer sizes. The ReticleSense Airborne Particle Sensor (APRS) and ReticleSense Auto Leveling System (ALSR) products are available in a reticle-shaped form factor.
