ldietz's blog

Effective October 1, 2012, CyberOptics will close its Wilsonville, Oregon office and transition management, engineering, inside sales and marketing to our headquarters in Minnesota. 

CyberOptics Semiconductor recently attended Semicon West, displaying our WaferSense® family of wireless metrology devices and discussing how they work together to troubleshoot fab issues and qualify tools.  A live demo of theAirborne Particle Sensor showed exhibitors how our sensor performs better than traditional particle counters in measuring the presence and density of airborne particles inside tools under fab conditions.

CyberOptics Semiconductor will display its WaferSense® family of wireless metrology devices - and discuss how they work together to troubleshoot fab issues and qualify tools.

- View a live demo of the Airborne Particle Sensor to see how it performs better than traditional particle counters in measuring the presence and density of airborne particles inside tools under fab conditions.

Semiconductor manufacturing processes require a contamination-free environment for process optimization and optimum yield.  Particles measuring just nanometers within process chambers can cause yield-reducing defects.

One highly sensitive area within semiconductor process equipment are slit valves through which in-process substrates squeeze through when transferred between process chambers.  During wafer contact, these slit valves can shed diffused particles that can slip in and out of the chambers, potentially causing wafer defects. 

Check out our article at SST: CLICK HERE

1. The WaferSense group of wireless metrology devices automates particle and vibration detection in semiconductor process tools as well as measurements associated with leveling, gapping and teaching semiconductor equipment, reducing hours of manual measurements while ensuring accurate, repeatable results. 

An often overlooked variable during preventive maintenance, accurate semiconductor equipment alignment is critical to optimum machinery performance and output.  Misaligned wafer processing equipment can negatively impact wafer production as wafers transferred between two stations of different inclinations increase the chance of particle generation though wafer scratching, slipping, misplacement or even breakage.  Even a slight process variance during a transfer step can accumulate over the wafer manufacturing process, ultimately impact wafer uniformity. 

CyberOptics was among 28 technology leaders recently honored at the fourth annual PRISM Awards held during a gala dinner at SPIE Photonics West 2012 in San Francisco.   This international competition recognizescutting-edge products that break conventional ideas and improve life through photonics.

Reducing or eliminating the presence of particle contaminants is an important step in tool qualification.  While surface scanning is currently the industry standard for particle detection, bench top and hand held airborne particle counters are also used because of their relatively low cost and easy operations.  However, these technologies offer limited reach inside equipment and provide little or no information about the location of contamination in the tool.

Process failures and tool reconfigurations can misalign semiconductor equipment, taking a considerable toll on your productivity. Verifying and realigning equipment can take several hours, causing equipment downtime and loss of revenue. Unlike traditional wired or manual methods, CyberOptics’ WaferSense Auto Leveling System (ALS2) doesn't require equipment disassembly or disruptions to vacuum chambers, so you can reduce calibration time by 80% or more.