QuickSilver IIe Inspection System

Electroglas, Inc.,a leading supplier of process management tools for the semiconductor industry, today introduces QuickSilver IIe*, an inspection system for the automatic identification and classification of defects on processed semiconductor wafers at production rates. The system detects and automatically classifies defects as small as 1 micron. It screens such flaws as passivation voids, scratches and debris on the surface of wafers, while reporting the inspection data to regulate fabrication processes. Moreover, QuickSilver IIe examines and provides detailed analyses of probe marks.

The high-speed optical instrument provides unequalled throughput and accuracy for wafer inspection at assembly and test, thanks to an Advanced Imaging Platform (AIP*) that incorporates a dedicated multi-processor computer, fiber-optic link, proprietary TDI CCD scanning camera, and an ultra-high-capacity buffer for capturing comprehensive images of even the largest die. With the tool, IDMs and contract manufacturers can inspect incoming wafers from a fab, generate defect maps before or after wafer bumping, and determine the quality of probing operations. No manual or alternative automated inspection method available today matches the productivity of the QuickSilver IIe. The proprietary TDI camera-a feature exclusive to the Electroglas system-continually scans wafers under constant bright illumination while vision algorithms enable the discrimination and classification of bump defects as well as surface defects, thereby producing unrivalled inspection coverage at the lowest possible cost.

The inspection system is supported by QuickLook*, which is an offline software tool for enhanced visualization of die, wafer and lot data. QuickLook allows detailed analyses and comparison of defect data by organizing and presenting wafer maps, defect maps, measurement files and images from one or multiple QuickSilver inspection systems. Process trends and problems can be readily identified by displays and graphs that QuickLook creates from QuickSilver inspection data and data from networked wafer probers manufactured by Electroglas and other suppliers. QuickSilver IIe data is fully integrated with test electrical data via SORTnet*, YieldManager* and other such networking and process management software products from Electroglas.

Electroglas, Inc., 6024 Silver Creek Valley Road, San Jose, CA 95138. Tel: 408-528-3000; Fax: 408-528-3562.