Introduction In the current era of AI and massive-scale big data workloads, GPUs and accelerators (XPUs) must process exponentially larger datasets. As a result, memory bandwidth (the speed at which data is transferred) and latency issues have emerged as a critical bottleneck known as the “Memory Wall.” While HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) up to HBM3E … Read more
In the recent memory industry, the development direction of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) is shifting from “stacking more layers vertically” to “expanding the die horizontally (wide die design).”Traditional 20+ stack HBM structures face limitations in thermal behavior, power efficiency, and yield, prompting a new strategic transition. What Is Wide HBM? Definition Wide HBM refers to … Read more
Introduction: Why Glass Wafer Is Gaining Momentum In recent years, glass wafers have become a hot topic in the semiconductor industry.While silicon has long dominated as the standard wafer material, glass substrates are now emerging as a strong alternative — especially in advanced packaging, MEMS, and optical sensor applications. The reasons are clear:Glass offers excellent … Read more
WARP-3500 Non-Contact High Precision Wafer Thickness & Shape Measurement System As semiconductor manufacturing continues to scale down to the nanometer level, precise control of wafer thickness (TTV) and warpage (WARP, Bow) has become one of the most critical factors in ensuring high production yield.Even slight variations in wafer thickness or flatness can cause alignment errors, … Read more
In the semiconductor and thin-film industries, the importance of sheet resistance (Rs) measurement has rapidly increased.Accurate evaluation of a material’s electrical conductivity is essential to ensure stable process quality and yield performance. While non-contact (eddy current or optical) measurement systems have gained attention for their speed and non-destructive nature,the contact-type (4 Point Probe) method remains … Read more
Why Non-contact Measurement Matters In today’s semiconductor manufacturing, non-contact resistance measurement has rapidly emerged as a key technology.And it’s not just about accuracy. As wafer integration and miniaturization continue to advance, surface sensitivity increases—making traditional probe contact methods a major risk for contamination and mechanical damage,both of which directly impact process yield. In particular, in … Read more
Wafer Bond Tester In semiconductor manufacturing, bonding is far more than simply joining two wafers together.What truly matters is how uniformly and strongly those wafers are bonded — and that strength must be measured, not assumed.That’s exactly where the wafer bond tester (bonding strength test) plays a critical role. As semiconductor architectures evolve toward 3D … Read more
How the Four-Point Probe Reveals Grain Boundaries in Metal Thin Films In semiconductor R&D and production environments, the four-point probe is often seen as a quick tool to measure sheet resistance (Rs). But this underrated instrument has far more to offer.When properly interpreted, Rs data can expose insights into material microstructure, grain boundaries, and even … Read more
In semiconductor packaging, underfill plays a critical role in reliability. But have you ever wondered how the “dam” structure around it affects the detection of voids using C-SAM (Confocal Scanning Acoustic Microscopy)? Let’s take a closer look. What Is a “Dam” in the Underfill Process? In flip-chip packaging, a “dam” is a physical boundary—typically formed … Read more
If you’ve been following the semiconductor industry lately, you’ve probably heard the term “3D semiconductor” quite often. The era of merely arranging transistors on a flat plane is gradually ending, and stacking structures vertically has become the new standard. However, to achieve this intricate 3D architecture, there’s one essential process: Cryogenic Etching. Why is Cryogenic … Read more