Accelerating Reliability for Automotive Electronics
Semiconductors and electronic components are at the core of innovation in today’s automobiles.
As vehicles become more electrified, connected, and autonomous, semiconductor content per car is rapidly increasing—along with the demand for zero-defect performance. Chips now control mission-critical functions, from basic operation and safety to infotainment and increasingly autonomous driving.
To meet stringent automotive safety and reliability standards, every chip must perform perfectly—every time. Achieving this requires advanced screening and process control to catch defects traditional methods and testing may miss, including latent issues that could emerge under real-world driving conditions.
I-PAT®
I-PAT (Inline Defect Part Average Testing) is a new method that allows automobile manufacturers to reduce the incidence of latent reliability defects in semiconductor electronic components, recognize at-risk die for exclusion from the supply chain and reduce the incidence of escapes of die that will fail prematurely from the fab. (I-PAT patent pending)
Continuous Improvement Program
A continuous improvement program (CIP) leverages unpatterned wafer defect inspection to identify the specific process tools causing defects. With a tool monitoring CIP in place, automotive fabs can set objective targets for reducing the process defects that affect reliability.
Drive to Zero Defect
With Zero Defect Screening, fabs monitor 100% of die on all wafers at the critical process steps. This requires an inspector that is fast, sensitive and can reliably identify which defects matter. With this method, die that may fail are removed from the supply chain at the fab, where cost is lowest. A high sensitivity inspection strategy can partner with screening techniques to enable discovery of yield-critical defects for faster characterization of new processes and additional defect reduction.
Advanced Design Node Inflection
Automotive features such as machine vision and AI require advanced ICs. To attain higher yield and quality standards for advanced design node devices, fabs require discovery of all systematic defect sources and an “every defect matters” approach to improving baseline yield.
Enhanced IC Packaging and PCBs
Today’s advanced packaging technology relies on innovative process techniques to provide improved IC component performance and multi-function integration. To prevent defective devices from moving forward in the supply chain, screening and sorting are important quality control steps for packaged IC components, IC substrates and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Inspection and metrology systems capture critical defects and variations for the continuous improvement of packaging and PCB processes, reliability-related issues and device failure traceability.
Power Device Reliability
Implemented in a wide range of automotive subsystems, power devices require the same quality standards as other automotive ICs. Specialized equipment for SiC epitaxy and GaN-on-silicon processes, and inspection systems for SiC substrates help manufacturers of power devices achieve automotive defect standards.
Specialty Semiconductor Etch Processes
Solid State Battery Manufacturing
Solid-state batteries (SSBs) provide higher energy density and lower weight than lithium-ion batteries, enabling longer range and faster charging in electric vehicles (EVs). Scaling SSBs for high volume manufacturing, however, poses challenges in defect control and process stability. KLA’s process control solutions help manufacturers detect defects early, improve yield, reduce costs and deliver more reliable solid-state batteries.
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