Virtual Wafer Group Control for Faster Probe Recipe Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In traditional semiconductor manufacturing processes, users must manually replace wafers or entire cassettes when switching between different test recipes, leading to significant time wastage due to the lack of efficient wafer management systems.
Innovation Solution
A probe system that includes a physical wafer cassette, a wafer processing device, a computer, and a transfer assembly, where the computer is programmed to create virtual wafer groups corresponding to different test recipes, allowing for the selective loading and unloading of physical wafers based on these virtual groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual wafer replacement is performed when switching between test recipes, then wafer integrity is maintained, but significant time is wasted and processing efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer management system segments the wafer cassette into multiple virtual wafer groups, where each virtual group corresponds to a specific test recipe. This allows the physical cassette to be logically divided into multiple independent testing sequences, enabling different test recipes to operate simultaneously on different virtual groups without requiring physical cassette changes or manual wafer replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of the physical wafer cassette, organizing wafers into multiple virtual wafer groups that represent different test recipes. These virtual groups are software-based representations that allow the system to manage and switch between different testing sequences without physically manipulating the actual wafers or cassettes, thereby maintaining integrity while improving efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple test recipes are applied to the same physical wafer cassette, then testing flexibility is improved, but manual intervention is required leading to time wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically creates and manages multiple virtual wafer groups within a single physical cassette, allowing the configuration of test sequences to change flexibly without physical intervention. The virtual groups can be created, modified, and switched automatically through software control, enabling the system to adapt to different testing requirements while eliminating manual time-consuming operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A single physical wafer cassette is made multi-functional by creating multiple virtual wafer groups, each capable of holding different test recipes. This allows one physical cassette to serve multiple testing purposes simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate physical cassettes for each test recipe and reducing the time required to switch between testing configurations.
3Device complexity
If traditional wafer management methods are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but automation level is reduced requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a software-based virtual wafer group management layer that acts as an intermediary between the physical wafer cassette and the testing equipment. This virtual layer handles the complexity of managing multiple test recipes and wafer sequences automatically, while presenting a simplified interface to users and maintaining compatibility with existing physical hardware, thus increasing automation without requiring complex physical system modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A probe system includes a wafer cassette, a wafer processing device, a computer and a transfer assembly. The wafer cassette stores a plurality of wafers. The wafer processing device is configured to test the wafer. The computer stores a test recipe, displays a plurality of virtual wafers corresponding to the plurality of first wafer cassette, creates a first virtual wafer group by selecting one or more virtual wafers from the first virtual wafer group, wherein the first virtual wafer group corresponds to the test recipe, and issues a load command. The transfer assembly transfers a selected wafer, which is one of the plurality of wafers stored in the first wafer cassette corresponding to a first virtual wafer within the first virtual wafer group, to the wafer processing device according to the load command for testing, wherein the wafer processing device tests the selected wafer based on the test recipe.