Avago selects automated inspection and metrology solution from Rudolph for advanced optoelectronic devices

FLANDERS, USA: Rudolph Technologies Inc., a leading provider of process characterization equipment and software for wafer fabs and advanced packaging facilities, announces orders for its NSX Series from Avago Technologies Manufacturing (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Avago will use the NSX System for front-end inspection at its advanced optoelectronic devices wafer fabrication site in Singapore, which manufactures leading edge high speed VCSELs, detectors and light emitting diodes.

The NSX automated macro defect inspection system will provide both metrology and inspection data, and will play a central role in assisting the enhancement of Avago’s process yields. This system, scheduled for shipment in Q1, is the second purchased by Avago. The first NSX System shipped in Q4 2010. Additional orders to extend automated inspection into back-end applications are anticipated in the coming year.

“As our production volumes scale up, we have turned increasing attention to improving process yields,” said Tom White, Avago’s worldwide director of Optoelectronics Devices Operation. “The NSX System will allow us to improve the reliability and repeatability of our inspection procedures and our operation efficiency. In addition, we are using the Rudolph tools to measure critical dimension and overlay metrics at a significant cost savings over standalone metrology tools.”

KeeAnn Tan, Rudolph’s S.E. Asia general manager, added: “We are particularly excited to win this business in the rapidly expanding market for advanced optoelectronic devices. The pricing of these devices typically provides extremely high leverage and fast payback for investments in yield improvement. We look forward to working with Avago to extend automated inspection and metrology across their entire manufacturing enterprise, including back-end packaging and assembly processes.”

Rudolph’s NSX Series is a fast, precise, production-proven solution for automated macro defect inspection throughout the device manufacturing process. Macro defects may be created during wafer manufacturing, probing, bumping, dicing, or by general handling, and can have a major impact on the quality of a microelectronic or optoelectronic device and the yield of the manufacturing process.

The NSX system quickly and accurately detects yield-inhibiting defects, providing quality assurance as well as valuable process information needed to reduce manufacturing costs and time-to-market for new products. Rudolph’s Discover Enterprise™ software integrates data from inspection, metrology and manufacturing tools throughout the fab to provide enterprise-wide visibility of process performance.