From wafer inspection to laser assisted bonding. Typical fields of application for diode laser beam sources in electronics and semiconductor production include systems for the optoelectrical quality inspection of wafers (wafer prober), or the laser-assisted soldering of highly complex electronic components such as flip chips.
Laser beam sources have been very common in the semiconductor sector since the 1990s. Whereas, initially, components were marked and labelled at the end of the production line, today, there are many more production steps. These steps range from drilling, separating elements (dicing), cutting wafers, metals, and plastics through to lighting for troubleshooting with intermediate products andvariousthermal processes. Depending on the application, an array of pulsed CW laser systems with a very broad power range from sub-mW to multi kW are used.
Looking at two fields of application for diode lasers as an example, there are lasers in the optoelectronic testing of wafers to analyze defect bridge elements, tungsten residues or scratches in the oxide layers. This enables defective wafers to be recognized well before any further processing, thus enabling them to be removed in good time. A second field of application is the brazing of electronic components with solutions that are individually tailored to different customers. The use of lasers represents a genuine alternative to reflow soldering, especially for complex electronic components such as flip chips.
High-power diode lasers are primarily known as a tool for industrial metalworking. However, new solutions for the electronics industry, such as the laser-assisted soldering of highly complex electronic components such as flip chips - often referred to as laser assisted bonding or LAB - are also becoming increasingly common. You can find out what is behind this on our applications page.
The blue wavelength at 445 nm is paving the way for new semiconductor and flat panel display applications. Research groups have successfully tested blue lasers in the production of next-generation silicon and SiC IGBT semiconductors. On flat panel displays, crystallization of a-Si layers by Blue Laser Annealing (BLA) is being introduced for low-cost, high-resolution thin-film transistors (TFT) for foldable and rollable AMOLED displays.
Various heat treatment processes are used in the production of wafers to achieve the desired material properties and structural integrity. For example, annealing to remove defects and improve the crystal structure. Thermal oxidation is also used for the growth of oxide layers, thermal epitaxy or in deposition processes.
In all these processes, precise temperature control is crucial to ensure the uniformity and quality of the final wafer products. Diode lasers offer superior performance, high efficiency and closed-loop control for heating processes compared to halogen and flash lamps. These characteristics make diode lasers the ideal heat source for wafer production, where a steep temperature rise and precise temperature control are critical for optimizing material properties and device performance.
Our lasers are also used in the optoelectrical inspection of wafers to analyze defective bridge links, tungsten residues or scratches in the oxide layer. In this way, defective wafers can be detected before further processing and sorted out in good time.
Laserline high power diode lasers in various performance classes and configurations have been successfully used in KLA system solutions for the optoelectrical testing of wafers for many years. The Supplier Excellence Awards were presented by KLA to Laserline and two other suppliers in 2019 for demonstrating outstanding performance in their respective categories in the areas of technology, quality, responsiveness, delivery and cost. We are proud to receive this special award from one of our key business partners in the electronics industry.
KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation across the electronics industry. This includes advanced process control and process solutions for the manufacture of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays.
These systems are particularly suitable for use in the semiconductor industry.
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