Vitrek pushes wafer-thickness metrology for advanced packaging

Vitrek is spotlighting wafer-thickness measurement as chipmakers scale AI, HBM and advanced packaging production. The company says its MTI Instruments Proforma systems can help detect backside-processing problems before wafers reach costly assembly steps.

Why it matters: - Advanced packaging puts more value into each wafer before final assembly, so thickness errors can create expensive scrap. - Thinner wafers face higher risk of breakage, warpage and uneven material removal during backside processing. - Reliable metrology can help manufacturers catch variation before bonding, stacking and package assembly.

What happened: - Vitrek said wafer-thickness measurement is becoming more important as semiconductor makers expand production of GPU and AI engines, high-bandwidth memory, traditional CPUs, programmable logic and power semiconductors. - The company said its MTI Instruments Proforma 300i and Proforma 300iSA are designed for non-contact wafer measurement. - Vitrek highlighted the systems in advance of Semicon West, set for Oct. 13-15 in San Francisco.

The details: - The Proforma 300i uses proprietary capacitance-based technology for point-based thickness and total-thickness-variation measurements. - The Proforma 300iSA adds programmable scanning and mapping for thickness, total thickness variation, bow, warp and flatness. - Published specifications list thickness accuracy at ±0.25 µm and resolution at 0.05 µm. - Vitrek said the Proforma 300iSA can collect as many as 1,000 measurement points per minute, depending on configuration and measurement routine. - The systems are intended to inspect wafers between grinding and polishing stages. - That inspection can reveal non-uniform material removal, monitor changes in wafer geometry and help correct process drift before bonding or package assembly. - Vitrek said the systems are aimed at semiconductor manufacturers working with HBM, chiplets and next-generation computing devices. - For more information about MTI Instruments semiconductor-metrology systems, visit Vitrek.com or stop by booth # 5245 at Semicon West.

Between the lines: - AI and high-performance computing are pushing more manufacturers toward 2.5D and 3D integration, which raises the need for tighter control of wafer geometry. - Better backside-process visibility can protect downstream manufacturing value by reducing the odds that flawed wafers move into costly packaging steps. - Todd Stukenberg, Vitrek president, said manufacturers need reliable data between process steps to detect variation before wafers reach expensive packaging operations.

What's next: - Vitrek will showcase the MTI Instruments systems at Semicon West in San Francisco. - Manufacturers scaling advanced packaging will likely keep increasing demand for in-line and between-step wafer metrology as integration levels rise. - More AI and HPC deployment should continue to intensify pressure on thickness control, scrap reduction and process consistency.