Semiconductor devices are considered as a marvel of engineering. They are used in all modern digital devices such as smart phones, computers, gaming consoles and more. All of these digital devices are powered by microchips that are made of silicon- a commonly used semiconductor material. These tiny chips are very complex and have many features. There are around a trillion microchips in the world but still we need more as the world moves towards digitalization. These chips are becoming even smaller, so semiconductor engineers are facing new challenges to manufacture these highly dense and feature-rich devices.
Semiconductor chips’ manufacturing process has many stages. The process starts with a thin wafer which is sliced from a 99.99% pure silicon ingot. These wafers are then covered with a light-sensitive coating known as “photo-resist”. The next step is Lithography which is a very crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. This step determines the size of the transistors on a chip. During this process, wafers are exposed to deep or extreme ultraviolet light rays. The next part involves the removal of degraded photoresist to reveal the intended pattern. This process is known as “Etch”. After the patterns are etched in the wafer. The wafer is then bombarded with positive/negative ions to alter the electrical properties of the wafer. This entire process of creating a perfect wafer can take up to three months. During this process, hundreds of engineers give their best to make sure the manufacturing process runs smoothly.
Different Engineering Roles in Semiconductor Manufacturing
Engineers play a vital role in semiconductor manufacturing. They are responsible for designing and developing the processes used to create these microchips. Semiconductor engineers have a thorough understanding of the materials they are working with and the physics of how those materials interact. This allows them to design process steps that will result in the desired final product. They are expert problem-solvers, as unexpected issues often arise during manufacturing. The development of new semiconductor manufacturing technologies is an ongoing process and engineers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. There are many different engineering roles in semiconductor manufacturing. The most important ones are product engineers, process engineers, test engineers, and quality engineers.
Product Engineers
Product engineers work closely with the semiconductor designers to create cost effective and highly efficient semiconductor devices. These engineers are mainly responsible with the health and overall yield of the microchips produced.
Process Engineer
Process Engineers work on improving the efficiency and quality withing the manufacturing process. They work on optimization and fool-proofing solutions to ensure that all chips have run through the whole process at the fastest time possible without compromise in quality standards. They look into commonly recurring issues and find ways for improvement.
Test Engineers
Test Engineers are responsible in testing the microchips to check their functionality and performance are up to customer’s specifications. They are also responsible in designing the hardware and software that is used for testing the devices. They make sure that the tests are sufficient in coverage and stable. They also push to optimize testing to be able to test more chips at a shorter time and lesser cost.
Quality engineer
Quality engineers make sure that the semiconductor devices produced meet all the industry quality and reliability standards. They also deal with the RMA materials where they try to find out the root cause of the early field failing devices to make sure the next produced chips that will be sent to the customer will not have the same issue. They make sure that all possible quality checks are performed before any chips are sent out from the manufacturing process.
Modules:
- Automated Data Loading
- Data Archive/Purge
- Raw Data Monitoring & KPIs
- Standard Data Access for External Tools