Probe Needle Cleaning on an As-needed Basis
Advantest's Adaptive Probe Cleaning (APC) solution is an industry-first approach that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to clean probe needles on an as-needed basis, lengthening probe card lifetime, improving wafer test yield and reducing test costs.
Traditionally, chipmakers have deployed a fixed cycle for the online cleaning of probe needles, using pre-set contact intervals that don't take into account whether cleaning is actually necessary. This can lead to wide variations in wafer test yield, depending on individual probe card technologies and wafer lots. That approach can also result in high test costs, reduced overall equipment efficiency and shortened probe card lifetime.
APC introduces an innovative "adaptive interval" approach to probe cleaning, which optimizes the wafer test process. By using algorithms to conduct real-time assessment of probe needles' contamination and debris, cleaning will only be performed when necessary to prevent yield from being affected.
Customer Challenges
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Traditional probe cleaning uses fixed intervals that do not reflect actual contamination levels, which reduces throughput.
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Contamination levels vary across wafer lots and probe card types, making fixed intervals unable to prevent yield fluctuations effectively.
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Unnecessary cleaning cycles increase overall test time and accelerate probe needle wear, raising test costs and probe card maintenance expenses.
Value to Customer
Higher and More Stable Yield
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AI analyzes probe contamination in real-time and cleans only when needed, preventing yield loss while avoiding unnecessary downtime.
Faster Lot Completion
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Eliminating redundant cleaning cycles shortens overall wafer lot test time and improves throughput.
Lower Cost of Test and Maintenance
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Optimized cleaning frequency reduces both the test cost per wafer and long-term probe card maintenance expenses.
Improved Equipment Efficiency
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Real-time decisions require no additional test time, increasing system availability and boosting overall equipment efficiency (OEE).