Today, KLA announced the industry's most comprehensive IC substrate (ICS) manufacturing process control and process support solutions. With deep expertise in front-end semiconductors, packaging, and IC substrates, KLA will help customers achieve breakthroughs in chip package interconnect density for high-performance applications.
Interconnect needs are changing as advanced packaging technologies continue to adopt a heterogeneous integration approach, bringing together multiple semiconductor components to improve performance, reduce power consumption, and control costs. Innovations in panel-based intermediate packaging layers, such as IC substrates and interposers, are accelerating for the efficient connection of chips to printed circuit boards (PCBs). As package sizes increase, feature sizes decrease, and new materials such as glass are introduced, manufacturers can leverage KLA's portfolio of solutions to increase throughput, shorten lead times, and improve overall profitability.
KLA's comprehensive portfolio includes direct imaging (DI), defect detection, shaping, metrology, chemical process control, and intelligent software solutions that optimize workflows for advanced package manufacturing. KLA's direct imaging solutions are available to meet the lithography needs of a wide range of customers. The Corus Direct Imaging Platform has been widely accepted in the market, proving its superior ability to provide highly flexible and efficient imaging solutions. In response to the changing needs of applications such as IC substrates and next-generation high-density interconnect (HDI), KLA has expanded this capability by introducing next-generation optics and lasers to optimize dynamic imaging and interlayer accuracy, ensuring fast high-quality imaging even in different panel terrains.
Figure: KLA ushers in a new era of advanced semiconductor packaging
For advanced IC substrate applications, direct imaging technology has surpassed traditional lithography steppers and has become a completely new category. KLA has introduced the new Serena Direct Imaging Platform, which has become one of the key steps in PCB manufacturing, dramatically improving the fineness and productivity of printed circuit boards. Designed for high-quality and fine line patterning on large-size, multi-layer organic substrates designed to improve accuracy and throughput while increasing the efficiency of flexible digital solutions.
Lumina is KLA's new inspection and metrology system for advanced IC substrates (including glass cores) and panel interposers, enabling highly sensitive inspection and scanning metrology at an optimized cost of ownership. The system's monitoring capabilities, combined with AI-based review and classification capabilities, generate actionable defect Pareto charts without operator intervention and integrate seamlessly with KLA's copper forming solutions.
KLA's proven process control solutions further enhance its product portfolio, including the Orbotech Ultra PerFix, EcoNet, Zeta-6xx, ICOS T890, Quali-Fill Libra and QualiLab Elite product lines. KLA's Frontline software solutions span engineering, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and production data analytics, enabling the centralized application of intelligence throughout the IC substrate manufacturing process, reinforcing KLA's long-standing leadership in yield management.
Oreste Donzella, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at KLA Corporation, said, "With today's portfolio launch, KLA reaffirms our leadership in innovation in the semiconductor ecosystem. IC substrates and other panel-level packaging technologies are critical to enhancing the connectivity of tomorrow's high-performance chips, and KLA is working closely with customers to solve complex production challenges and maximize their yield and business success.”
