Two New Classes Offered at SEMI HQ: Fundamentals of Yield; Thin-Film PV Reliability
Two New Classes Offered at SEMI HQ: Fundamentals of Yield; Thin-Film PV Reliability
On March 27, a new Fundamentals of Yield class deals with the complex and
increasingly difficult process of Yield Analysis. Today, engineers are required to locate defects on
complex integrated circuits. In many ways, this is akin to locating a needle in
a haystack, where the needles get smaller and the haystack gets bigger every
year. Fundamentals of Yield is a one-day course that offers detailed
instruction on a variety of effective tools, as well as the overall process
flow for identifying, locating and characterizing the defects, process variations,
and design/manufacturing interactions responsible for the low yields.
On April 18, the new Thin-Film Photovoltaics Reliability
class addresses the issue of “Is it possible to predict the future stability of
Modules?” Thin-film
photovoltaic CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) modules consist of a
large-number of series-connected, individual cells that are packaged to
withstand 10-20 years of outdoor exposure. Direct correlations
between accelerated lifetime testing (ALT) of cells and outdoor field testing
of modules is difficult due to the many, complex ways modules
fail. However, cell-level ALT is useful for understanding degradation
at the cell component level. Recent data shows a good correlation
between future Voc degradation and the magnitude of hysteresis
observed in cells immediately after fabrication thus providing an important
discussion point: can we predict the future stability of modules?
February 5, 2013
