zero defects

Antoine Amade, VP of sales for the Microcontamination Control division at Entegris, discusses innovation opportunities for semiconductor technologies entering the automotive domain, views on design and process engineering, and collaboration between the semiconductor and automotive industries.

The automotive industry is changing. Our vehicles are getting electrified, connected and automated. As this trend is accelerating, it’s having an impact on how semiconductor devices, including MEMS sensors, are designed and qualified for automotive. As automotive semiconductor designers carefully consider product definition, product validation, and long-term reliability, MEMS sensor suppliers are responding to new opportunities created by electrified and automated vehicles by developing inertial measurement units (IMUs) for automated driving as well as battery pressure monitoring sensors for Li-ion EV batteries. The most complex MEMS device of all The automotive MEMS IMU is probably the most complex MEMS device that will be used inside a vehicle. This type of IMU is a System-in-Package (SiP) comprised of multiple gyroscope and accelerometer sensing elements plus a signal processing ASIC, integrated into one package that creates an inertial sensor able to measure up to six degrees of freedom (6DoF): yaw, roll and pitch for rotational movements, and lateral, longitudinal and vertical acceleration for linear movements. Degrees of freedom in a vehicle For vehicles with Level 3 autonomy and above (per SAE definition), the IMU is mandatory for taking over the trajectory control of the vehicle in case other sensors, such as the camera, radar or LiDAR, become impaired. Should such a failure occur, the IMU will function as a guidance sensor to bring the car to a safe stop within a short period of time and distance. The IMU is also used to control the regular movement of the car while driving in automated mode. While IMU technology already exists for aerospace applications, there are significant challenges to adapting it for automotive. The automotive IMU requires high performance at costs that are compatible with the automotive industry. Because automotive life cycles are long, MEMS sensor suppliers must produce the device in high volume for an extended period of time. They must also guarantee the sensor’s performance and reliability over a 10- to 15-year lifetime with no maintenance or recalibration of the sensor required. Only a few MEMS suppliers have the capability and willingness to embark on this kind of journey. Electrification is creating new applications for MEMS sensors The conversion from internal combustion engines to electrified propulsion is going to affect the powertrain MEMS market. For example, pressure sensors used in engine management for air pressure and fuel pressure will simply go away with electrification. However, the use of large Li-ion batteries in electrified vehicles has created a new application for MEMS sensors. One of the known risks of Li-ion batteries is the small probability for a battery cell to go into a thermal runaway situation that will lead to a fire. The press has reported multiple cases of EV batteries catching fire. Thermal runway effects When it comes to thermal runaway events, every second counts. Detecting the event as early as possible enables the vehicle safety system to take all necessary measures to warn occupants of an imminent fire and activate timely countermeasures (e.g., trigger fire extinguisher and call fire brigade) to mitigate the impact of the fire. Published studies have shown that measuring the pressure inside the battery pack is a good indication that a thermal runaway is starting. The outgassing of a battery cell, plus a sudden rise in temperature, will increase pressure inside the battery pack, which will generate a pressure pulse. To detect such a pressure pulse, a MEMS pressure sensor must permanently measure the pressure inside the pack. It must also report to the battery management system any suspicious change in pressure, independent of atmospheric pressure changes. It’s important to keep this kind of sensor on all the time to detect any pressure anomaly in the system, even when the vehicle is completely off. NXP has developed a pressure sensor to specifically address this new safety application in EVs, and several automotive manufacturers are already using this solution. NXP battery pressure management sensor The quest for zero defects While the automotive industry is targeting zero fatalities as its ultimate goal, the semiconductor industry and module suppliers are targeting zero defects for each and every semiconductor device. For safety-critical automotive MEMS sensors complying with the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q100 qualification for semiconductors, it’s necessary but clearly not sufficient to guarantee a zero defects production launch and long-term reliability of the device. To boost the reliability and robustness of automotive sensors, NXP has developed Above and Beyond (AaB), a new methodology that studies advanced reliability and robustness well ahead of the device’s qualification and production release. Based on risk-mitigation analysis, AaB consist of extensive testing, such as test-to-fail, corner lot testing, and new use-case testing combined with advanced statistics, all of which help NXP understand how these different parameters interact with each other. As sensor suppliers must integrate AaB into their project planning, it does add time and cost to the project. The upside is that this early investment pays off as long as weaknesses in the device can be detected and corrected before a production launch. Field failures, on the other hand, can lead to unplanned redesign and requalification of a device. Worst-case, they can lead to a recall campaign that costs a huge amount of money. We’re systematically using the AaB methodology at NXP for safety-critical MEMS sensors because its potential benefits far outweigh its costs. For more information about NXP MEMS sensors, register for the upcoming webinar series, MEMS to Market: Ingredients for Success, where NXP will discuss The Growing Importance of MEMS Reliability (May 5, 2021). Register by March 10 to watch all the webinars LIVE. Each webinar will also be available to watch on-demand at your convenience. Contact the author via LinkedIn or learn more about NXP sensors. About the Author With nearly 30 years of experience in the field of automotive and MEMS sensors, Marc Osajda is responsible for European automotive MEMS sensors business development activities at NXP Semiconductors. Osajda holds an engineering degree in mechanics and electronics from the French Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM). NXP Semiconductors is an active member of MEMS Sensors Industry Group®(MSIG), a SEMI technology community that connects the MEMS and sensors supply network in established and emerging markets to enable members to grow and prosper. Visit us today.

The costs of production are typically based on labor and materials and define manufacturing expenses. But is this approach accurate enough? What about the cost of poor quality and lack of efficiency in production? How is the pandemic impacting semiconductor manufacturing and what can we expect from the future?SEMI recently spoke with Dr. Eyal Kaufman, founder and CEO of QualityLine, a Kiryat Gat, Israel-based provider of smart manufacturing analytics solution, about manufacturing controls and how to select the best data source to improve product quality and yield. Kaufmann provided a snapshot of current best practices used by the company to improve manufacturing efficiencies and product quality while reducing costs. He also discussed the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on semiconductor smart manufacturing and how artificial intelligence (AI) can help keep factory workers safe.For additional insights on smart manufacturing, join the virtual SEMI Global Smart Manufacturing Conference, October 20 - 22, 2020. Registration is open.SEMI: Real manufacturing costs are calculated based on different aspects such as failures in production, repairs, products returned, scrap of components or late deliveries. Lack of quality and efficiency in manufacturing can undermine a business. How are you helping businesses overcome these challenges?Kaufman: To increase profit margins, it is essential to identify inefficiencies and what improvements to prioritize. Once manufacturing quality and efficiency deficiencies have been measured, the next step is to continuously collect manufacturing data in order to run the final cost analysis and use the analytics to improve the manufacturing process.Smart manufacturing makes it possible to detect anomalies in automated factories, improve production performance and increase profitability. Today, automated data are collected from every machine and piece of test equipment in the factory. Still, manufacturing data collection in many industries remains manual and expensive because of the time and human resources involved. A real-time analytics system can automatically collect all data sources and select the relevant data for analysis, which today is the most accurate and effective way of measuring and resolving quality and efficiency deficiencies.Data-driven decisions made by smart manufacturing reduce costs and improve manufacturing strategies, enabling factory operators to increase product quality, drive higher production capacity and enhance product design for manufacturability. Analytics solutions monitor shop floor operations accessing vendors and subcontractors’ products criterion to run root cause analysis. All those data will reduce the return rate of faulty products and accelerate return on investment. This is why we definitely need smart manufacturing technologies!SEMI: Data accumulated during the manufacturing process includes vital information about failures, anomalies and machine usability. What data are necessary to create the best analytics solution?Kaufman: Many companies today run data mapping and automatic creation of data capture. They often wonder if they need to use testing data, sensors data or product design data, or whether they should collect feedback from their customers and vendors. The best way to create an effective manufacturing analytics system is to use data sources such as: Feedback from customers (returned units, customers complaints, etc..) Testing data from automated test equipment and manual test activities Feedback from technicians repairing faulty units Analysis of testing processes done by vendors Sensors data Data from our ERP/MES systems Artificial intelligence enables any type and size of data structure, even accumulated data, to be automatically integrated and interpreted. AI-based analytics can also establish correlations between each manufacturing stage to help factory operators quickly conduct deep diagnostic and root cause analysis for problem solving and prevention – all while leaving intact a factory’s existing process, machinery and data output. Machine learning evaluates how a factory runs its database and puts all the information generated into an analytics solution that provides the know-how to continuously improve factory efficiency.SEMI: How do you select the best data source to improve manufacturing quality and yield? Kaufman: The accuracy and integrity of data accumulated in our manufacturing process is key to controlling and improving yield and quality while reducing manufacturing costs. Smart manufacturing is a technology-driven approach that uses digital and remote connected machinery to monitor the production process. The goal is to identify anomalies in manufacturing processes and leverage analytics to improve process yield and product quality.To select the relevant data, we collect each type and source of data that can improve the efficiency of a real manufacturing cell: Test data from Automated Testing Equipment Test data from Manual Testing Processes Analyses of repairing processes (failed units during the manufacturing process and units that were returned from customers) Once the data structure is collected, the next step is to turn it into actionable information in the manufacturing process. QualityLine smart manufacturing solutions provide a complete one-stop solution to interpret any manufacturing data structure. Our advanced manufacturing analytics solution detects quality and yield anomalies to reveal production line inefficiencies and opportunities to improve manufacturing quality and efficiency.SEMI: How would you describe your approach?Kaufman: Industry 4.0 in manufacturing claims to be the fourth generation of the industrial revolution. Advanced technologies like manufacturing intelligence and machine learning can efficiently achieve zero defects on manufacturing lines. Digital factories leverage technologies and methodologies including: Big data Self-optimization Self-configuration Self-diagnosis Cognitive and machine learning Smart manufacturing technologies enhance the manufacturing process by continuously collecting and analyzing data in real-time to achieve and maintain high quality performance. The goal is to achieve a significant increase in efficiency and yield while reducing waste and inefficiency.Until now, there has been no viable way to integrate all saved manufacturing data into a unified database. QualityLine advanced manufacturing analytics make it possible for any factory to become digital without installing new hardware, which can be expensive and require not only the extensive integration of existing data but investments in training. Our user-friendly solution integrates manufacturing data for industries with zero automation by first collecting and analyzing data from any type of manual test procedure and then integrated it into manufacturing analytics to improve efficiency.SEMI: Why are Pass/Fail criteria insufficient for controlling manufacturing yield and quality?Kaufman: Managing a mass manufacturing process is always a challenge because hundreds of tasks must be successfully completed before products can ship to customers. At QualityLine, we establish a test process for each stage of the production flow, from the incoming raw material to the final stage prior to the delivery of finished goods to the client. To prevent unexpected downtime incidents, waste and defective products, we collect and interpret every type of relevant data and turn it into meaningful information, setting up the following capabilities: Collection and interpretation of test and process data of each single unit and from each process and plant Automatic detection of quality and yield problems Accurate and quick root cause analysis process Automatic alerts to abnormal issues Prediction process potential and level of failures Measurement of key performance indicators Many manufacturers base their test criteria of each parameter on one key indicator – Pass or Fail. If the test result shows a Pass, then the unit is ready to move on to the next manufacturing stage. If the test result shows Fail, then the unit is sent to a technician for further analysis.A simple Pass or Fail criteria for product quality is far from sufficient since it provides little or no information about edge cases, where one or more of the technical parameters of the unit under test is only within its allowed tolerance. Edge cases may lead to unit failure during operation such as in extreme environments (cold, heat, humidity, electrical overload, impact, etc.). In fact, when running a mass manufacturing line, it is impossible to continuously digest all the detailed information collected from testing stations. Data is analyzed in detail only when a critical quality problem emerges and further analysis is required to understand the root cause.Information overload and the disregard of important parameters makes it hard to control the process and improve quality and yield. New technologies make fast and scalable data integration possible so data can be collected in real time to detect quality issues early, identify complex process disruptions to avoid delivery delays and ensure the best possible product for customers. Only by accurately analyzing data as actionable information can factory operators control the manufacturing quality process.SEMI: How has COVID-19 impacted the smart manufacturing market? How has your technology helped factories remain online?Kaufman: Smart manufacturing is playing a significant role by helping manufacturers overcome COVID-19 challenges such as workforce reductions, social distancing, drops in sales for some specific products and extreme pressure to cut operational costs.Manufacturing leaders turned to us for a solution to the challenges of maintaining efficient factory operations with a limited workforce and reduced number of operating hours. Filling factory orders with fewer people on the floor is a struggle. Digital factory technologies enable remote monitoring of operations to increase efficiency and capacity. We are helping our clients improve efficiency while reducing costs. Our remote monitoring technology can provide the operational visibility to floor managers and engineering teams who cannot go physically to the factories due to safety restrictions. With our advanced manufacturing analytics, they have full end-to-end visibility and can remotely diagnose and solve production line issues. During this critical time, we are proud to be improving remote monitoring solutions to help the industry withstand the pandemic. Some of our clients would have closed their factories otherwise. We’ve been working to integrate manufacturing data in factories that were previously unautomated to drive high automation levels. Integrating processes with existing factory data, regardless of customer’s protocols or automation level, is our great technology advantage.SEMI: How will manufacturing and its supply chains look after COVID-19?Kaufman: Smart manufacturing is currently a necessity. We collect and analyze data not only to improve quality but to reduce client returns of faulty products by 50% and reduce waste by 22%, both critical points. Manufacturing challenges will continue to accelerate advancements in technology and improve efficiency, safety and productivity as more factory operators incorporate real-time data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). SEMI: Will suppliers continue to explore new avenues for smart manufacturing technologies and what are their growth opportunities?Kaufman: Yes, definitely. The sector has already changed, with COVID-19 bringing both opportunities and challenges. Industry leaders are facing new pressure, with sudden materials shortages, drops in demand and worker unavailability. The growth opportunities for manufacturing are likely to be digital, as already evident in the immediate response to the crisis. Industry 4.0 solutions will be crucial to increase end-to-end supply-chain transparency, automation and data integration. QualityLine manufacturing analytics have improved key manufacturing performance metrics. For example, based on customer feedback, we’ve increased production yield by 30%, saving some of our customers millions of dollars. Improvements like this can help suppliers withstand pandemics.Dr. Eyal Kaufman, Founder and CEO at QualityLine, has senior management experience and over 25 years of expertise in business development, marketing, finance, operations, engineering and quality management at leading industrial companies. Prior to QualityLine, he served as VP of Mobileye, Cardo Systems, and Medisim Ltd., as well as CEO of OnTheGo Systems. Eyal holds a Ph.D. from California Intercontinental University, an MBA from City University of New York and a BSc. from the Technion in Israel.The SEMI SMART Manufacturing Initiative is a global effort to promote awareness and interest about smart manufacturing with focus on delivering industry-recognized best-in-class programs and services to enable members to maximize product quality, productivity and cost improvements through smart manufacturing. Activities are focused on building out core capabilities to enable smart manufacturing across the microelectronics supply chain.MADEin4 is a consortium of 47 partners from 10 countries connecting the full range of supply chain: from semiconductor equipment manufacturers and system-integrating metrology companies to RTOS and key applications such as the automotive industry. The MADEin4 Project develops next generation metrology tools, machine learning methods and applications in support of Industry 4.0 high volume manufacturing in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.Serena Brischetto is a senior manager of marketing and communications at SEMI Europe.

In the first part of this double feature, we looked at the automotive industry’s transition toward a mobility ecosystem and the shifting business model perspective from selling vehicles to miles. At the core of these changing dynamics are four trends represented by the acronym ACES: Autonomous, Connected, Electric, and Shared mobility. Each of these trends is largely enabled by microelectronics through computer processors, sensor units, and communication architectures. Part 2 of this series explores the business opportunities at the transition from automotive to mobility, and the specific role SEMI can play as a natural bridge between the two ecosystems.Electronics and Software as Drivers for Automotive InnovationThe ACES trends represent an acceleration of the shift in automotive from the industry’s traditionally strong focus on mechanics and hardware toward electronics and software. This transition to electronics and software as drivers for automotive innovation already started in the 1970s with electronic fuel injection, anti-lock brakes, trip computers, and many other attributes that are now considered standard features. As a result, there are now hardly any automotive systems that are not computer-controlled. A vehicle without power windows and locks, electronic climate control, or MEMS-reliant airbags are basically unimaginable in many markets.As shown in the graphic[1] depicting the electronics share of total vehicle cost, the numbers paint a clear picture of the continued growth of electronics over time, with a 44% share today expected to grow to 50% by 2030. McKinsey Company estimates the automotive software and electrical/electronic (E/E) components markets combined will grow at a 7% CAGR from USD 238 billion in 2020 to US$469 billion by 2030[2].The assumption of continued and sustained growth presents a promising outlook for semiconductor and sensor content in vehicles over the next decade, which is particularly strong in the electrification space. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) already contain $900 worth of semiconductor content, and battery-based electric vehicles (EVs) contain $1,000 worth of semiconductors – much higher than the average of approximately $450 of content in conventional vehicles[2]. Other business opportunities in the mid-term (3-5 years) include software, battery technology, infrastructure (charging stations, other hardware components, etc.), as well as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-environment (V2X) communication. These technologies also demonstrate how the industry’s business focus is expanding beyond the confinement of an individual vehicle to increasingly contemplating the evolving ecosystem around it, resulting in real mobility solutions. Image credit: Continental AG This creates significant opportunities for a large number of SEMI members in the semiconductors and sensors business by connecting them with new customers and partners in the automotive and mobility supply chains, primarily vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, and together realizing new business in new automotive applications such as: Autonomy, including ADAS (GPUs, LiDAR, radar, camera, accelerometers...) Connectivity (link to outside infrastructure and in-cabin devices, roadside units...) Electrification (power electronics, battery monitoring, H2 detection in fuel-cell...) Sharing (customizable vehicle interior, trackable mobility devices such as scooters...) In-cabin experience (media systems, displays, VR/AR, occupant detection...) Vehicle architecture (flex-ray, automotive ethernet, diagnostics, smart parts...) Safety and security (HW/SW firewall, parts authentication, upgradability...) In these partnerships, the vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers clearly benefit from leveraging semiconductor capabilities including: Device and system reliability/robustness/quality (“Zero Defect”), which creates opportunities for new SEMI Standards (e.g. wafer-to-device/system traceability) New design architectures for added functionality, safety and security New packaging solutions (automotive OEMs are already participating in the Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap, seeking to collaborate with device manufactures and Original Semiconductor Assembly Test (OSAT) companies to reduce costs and differentiate on automotive-grade solutions Sensors and imaging (cameras) SEMI Smart Mobility Initiative – Connecting Mobility and ElectronicsSEMI launched its Smart Mobility Initiative in 2018 based on the mandate of providing “SEMI members with access to new business opportunities and collaborative platforms in the automotive electronics supply chain.” The initiative is currently focused on synchronizing the automotive and microelectronics supply chains for automotive electronics innovation – in particular semiconductor devices, sensors, and related products manufactured for this space and sold to vehicle OEMs and Tier 1s. To facilitate closer dialogue among stakeholders from this combined ecosystem, SEMI formed the Global Automotive Advisory Council (GAAC) which now has five regional chapters and represents dozens of companies. Collectively, GAAC members discuss and act on a wide range of topics, from Silicon Carbide (SiC) standardization to new design architectures and closing the OEM requirement gap.While continuing to build on the strong automotive foundation, SEMI’s Smart Mobility Initiative is now expanding its reach and scope of activities to broader mobility themes, such as infrastructure and battery technology and Smart City, to infuse SEMI member communities and the GAAC with new stakeholders and new ideas. These are exciting times!Please contact Bettina Weiss, Chief of Staff at SEMI, at [email protected] for further information about SEMI’s Smart Mobility Initiative, the Global Automotive Advisory Council, and how SEMI can help your organization navigate electronics in the automotive industry to drive innovation in the mobility space.[1] see graphic, created with data from NXP / Freescale[2] Source: McKinsey Company, 2019Microelectronics Power the Future of Mobility – Part 1: Autonomous, Connected, Electric and SharedBettina Weiss is Chief of Staff and Global Smart Mobility Lead at SEMI. Sven Beiker is Smart Mobility Consultant at SEMI.

SEMI spoke with Antoine Amade, Regional Senior Director EMEA at Entegris, about the challenges set by the car industry, and the concept of “zero defect” and the need for a collaborative approach ahead of his presentation at the Strategic Materials Conference at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the event, click here.SEMI: The automotive industry is setting new challenges. This is very exciting source of growth for the global supply chain, but what are in your opinion the automotive requirements of the future?Amade: By 2030, 50% of the car cost will be electronics related. With the autonomous cars, there will be no tolerance for any type of chip defects because it will have a direct impact on human safety. With that in mind, higher reliability, increased efficiency and control across the supply chain will be the main requirements of the automotive industry.SEMI: Is the New Collaborative Approach the solution to overcome the challenges related to the automotive requirements of the future such as defects and contamination? What can you tell us about this approach?Amade: The automotive industry presents a great challenge to all of us, reaching the ppb level in terms of defectivity. In other words, this zero defects objective requires a collective awareness and understanding: Within an aging and more complex manufacturing environment, we all need to challenge the status quo and go for a new collaborative approach.SEMI: What does Entegris propose?Amade: We trust that contamination control has a major role to play to reach the zero defects. We are now in the 3rd generation of contamination control. After the focus on the cleanroom environment and equipment, materials are now at the center of the attention. With Entegris offering the broadest portfolio in terms of advanced chemicals, filtration and purification, and materials handling, we’re uniquely positioned to address precision, purity, integrity, and safety challenges.SEMI: How could this support fab managers in their daily challenges and mid-term future objectives?Amade: The new collaborative approach is a journey. It is a consultative process to provide a fresh set of eyes and expertise on the key areas of concerns in the fabs. It is a multidisciplinary approach with zero defectivity as the main goal. It is focused on base line improvement, better process control, more uniformity and prevention of excursions.SEMI: What do you expect from SEMICON Europa Strategic Materials Conference?Amade: It's the perfect platform to deliver our message in front of the whole ecosystem. It obviously concerns the fabs, but also material suppliers, and even carmakers. We expect this new view of collaboration will create an engagement from all parties. It is not a coincidence that this is called New Collaborative Approach. Antoine Amade joined Entegris in 1995 as an application engineer in its semiconductor business. In his current role as EMEA Sr. Regional Director, Mr. Amade manages a sales, customer service and marketing team responsible for growing the semiconductor business in Europe and Middle East.Mr. Amade held leadership positions at Entegris including gas microcontamination market management, strategical account management and regional sales management. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from ENS Chimie Lille and is a member of Semi Electronic Materials Group for Europe. Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.