QUICK FACTS
Integrated Circuit Solutions, Inc. (ICSI) used JWAVE from Visual
Numerics to build a web-based data analysis system to view and analyze
wafer manufacturing data in real-time, significantly increasing
efficiency and accuracy of the manufacturing process. With the new
data analysis system, ICSI engineers can carry out real time analysis
and quickly find the most accurate yield parameters to send to the
fabrication plant.
THE PROBLEM
Usually, IC design companies, which are also know as fabless companies,
will contract their IC design products to a wafer foundry for manufacturing.
After production, an IC Design House or a test unit will carry out
various tests to determine the yield and then package them into
chips. In the entire design and production flow, the IC designing
company obtains the wafer acceptance test (WAT) data from the foundry
and yield data from the packaging and testing plant. Then, the IC
designing company will analyze the two types of data and find out
the cause for low yield during manufacturing and provide feedback
to the foundry for process improvement. While each step in the process
is necessary, it was taking much too long to complete.
THE SOLUTION
ICSI began to investigate ways in which a new web based engineering
data analysis (EDA) system could save time in their procedures.
In their search for an engineering data analysis web solution, ICSI
turned to JWAVE from Visual Numerics.
JWAVE is Web-based software that supports Java Technology such
as Java class, applets and java server pages. It allows users to
quickly access and understand what their data means, from anywhere,
at anytime. Based on a multi-tiered architecture, JWAVE lets users
easily create applications that embrace open standards and will
grow as their organization grows.
With JWAVE, engineers have the ability to enter the system via
Microsoft IE browser at any time and select the data to be analyzed
for a certain timeframe through a Java user interface. The system
reads data from the database and carries out calculations, analysis
using the built-in JWAVE statistical methods and presents the result
in graphic form. Because of the use of a Web-based 3-tier architecture,
the new data analysis system was easily integrated into the company’s
other e-systems.
ICSI engineers can now manipulate the graphics in an intuitive
and interactive way thanks to the use of Java applet technology.
They are able to do a variety of things such as clicking on graphic
data points to display related information, selecting an area of
the graphic for real time zooming in or out and changing the bin
color of the wafer. Interactive graphic analysis has revolutionized
traditional static graphic displays, allowing engineers to carry
out cross analysis of the data.
The integrated system has consolidated WAT (wafer acceptance tests),
yield and FT data analysis into a single environment. This allows
engineers to analyze various functions of the modules using maps
to analyze yield bin data. By analyzing low yield products and then
analyzing the modules using WAT, engineers can obtain the correlation
coefficients between different parameters and find the electrical
parameters to be used by fabrication plant engineers to improve
the manufacturing processes.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
According to Mr. Chen, Manager of ICSI, the greatest benefit of
JWAVE’s Web-based data analysis system is saving time. Previously,
engineers would download the WAT or yield data to their own computers
and then analyze individual data using programs such as Excel. Therefore,
the procedure was not economical both in terms of time and efficiency.
Now, with the new data analysis system, ICSI engineers can carry
out real time analysis and quickly find the accurate yield parameters
to send to the fabrication plant, saving more than 50% of time with
improved work efficiency.
WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS, SERVICES,
AND SUPPORT
Visual Numerics has provided technical software
solutions for numerical analysis and visualization for over 30 years.
The company's software products help users understand complex data
from a variety of sources and build business-critical applications.
Visual Numerics offers two product lines: the IMSL® Numerical
Libraries for powerful mathematical and statistical analysis and
the PV-WAVE® visual data analysis development environment. Visual
Numerics also offers customized consulting services for applications
that involve mathematical, statistical, or visual data analysis
to meet today’s business analytical needs.
