Bruker said that a leading semiconductor supplier purchased multiple ContourGT-X 3D optical microscope systems for its packaging factories in Asia and North America to support copper wire bond inspection and process control needs.  According to Bruker, the production-level speed of the ContourGT-X can lower manufacturing costs and assists in solving critical problems in the transition to copper-based processes from more expensive gold-based processes. “Since copper is harder and more brittle than gold, our customers need to precisely monitor the correct amount of force applied to the bond connecting the die to the package lead-frame or substrate,“ said Mark R. Munch, Ph.D., president of the Bruker Nano Surfaces division.

“In addition to the inherent 3D optical metrology advantages of the ContourGT-X, we have added a lot of features that are specifically designed to aid wire bonding applications,” explained Rob Loiterman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Bruker’s Stylus and Optical Metrology business. “For example, a line engineer can create specific recipes that are automatically linked via operator ID, material ID, or lot/inspection ID. These software controls provide accurate real-time identification and flagging of good and bad product so our customers can ensure the reliability of their products, while taking advantage of the lower cost of copper.”