Tokyo Electron Limited has begun sales of its Wafer Level Reliability Analysis System (WLRAS), a system that evaluates such items as electromigration in metallic wiring at the wafer level. As the degree of integration of semiconductor devices increases and operating frequency becomes ever higher, advances are being made in metallic wiring and its multi-layer structure. Process technologies are also being developed to resolve the increase in inter-wiring static electricity that builds up as a result of these advances, as well as the wiring delay that also results from the same. There has never before been this kind of revolutionary technological innovation for evaluation of reliability, until now.

WLRAS does not use the existing method of evaluating the reliability of packaged chips. Rather, it is capable of conducting reliability evaluations at the wafer level. This approach has advantages such as drastically shortening the time required for evaluation preparations and analysis, as well as reducing running costs. Additionally, it enables evaluations of the true performance of metallic wiring by means of advanced temperature control technologies, which in turn make it possible to derive high levels of productivity.

Tokyo Electron already has a Wafer Level Burn In (WLBI) system available. The new WLRAS, which has been designed specifically for use in evaluating the reliability of metallic wiring, is capable of achieving efficiency in testing and reliability evaluation of semiconductor wafers, as well as low Cost of Ownership (CoO).