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Press Release: MTI’s Proforma 300iSA Combines SEMI and ASTM Standard Compliance in Space-Efficient Benchtop Design

MTI's Proforma 300iSA Combines SEMI and ASTM Standard Compliance in Space-Efficient Benchtop Design The Proforma 300iSA combines ASTM and SEMI standard measurements in a compact, desktop system for flexible semiconductor metrology. Lockport, IL, November 18, 2025 – Vitrek, a leading U.S. designer of precision measurement systems, has introduced the MTI Instruments Proforma 300iSA Semi-Automated Metrology System. The benchtop system delivers full SEMI and ASTM compliance in a compact footprint—offering laboratory-grade precision without the space demands of traditional floor-mounted equipment. “The Proforma 300iSA represents a fundamental shift in how manufacturers approach precision metrology,” said Todd Stukenberg, President at [...]

By |November 18th, 2025|Categories: Industry-Semiconductor-MTI, New & Press Releases, News, News-MTI-Instrumentation, Press Releases, Press Releases-MTI|Comments Off on Press Release: MTI’s Proforma 300iSA Combines SEMI and ASTM Standard Compliance in Space-Efficient Benchtop Design

Precision Control in Semiconductor Wafer Lapping

Application Overview Wafer lapping is a critical semiconductor thinning process that demands tight control to avoid over-removal of material, which can lead to costly yield loss. This application note details how MTI Instruments’ Accumeasure™ capacitive sensing technology enabled precise, real-time displacement and thickness measurement during lapping operations, ensuring consistent wafer quality. Challenge During lapping, wafers are thinned from the backside using a rotating abrasive surface. As the process proceeds, precise feedback is essential to monitor how much material is removed and to determine the wafer's final thickness. Traditional mechanical methods or visual inspections are not sensitive or fast enough [...]

By |August 13th, 2025|Categories: Application Notes-MTI, Brand-MTI, Industry-Semiconductor, Industry-Semiconductor-MTI, News-Industry, News-MTI, Whitepapers-MTI|Comments Off on Precision Control in Semiconductor Wafer Lapping

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MTI Instruments Whitepaper: Capacitance Guide for Industrial Applications

Capacitance Guide for Industrial Applications This guide from MTI Instruments explains what you need to know about using electrical capacitance for measurement in industrial applications, including advanced manufacturing. Basic Principles Capacitance is the ratio of the change in an electric charge to the corresponding change in its electrical potential (i.e., voltage). Capacitors, components that that have the “capacity” to store an electric charge, consist of conductive parallel plates that don’t touch or connect with each other. Instead, these metal plates are electrically-separated by air or a layer of insulating material (i.e., the dielectric). MTI’s [...]

Whitepaper: Why Capacitance? Benefits and Applications of Digital Capacitive Sensors

Industry applications illustrate the versatility and benefits of today's digital capacitive sensor technology. The electrical capacitance formed between a capacitance probe and target surface varies as a function of the distance, or gap, between those two surfaces.

Whitepaper: Semiconductor Wafer Measurement for Increased Productivity

Semiconductor Wafer Measurement for Increased Productivity This three-part article describes how manufacturers leverage capacitance-based inspection systems for semiconductor wafers. The article reviews best-practices, consequences of failing to inspect semiconductor wafers and benefits of using semi-automated, fully-automated and manual systems for wafer metrology and inspection. Part 1: Why Disc Geometry Matters in Wafer Production Semiconductor wafers are cut from cylindrical silicon crystals, or ingots. The flatness of these disc-shaped wafers is controlled to tight tolerances to ensure that the entire wafer surface is suitable for integrated circuit (IC) production. If disc geometry is out-of-spec [...]

By |August 14th, 2023|Categories: Brand-GaGe, Brand-MTI, Brand-Vitrek, Brands-All, Industry-Consumer Products, Industry-Electronics, Industry-Manufacturing, Industry-OEM, Industry-Semiconductor, Industry-Semiconductor-MTI, Knowledge Center-MTI, News-Industry, News-MTI, Whitepapers-MTI|Comments Off on Whitepaper: Semiconductor Wafer Measurement for Increased Productivity

The Cost of Failing to Inspect Semiconductor Wafers

This is the second of three articles in Semiconductor Wafer Measurement for Increased Profitability. The first article in this series explains why disc geometry matters. The third article describes the benefits of using semi-automated, fully-automated, and manual systems for wafer metrology and inspection. Most semiconductor wafers are made of silicon, the second most common element in the Earth’s crust. Yet, silicon’s abundance does not mean that wafers are inexpensive. The pure form of silicon that’s used in semiconductors does not occur naturally and must be refined and mixed with a dopant that alters material properties and electrical characteristics. Silicon ingots are formed, wafers [...]

By |August 3rd, 2023|Categories: Application Notes-MTI, Brand-MTI, Industry-Semiconductor, Industry-Semiconductor-MTI, Whitepapers-MTI|Comments Off on The Cost of Failing to Inspect Semiconductor Wafers

Capacitance Sensors Facilitate 3D IC Construction

Capacitance Sensors Facilitate 3D IC Construction Semiconductor, Research & Development 3D IC Construction Distance, Positioning, Displacement Description [Application Note 70518] To boost device performance, today's semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers are building three-dimensional integrated circuits featuring vertically-stacked silicon wafers and dies. The rationale is simple. Exploiting the Z-axis avoids the power and footprint penalties associated with two-dimensional processes. Implementing the rationale, however, is not so simple. Going vertical requires coplanar surfaces to make contact with all pins, pads, and pillars. Problem Typically, manufacturers measure the angle and gap between two planes [...]

Thickness Gauge Measurement With Conductive Wafers and Thin Films

Thickness Gauge Measurement With Conductive Wafers and Thin Films Consumer Electronics Electronics Parts Profiling Thickness Description Using MTI's capacitive thickness gauge Proforma 300i with conductive wafers and thin films G = (a+b+t1+t2 ) Where G is the fixed gap between two probes When making the thickness measurement t2 can appear as t2 (film thickness) when it is a conductor, or 0 thickness when t2 is just air. So t2 will vary between the actual film thickness t2 if it's a conductor all the way down to 0 thickness if the [...]

Semiconductor Wafer Lapping and Displacement Measurement

Introduction This application note explains how MTI's Accumeasure technology was used with a lapping machine to measure displacement (wafer material removal) and determine the new semiconductor wafer thickness. Changes in electrical capacitance (displacement) were measured and then directly converted into a 24-bit digital reading to obtain precise digital thickness measurements. During lapping, a wafer of known start thickness is placed on a rotary lapping table. The backside of the wafer faces downward and toward a lapping surface that rotates and removes unwanted material. The amount of material that is removed varies by device type, and the entire semiconductor [...]

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