Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. today announced the launch of the Thermo Scientific Vulcan Automated Lab, a groundbreaking solution designed to drive a new era of process development and control in semiconductor manufacturing. The seamlessly integrated system is designed to enhance productivity, increase yield and reduce operating costs for semiconductor manufacturers.
The rapid evolution and miniaturization of semiconductor technology is leading to unprecedented demand for atomic-scale transmission electron microscopy (TEM) metrology data. Manufacturers now face the challenge of scaling laboratory operations quickly, while maintaining high efficiency and productivity to meet the growing global need for semiconductors that power everything from consumer electronics to autonomous vehicles.
“The increasing complexity of digital technologies, which requires more sophisticated semiconductors, provides us with an incredible opportunity to enable the success of our semiconductor customers through advanced imaging analysis technology,” said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher. “By leveraging our deep expertise in electron microscopy and auxiliary instruments with artificial intelligence capabilities, our new solution is well-positioned to help semiconductor manufacturers drive efficiencies in their operations.”
Drawing on decades of electron microscopy (EM) innovation, the Thermo Scientific Vulcan Automated Lab represents a step change in atomic-scale data acquisition by integrating robotic handling with artificial intelligence-enhanced instruments for semiconductor analysis. This enables consistent and efficient standards for TEM metrology workflows, while delivering high-volume data of exceptional quality and reducing operator burden.
The solution has also been designed to help address the time-to-data gap resulting from traditional TEM analysis methods. By streamlining metrology data collection using a combination of materials handling automation and data connectivity, the Thermo Scientific Vulcan Automated Lab accelerates the data collection process and creates an integrated workflow between the semiconductor lab and the fabrication facility.
