Onto Innovation Inc. announced Onto Innovation?s glass substrate suite featuring the JetStep® X500 panel-level packaging lithography system with hybrid substrate handling capabilities and the Firefly® G3 sub-micron automatic metrology and inspection system for panel-level packaging and advanced IC substrates (AICS). The JetStep X500 and Firefly G3 systems offer customers a complete panel-level packaging solution supporting heterogeneous integration (HI) chiplet packages for AI, high performance compute and cloud computing. The AICS market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 10% from 2023 to 2028, according to Prismark.

The AICS HI roadmap is rapidly approaching several new demarcation points, including the challenges for organic substrate redistribution layers (RDLs) using copper clad laminate (CCL) below 3µm. These challenges are prompting manufacturers to adopt more stable substrates such as glass. The necessity for manufacturers to handle both large glass core panels as well as the existing mature CCL based organic substrates opens new market opportunities for lithography tools capable of handling both substrate types. In addition to evolving lithographic requirements, the production of glass substrates generates several significant process control challenges attributed to cracks and chips and as a result of handling, through glass via (TGV) formation and the Cu plating process.

Customers require 3D metrology solutions focused on TGVs, such as the need to measure via-to-via distance and via diameter for top, waist and bottom. Using a combination of different illumination techniques, including Onto?s patented Clearfield® technology, the Firefly G3 system has emerged as a successful inspection tool for organic panels. By applying these same techniques to glass panels, Onto expands upon the Firefly G3 system?s previous success by delivering a uniquely designed inspection solution for bare and patterned glass substrates.

Capable of identifying cracks and chips, the Firefly G3 system also can perform TGV metrology for vias, including finding the X and Y displacements of TGVs from their nominal positions in a matter of minutes. The system also can inspect for defects like dimples, which are formed during etching. Using the Firefly G3 system and its unique 3D metrology sensors for dielectric thickness measurements, customers are enabled to achieve proper copper plating height uniformity for RDLs.