SAMTEC has launched the first 300 mm auto wafer Scanning Acoustic Microscope (SAM) and continued the announced development roadmap for fully automated production tools.

The system operates using a 300 mm robot including an end effector, vacuum wafer chuck and pre-aligner. Two cassette load stations can handle up to 25 12 inch wafers per cassette.

The system provides via SECS software a permanent handshake to the fab host and works totally automated. An integrated and application specific automated defect review software locates defects down to 5 µm and summarises the results in a wafer map file depending on customer requirements. Two air stream drying stations are available for sample handling after SAM inspection. GEM / SECS communication is available.

The system was developed based on the successful platform of EVOLUTION II acoustic microscopes and supports transducers up to 230 MHz for automated fab inspection.