Yield optimization built for the fab floor.
From KLARF ingest to ranked evidence package in one correlation pass. Wafercadence connects your in-line inspection data, FDC event stream, and SPC Cpk charts — cross-correlating defect coordinates, chamber ID, recipe version, and process layer to give your yield team a disposition recommendation before the next lot enters the affected module.
Three pain points every fab yield team shares.
4-day post-mortem cycle
By the time the engineering post-mortem identifies the excursion source, 40 additional wafer starts have entered the affected process module. The cost is compounding, not static.
Manual KLARF file sorting across tools
Yield engineers spend hours per excursion manually sorting KLARF output files, cross-referencing lot traveler data, and building equipment attribution by hand in spreadsheets.
SPC and FDC living in disconnected systems
Cpk degradation visible in SPC and the coincident FDC event sit in separate databases with separate access paths. Correlation happens in an engineer's head, not automatically.
What Wafercadence gives fab yield teams.
In-line vs End-of-line Correlation
Match in-line defect maps to WAT probe results. Quantify the kill ratio between inspection-detected particles and device failures at sort.
D0 Trend & Kill Ratio
Track defect density over lot sequence. Detect systematic D0 excursions early and quantify their yield impact before the lot reaches the furnace diffusion step.
Cpk/Ppk Live Computation
Bidirectional SPC integration reads current Cpk and writes corrective action signals back to APC. EWMA filter reduces noise on short-run process steps.
Spatial Pattern Detection
Edge ring, center spot, arc, scratch — classified at D0 counts too low for conventional SPC rule violation. Systematic vs random classification included.
Chamber Matching Qualification
Signature analysis across chamber ID, slot position, and recipe version. Auto-generates golden chamber requalification package when outlier chamber is identified.
Excursion Containment Workflow
When an excursion is detected, Wafercadence automatically flags all lots processed on the affected equipment in the lookback window and generates a disposition recommendation.
From KLARF file to disposition package.
Inspection Ingest
KLARF, IBIS, optical scanner output arrive via SECS/GEM or file-drop connector. No change control required. Parsing in under 10 seconds.
Layer Attribution
Defect coordinates are mapped to process layer using the wafer's lot traveler history. Layer of origin probability scored per defect cluster.
Equipment Correlation
Chamber ID, slot position, recipe version, and maintenance log timestamps cross-correlated. Commonality score computed for each candidate tool.
Disposition Package
Ranked evidence package delivered to yield engineer: spatial pattern classification, attributed chamber, lot quarantine list, and recommended action.
Works with your existing inspection and MES stack.
No rip-and-replace. Wafercadence reads from your existing data sources without disrupting qualified processes. We are not a replacement for your SPC system, your FDC server, or your MES — we are a correlation layer that connects them.
| Category | Supported Formats / Systems | Connection Method | Change Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| KLA-class Inspection | KLARF 1.0, KLARF 1.8, KLARF 2.0 | File drop, SECS/GEM stream | Not required |
| ASML HMI-class | IBIS standard, HMI CSV export | Shared file path, SECS-II/HSMS | Not required |
| SPC Systems | Spotfire, JMP, in-house SPC servers | Database query, REST hook | Site-dependent |
| FDC Systems | Applied Materials FDC, third-party FDC servers | e-Diagnostics, direct DB | Site-dependent |
| MES (Workstream) | Workstream 4.x / 5.x | GEM300, REST API | Not required |
| MES (Camstar) | Camstar 6.x / 7.x | SECS-II/HSMS, OData | Site-dependent |
| Synopsys Yield Explorer | Exensio-compatible data schema | Shared schema mapping | Not required |
Ready to compress your root-cause window?
Schedule a technical evaluation with our yield engineering team. Bring your KLARF files — we'll show you what Wafercadence finds in 30 minutes.