- Achieved early detection of cause of defects in raw materials
through AI, becoming "first to overcome this challenge in the
industry"
- Applied to high-value semiconductor substrates, analyzing raw
material defects in only one minute
- Reduces defect analysis time by up to 90%
SEOUL,
South Korea, Oct. 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, LG Innotek (CEO Moon Hyuksoo) announced the development and
application of the industry's first "Artificial Intelligence
(AI)-based inspection system for incoming raw materials", designed
to detect defects at the point of receipt and prevent the use of
substandard raw materials in the process.
LG Innotek applied its AI-based inspection technology, developed
by combining material information and AI image processing
technologies, to the RF-SiP (Radio Frequency System-in-Package)
process. Recently, the technology was also introduced for the
FC-BGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array), and is expected to further
enhance the competitiveness and quality of LG Innotek's high-value
semiconductor substrate products.
Previously, incoming raw materials underwent only a visual
inspection before entering the production process. However, the
continued advancement of semiconductor substrate technology changed
this. Even after improving all in-process defect causes, failures
in reliability evaluations continued to rise. This led the quality
of incoming materials to gain attention as a decisive factor
affecting reliability evaluations.
The core raw materials (i.e. Prepreg (PPG), Ajinomoto Build-up
Film (ABF), and Copper-Clad Laminate (CCL)) that comprise
semiconductor substrates arrive as a mixture of glass fibers,
inorganic compounds, and other components. In the past, air voids
(gaps between particles) or foreign particles generated during the
material mixing process did not significantly impact product
performance. However, as substrate specifications, such as circuit
spacing, have become increasingly stringent, the presence of air
voids and foreign particles, depending on their size, has started
to cause defects.
As a result, it is virtually impossible to identify which part
of the raw material is responsible for the defect using traditional
visual inspection methods, which has become a significant challenge
for the industry.
If we were to compare one lot of raw materials mixture (unit of
raw materials with the same characteristics that goes into the
production process) to a batch of cookie dough, it is impossible
for the eye to perceive the concentration of salt or sugar in a
certain portion, the number of air holes in the dough, or the
number of foreign particles.
LG Innotek has found a way to overcome this industry challenge
with AI. Its "AI-based Inspection System for Incoming Raw
Materials" has been trained with tens of thousands of pieces of
data on the composition of materials that are either suitable or
unsuitable for a product. Based on this, it analyzes the components
and defective areas of semiconductor substrate raw materials in
only one minute, with an accuracy rate of over 90%, and visualizes
quality deviations in each lot of raw materials.
By using AI machine learning to visualize, quantify, and
standardize material configurations optimized for quality, LG
Innotek has been able to prevent defective raw materials from
entering the production process. The company can change the
material design based on the quality deviation information
visualized by the AI system, allowing it to ensure that the quality
of the raw materials lot is uniform at a suitable level before
entering the process.
An LG Innotek official commented, "With the "AI-based Inspection
System for Incoming Raw Materials", the time required to analyze
defects has been decreased by up to 90%, and the cost of resolving
the causes of defects has been significantly reduced."
LG Innotek plans to enhance the AI system's detection
capabilities by sharing raw materials-related data with customers
and suppliers in the substrate sector through digital
partnerships.
Additionally, the company aims to expand the system's
application to optical solutions, such as camera modules, where the
image-based detection of material defects can play a crucial
role.
LG Innotek CTO S.David Roh said,
"With the "AI-based inspection system", we will complete LG
Innotek's unique AI ecosystem, which delivers exceptional customer
value by identifying causes of product defects early in the
production process." He added, "We will continue innovating in
digital production technology to create top-quality products at the
lowest cost and in the shortest time."
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2312913/logo__LG_Innotek_Logo.jpg
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lg-innotek-becomes-industrys-first-to-use-ai-to-prevent-input-of-defective-raw-materials-in-production-302268554.html