Inspection cells
Fuse inline, e-beam and SEM, disposition killer against nuisance, hold reticle and pattern excursions inline. Metric: review load, excursion catch rate and scrap against the baseline.
Scaniraagent.defect_inspect
Solutions
Start where the excursions are.
Every fab already measures yield, excursions, scrapped lots, metrology sampling, defect-review hours and cycle time. Waferira lands on one of those numbers, on one module, IP-isolated, with a baseline agreed in writing, and expands when it moves.
Illustrative scenario: Module M2 · 300 mm · metal-1 · lot L-48213, one lot through metal-1, one approval gate
By outcome
Six wedges, each with a metric the fab already has
The first paid pilot targets one of these. The metric column is what the pilot would be judged on.
Litho cells
Predict overlay and CD response per scanner and layer and write correctables inside the qualified window, grounded by virtual metrology. Metric: overlay and CD capability and lot scrap at litho.
Litheraagent.litho_overlay
Etch and deposition modules
Score every wafer from FDC, catch uniformity drift before physical metrology, trim pressure, RF and time inside window. Metric: excursions caught before metrology and sampling reduced.
Vmetraagent.etch_depo
CMP modules
Hold removal rate, dishing and erosion from platen telemetry and virtual thickness. Metric: post-CMP thickness variance and rework against the baseline.
Vmetraagent.cmp_implant
Whole fab
Re-optimise dispatch under reticle, chamber and qualification constraints, weighted by yield risk, validated on the twin. Metric: cycle time and on-time delivery in one area.
Dispiraagent.yield_dispatch
New fabs, new nodes
Simulate the recipe change or ramp plan on the as-run twin before lots run; discard candidates that breach the window. Metric: scrap and cycle time on the ramp.
Fabtwintwin.fabtwin
Where it pays
Four loops, four metrics
Waferira is not a dashboard. Each agent closes a loop a fab already measures in yield points, excursions, scrapped lots, review hours and cycle time. The tables show what each loop watches and what it is allowed to move.
Overlay and CD
Correct the scanner before the residual reaches the limit
Overlay residuals and CD drift are predicted per scanner, reticle and layer from metrology and inline defect signals. When the trend heads for the control limit the agent updates correctables and focus-dose inside the qualified window instead of waiting for a rework lot.
- Overlay, CD and focus-exposure response modelled per scanner and layer
- Computational-litho context so a correctable move is mask-aware
- Every correctable and its later yield written into the training set
agent.litho_overlay SUCCEEDED
| Signal | Watches | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay residual | Predicted per field from metrology trend | Per-field correctables |
| CD | Virtual and sampled metrology | Dose trim inside window |
| Focus | Focus-exposure matrix drift | Focus offset or hold |
Unmeasured wafers
Measure every wafer, virtually
Physical metrology is sampled, so most wafers go unmeasured while uniformity drifts. Vmetra predicts the measurement from tool-sensor and FDC signatures on every wafer, routes the uncertain ones to the metrology tool and hands corrected recipes to the process agents.
- Virtual thickness, uniformity and removal rate on every wafer
- Sampling plan driven by predicted variance, not a fixed rate
- Run-to-run APC fed on every lot-step rather than every sampled one
agent.metrology_vm SUCCEEDED
| Signal | Watches | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Film thickness | Predicted from FDC per wafer | Deposition time and rate trims via Etch-and-Depo |
| Uniformity | Predicted edge-to-centre profile | Pressure and RF trims inside window |
| Removal rate | Predicted from platen telemetry | Downforce and platen trims via CMP-and-Implant |
Killer or nuisance
Disposition the defect before the engineer opens the image
Inspection tools produce more images than any review team can look at. Scanira fuses optical, e-beam and SEM at the tool edge, classifies each event, auto-dispositions nuisance against killer, and raises a hold on a reticle or pattern excursion while the lot is still in the module.
- Optical, e-beam and SEM fused into one classification
- Reticle repeater and pattern excursion detection with inline holds
- Rare defect classes augmented synthetically and validated against real distributions
agent.defect_inspect SUCCEEDED
| Signal | Watches | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Defect events | Classified and dispositioned in real time | Hold recommendation, signal to control agents |
| Reticle repeaters | Same field position across dies | Reticle inspection hold via approval |
| Particle excursions | Tool and step correlation | Signal to Clean-and-Diffuse and dispatch |
Cycle time
Rehearse the dispatch, then move the lot
Dispatch runs on rules and WIP bubbles anyway. Dispira re-optimises the dispatch list every few minutes under reticle, chamber and qualification constraints, weighted by live yield risk, and the fab twin checks the plan for cycle-time and yield effect before the AMHS moves a carrier.
- Constrained optimisation across the whole WIP, not one bay
- Hot lots and yield-risk lots weighted explicitly
- Dispatch plan validated on the twin before commit
twin.fabtwin SUCCEEDED
| Signal | Watches | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| WIP by step | Live from MES | Dispatch list to qualified chambers |
| Reticle and chamber state | Tool and qualification status | Routing within constraints |
| Predicted cycle time | Twin simulation of the plan | Plan accepted or re-optimised |
Segments
Where fabs start
Logic and foundry, memory, analog and mixed-signal, specialty and compound semiconductor, and new fabs ramping a node. Most fabs pick one module and one wedge, prove the number, then expand.
Advanced logic and foundryLitho-bound, overlay and CD
Advanced logic and foundry
Sub-3 nm, gate-all-around and backside-power nodes where overlay and CD budgets decide yield. Lithera and Vmetra on the litho and etch modules first.
Memory: DRAM, NAND, HBMHigh-volume, 3D complexity
Memory: DRAM, NAND, HBM
High-aspect-ratio etch and deposition uniformity and CMP planarisation on long flows. Vmetra and Scanira where excursions are most expensive.
Analog and mixed-signalMature nodes, long tails
Analog and mixed-signal
Many products, many recipes, few engineers per tool. Virtual metrology and defect disposition to cover more wafers with the same team.
Specialty and compound semiconductorDifferent materials, same loop
Specialty and compound semiconductor
SiC, GaN and photonics fabs with their own defect and uniformity physics. Scanira and Vmetra models trained per process family.
New fabs and node rampsBlind commitments
New fabs and node ramps
Reshored and greenfield capacity ramping under schedule pressure. Fabtwin de-risks the ramp before lots run.
Run timeline · scenario
One scenario run, step by step
Every Waferira run is an ordered, inspectable sequence. This is run_7b2e9c on Module M2 · 300 mm · metal-1 · lot L-48213. Scenario completes in 10 steps with one approval gate. Overlay and CD predicted inside spec, one reticle-repeater signature caught and held for review, dispatch re-optimised, lot released with full genealogy.
run_7b2e9c
Module M2 · 300 mm · metal-1 · lot L-48213
illustrative scenario
SUCCEEDED
-
01
ingest.lot
SUCCEEDED
0.7 s
Fab Orchestrator · Pulled lot L-48213 from fab MES: 25 wafers, 300 mm, metal-1 layer, route, reticle, overlay and CD spec and the standing cycle-time target. Locked the target envelope for the run.
-
02
twin.simulate
SUCCEEDED
38 s
Fab Twin · Simulated 64 candidate correctable, recipe and dispatch sets on the as-run fab twin and ranked them on predicted overlay residual, CD uniformity, excursion risk and cycle time.
-
03
litho.correctables
SUCCEEDED
1 m 20 s
Litho-and-Overlay · Per-field overlay correctables and a focus-dose trim written to scanner SCN-07 over SECS/GEM after the previous lot's residual trended toward the control limit. Predicted overlay residual back inside spec.
-
04
etch.uniformity
SUCCEEDED
58 s
Etch-and-Depo · Chamber B on etcher ETCH-12 showed an edge-fast uniformity drift in FDC. Pressure and RF trims written within the qualified recipe window; predicted CD uniformity recovered.
-
05
cmp.removal
SUCCEEDED
46 s
CMP-and-Implant · Downforce and platen-speed trim on CMP-03 against the virtual removal-rate estimate to hold post-CMP thickness and dishing inside the window.
-
06
inspect.classify
SUCCEEDED
continuous
Defect-and-Inspect · Inline optical, e-beam review and SEM imagery fused at the tool edge. 1,412 events classified, most dispositioned nuisance; one reticle-repeater signature on three dies flagged for review.
-
07
vm.score
SUCCEEDED
2.1 s
Metrology-and-Virtual · Virtual metrology scored every wafer at post-etch and post-CMP from tool-sensor and FDC signatures. Two wafers routed to physical metrology on predicted variance; the rest sampled at plan.
-
08
approve.human
APPROVAL
1 m 04 s
Fab Orchestrator · The reticle-repeater signature called for a reticle inspection hold and a recipe move outside the qualified window. Held for the module process engineer and approved at 03:14:27.
-
09
dispatch.route
SUCCEEDED
4.3 s
Yield-and-Dispatch · Dispatch re-optimised across 1,840 lots in WIP under reticle, chamber and qualification constraints. The lot routed to the qualified chamber with the shortest predicted queue; AMHS move issued to the stocker.
-
10
lot.release
SUCCEEDED
1 m 05 s
Quality-and-Conformance · Lot L-48213 moved on: genealogy written (recipe moves, correctables, FDC signatures, VM scores, defect map, approvals) and checked against the layer spec.
Who it is for
Built for the people who run the fab
We have no customer quotes to show yet and will not invent any. These are the three roles in a fab we build for, and the problems they bring to the first meeting.
Owns yield, throughput, cycle time, excursion response and cost per wafer.
What this person is dealing with today
- Reactive process control that lets overlay, uniformity and CMP excursions destroy yield
- Multi-million-dollar lot scrap from undetected excursions
- A severe, scarce process and yield engineering shortage that caps the ramp
Owns litho, etch, deposition, CMP and implant recipes, process windows and APC.
What this person is dealing with today
- APC, defect, metrology and MES siloed and reactive across the fab
- Correctables that lag because metrology is sampled
- Rule-based dispatch and WIP management that inflate cycle time
Owns defect classification, metrology, virtual metrology, yield analytics and wafer and lot genealogy.
What this person is dealing with today
- Manual, engineer-bound defect classification and SEM review drowning in data
- Metrology bottlenecks and sampling gaps that miss yield-limiting excursions
- Genealogy stitched by hand across tool, metrology and MES data
Autonomy
Four levels, set per agent and per tool
A fab does not go from manual APC to unattended control in one step. Waferira makes the level explicit, auditable and reversible at any time. The first release runs shadow mode, then assist mode, then graduated autonomy for low-risk APC, defect and metrology loops.
| Level | What the agent does | What the human does | Where it sits in a pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 · Advisory | Recommends recipe moves, dispositions and dispatch, with citations | Enters every change manually | Shadow mode, first on the design-partner cell |
| L2 · Supervised | Proposes a recipe write or hold; it executes on approval | Approves each move in the review console | Assist mode, where accuracy and ROI are proven |
| L3 · Bounded | Writes inside the qualified recipe window, tool-state checks and OCAP linkage | Approves holds, out-of-window moves and lot release | Graduated autonomy for low-risk APC, defect and metrology loops |
| L4 · Qualified loops | Runs a qualified loop without prompting, inside its envelope | Sets the envelope; reviews the shift record | Planned; reserved for loops the fab has qualified |
Pricing
Priced per module, per fab, per group
Land on one workflow with a measured baseline. Expand by module, tool fleet, fab and autonomy level. Outcome components are available on yield-point value, excursions and cycle time. Annual prepay carries a 15 to 20% discount.
APC, defect or virtual-metrology AI for one module: litho, etch, deposition or CMP. For fabs validating ROI on the wedge, IP-isolated from day one.
- One module or tool fleet, one agent
- Fab-edge inference node included
- SECS/GEM, APC, inspection and metrology connectors
- Run log, IP-isolated audit trail, lot genealogy
- Business-hours support
The whole loop: litho and overlay, etch and deposition, CMP and implant, clean and diffuse, defect, metrology and virtual, yield and dispatch, AMHS and the fab twin.
- All process agents on every module
- Scanira defect autonomy across inspection
- Vmetra virtual metrology and APC fab-wide
- Dispira yield-weighted dispatch and AMHS
- Fabtwin as-run twin gating every action
- 24/7 support, quarterly model review
Multi-fab IDMs and foundries standardising on Waferira, with custom process, device and yield models and a managed fab-edge fleet.
- Multi-fab fleet management
- Custom process, device and yield models
- Fab-edge fleet with on-prem control plane
- Group autonomy policy and approval chains
- SLAs, SSO and RBAC, dedicated engineer
FAQ
Straight answers
The questions fab directors and process engineers ask in the first meeting.
Yes, over SECS/GEM, but only inside the qualified recipe window for that tool, with per-parameter limits and tool-state checks, and only at the autonomy level your fab has set. Level 1 is advisory: Waferira recommends and an engineer enters everything. Design partners start there, in shadow mode.
The tool stays on its own controller and its last qualified recipe. Waferira is a supervisory layer on top of the APC, inspection, metrology and MES systems you already run, never a replacement for them, so an outage leaves the module running the way it runs today.
No. Inference and feature storage stay at the fab edge, recipes, device designs, defect libraries and process memory are isolated per tenant, and an on-prem control plane is available for IP-sensitive fabs. Any cross-fab learning is planned, contract-gated and privacy-preserving, and none of it moves recipes or designs.
Advisory recommendations start from the existing APC, metrology and ADC data on the wedge module. Defect classification, virtual metrology and excursion prediction improve as labelled events and lot outcomes accumulate per process family. Rare excursions are augmented synthetically only after validation against real distributions.
You are, the same as with any APC strategy, which is why every write is policy-checked, bounded to the qualified window, logged and reversible, and why holds, out-of-window moves and lot release wait for a named approver with the OCAP linked.
A paid pilot on one process module or tool fleet, scoped to one wedge workflow with a baseline agreed in writing. Shadow mode first, observing and measuring the baseline. Then assist mode, where the agent recommends and your engineer approves and accuracy and ROI are measured. Then bounded autonomy for low-risk APC, defect or metrology loops if the fab is satisfied.
Get started
Name the module where excursions cost the most
Start with one process module or tool fleet and one measurable baseline. A paid, IP-isolated pilot on defect classification, virtual-metrology-driven overlay and CD control or uniformity APC shows the number before you commit further.