Joshua Yoo, President, Core Insight, Inc.

In 2025, semiconductor industry will continue to polarize for its investment and increasing capacity in AI related business sector versus other legacy device and applications. We see obvious business declined of overall legacy device sectors in 2024 and AI related sectors still growing fast and widely. Not only AI related sectors but also many semiconductor companies facing much less impedance of IO pins for fast operating speed of devices applications.

Starting with AI related devices such as Graphic Process Unit (GPU) has accelerated operating speed for large language model (LLM) training finish faster through advanced package device such as 2.5d or 3d heterogenous integration which have less impedance of IO pins. Thus, most of AI related devices became very sensitive against ESD which is especially charge device model (CDM) in automated manufacturing processes.

Conventional or legacy device ESD control in factory are well controlled by ANSI/ESD S20.20 standard control program which is 100 volts of human body model (HBM) and 200 volts of charge device model (CDM). This shows obvious technical gap for AI related device sensitivity below or around 50 volts level and industry guideline designed only 200 volts levels which means most semiconductor backend and PCB assembly sites are not ready to handle such as sensitive devices.

This becoming a huge issue who involved this business sectors and see a lot of problems. One of major issue is Automated handling equipment (AHE) that has not enough good design their tools for ESD control for very low sensitive devices.

Automated handling equipment (AHE) also has internal EMI noise source such servo motors and this creating conducted ground noise issue for sensitive devices. Conventional grounding/bonding system only effective low frequency range below 400Hz. Any noise beyond few kH or MHz ranges becoming new threat for such a sensitive device handling and better yield.

Now, it's time to change for better product with better yield and less damage. It is very important to design and simulation the risk of device and automated handling equipment.

Reference Document:
1. Joshua Yoo, "ESD Risk Analysis using Pulsed AC Ionization Technology", 2018 EOS/ESD Manufacturing Symposium, Munich, Germany
2. Joshua Yoo, "CPM Limitation Study for AC, Pulsed AC and High Frequency AC Ionizers vs. DC based Ionizers", 2019 EOS/ESD Symposium, Riverside, CA, US
3. White Paper 2, "A Case for Lowering Component-level CDM ESD Specifications and Requirements", May 2021, ESD Industry Council