As the global semiconductor shortage drags on, computer chip manufacturers are looking for new ways to make, inspect and distribute these hot commodities. A group of engineering students at the University of Colorado Boulder wants to help, and has come up with a new way for these chip makers to inspect their products and ensure that they’re ready for sale, distribution and use.
The team of mechanical engineering students developed a device that improves the inspection process. The Department of Mechanical Engineering seniors built a silicon wafer center-finding improvement device for KLA, a semiconductor manufacturing company. The school says that its senior design team’s prototype uses two cameras to capture the circular wafer’s edge, plus computer software to calculate the radius and find the wafer’s center.
