Merit Sensors selects Rudolph for defect inspection
The automated inspection system will assure the quality of pressure sensors which are manufactured on silicon substrates. The pressure sensors are used in critical medical applications
Rudolph Technologies, a provider of process characterisation equipment and software for the semiconductor and related industries, has sold an NSX Series macro defect inspection system to Merit Sensor Systems.
Merit Sensor Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merit Medical Systems, a manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable devices used primarily in cardiology, radiology and endoscopy.
The company will use the tool to inspect its pressure sensors that are used in a wide variety of applications including medical devices such as a balloon inflation device, which expands balloon catheters during angioplasty procedures.
"Quality assurance is an absolute requirement in these products because they are used in such critical applications," says Scott Sidwell, engineering manager, Merit Sensor Systems. "The NSX automated inspection system allows us to inspect 100 percent of the sensors with high confidence that we will detect any and all significant defects."
He also adds, "We expect this new inspection tool to provide substantial improvements in speed, reliability and repeatability over the inspection system it is replacing. We have been particularly pleased by Rudolph's willingness and ability to respond to our technical requirements during the competitive evaluation that led to our selection of the NSX system."
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to widen arteries that have been narrowed by the accumulation of plaque. A collapsed balloon on a catheter is inserted into the narrowed section of the artery and carefully inflated to pressures 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure, mechanically expanding the plaque and surrounding arterial muscle layers.
The balloon is then deflated and removed. A stent may or may not be inserted to help maintain the expanded luminal passage. Precise monitoring of the pressure in the balloon is critical to the success of the procedure.
The pressure sensors are manufactured in batches on silicon substrates, and subsequently sawed into individual sensors. The NSX can inspect wafers at any stage of the fabrication process, both before and after sawing; 100 percent inspection is commonly required in critical applications such as medical devices and automotive systems.
Rudolph says the NSX Series, preferred by manufacturers for automotive, medical and related applications where 100 percent inspection is normally required, can deliver fast, repeatable macro defect inspection throughout the device manufacturing process.
Macro defects (defects 0.5µm and larger) can be created during wafer manufacturing, probing, bumping, dicing, or by general handling, and can have a major impact on the quality of a microelectronic device. The NSX detects yield-inhibiting defects, providing quality assurance and valuable process information.
