[Edaily Reporter SONG YOUNG-DOO ] As glass substrates—a key material for next-generation packaging—are gaining attention due to the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), specialized measurement equipment capable of performing non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) analysis of microscopic defects that determine production yield has been unveiled in Korea for the first time. Tomocube, Inc.’s strategy is to target the glass substrate inspection and measurement market by leveraging a platform that goes beyond simply detecting defects to trace the causes of defects and the manufacturing processes involved.
#Tomocube, Inc. announced on the 13th that it has officially launched the “HT-T1 Desktop (HT-T1D),” a desktop holotomography (HT) system specialized for glass substrate defect analysis.
With the rapid growth of the AI accelerator and HBM markets, glass-core substrates and glass interposers are emerging as key materials for next-generation semiconductor packaging. However, quickly identifying the causes of microscopic defects that occur during complex processes—such as laser processing, etching, metallization, and singulation—and stabilizing yield rates remain major challenges for the industry.
While existing Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) equipment is effective at detecting surface defects, it is difficult to determine exactly which process step the defect originated from or how the internal structure has been altered. In particular, since internal microcracks, bubbles, and delamination in glass substrates directly affect product reliability, the speed at which the cause of defects is identified is directly linked to productivity.
The HT-T1D, recently launched by Tomocube, Inc., is a system that uses the defect coordinates detected by AOI equipment to reconstruct the interior of the glass substrate as non-destructive 3D data, enabling precise analysis of the defect’s location, shape, and depth characteristics. It is designed to accelerate process improvements by supporting the analysis of the process stage where defects occur and their causes—information that is difficult to determine through surface inspection alone.
The key lies in visible-light-based holotomography technology. It can image the 3D refractive index distribution inside the glass with a precision of 10⁻⁴, and since it does not damage the sample, the same location can be measured repeatedly at each process stage. According to the company, this allows for tracking which process stage a defect was created or expanded in.
Tomocube, Inc. expects this technology to reduce the time required for defect root cause analysis—which previously took several days to several weeks due to reliance on destructive testing—to within minutes, enabling proactive process improvements before materials enter subsequent stages.
The 3D analysis software “TomoAnalysis MI (TAMI),” unveiled alongside the hardware, is another key differentiator. TAMI is inspection and measurement software that quantitatively analyzes 3D refractive index data and presents the results in report format. It supports the same data format as the “HT-T1M” inline equipment—which will be deployed on mass production lines through system integration (SI) partners—enabling a seamless workflow from research and development (R&D) through to mass production process reviews.
Park Yong-geun, CEO of Tomocube, Inc., stated, “While glass substrates are a core material for next-generation semiconductor packaging, mass production competitiveness depends on how quickly defects can be understood and translated into process improvements.” He added, “The HT-T1D will go beyond being a simple defect detection device to become a core measurement platform that identifies the root causes of defects and optimizes process conditions.”
He continued, “The same platform can also be applied to glass photonic integrated circuit substrates for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), where the refractive index itself determines device performance,” adding, “We plan to expand the scope of application beyond defect analysis to include functional measurement in the future.”
With this product launch, Tomocube, Inc. intends to accelerate its entry into the next-generation semiconductor packaging inspection and measurement market by expanding collaboration with glass substrate manufacturers, advanced packaging companies, and system integrators (SIs), while also broadening its portfolio to include in-line inspection equipment.
