TSMC's First-Prize STOP & FIX Project Is Successfully Introduced into Advanced Packaging Process, Creating an Accumulated NT$95 Million of Improvement Effect
Maintaining quality is the responsibility of all TSMC employees. In order to strengthen the Company's quality culture, improve employees' problem-solving abilities, and develop quality control systems, TSMC’s Quality and Reliability Organization held the "Total Quality Excellence & Innovation Conference", and encouraged quality innovation among employees to drive cross-function observation and learning with quality awareness posters, sharing of outstanding projects, cash bonuses, and public recognition.
New Concept of STOP & FIX Encourages Employees to Proactively Prevent Quality Risks
To encourage employees to take initiatives by themselves and prevent quality abnormalities and outdated operational regulations, TSMC has been promoting quality awareness on "STOP & FIX" since 2019. The concept of STOP & FIX was proposed in the "Total Quality Excellence & Innovation Conference", and has created a potential benefit of NT$2.8 billion in value from a total of over 5,500 projects, enhancing the Company’s culture of proactively detecting and correcting abnormalities.
TSMC has been promoting quality awareness on STOP & FIX since 2019. Through posters, education training and sharing of outstanding projects, the Company continues to improve the corporate culture of "proactively detecting and correcting abnormalities", and to encourage employees to find potential quality risks at work to further achieve the ultimate goal of preventing abnormalities.
Categories of Improvement Projects in 2019
First-Prize Project Optimizes the Array of Ejector Pins that Reduces Product Crack Rate to 0ppm
In 2019, the Advanced Packaging Operations Division discovered die quality abnormalities in a new product. We found out that the problem was caused by the array of ejector pins after investigations. Therefore, the Company proposed "The Project of Improving the Array of Ejector Pins to Improve Die Yield" to formulate the best model of stress and specification based on mechanics, and send feedback to the R&D team to use such an innovative method to produce high-quality new products. In 2020, the project was applied into TSMC’s advanced packaging process, including the 4th generation of InFO (Integrated Fan-Out) and CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) products.
Quality is a key element in TSMC's sustainable business development. The Company is uncompromising in the pursuit of quality. We have made great efforts in strengthening our corporate culture of quality to ensure all colleagues are on the same page. TSMC is devoted to improving the capabilities of its organizations and employees in realizing myriad product applications and supporting clients in winning markets and improving quality.
The Project of Improving the Array of Ejector Pins to Improve Die Yield (1) discovers new abnormalities and develops systems of testing and prevention, and (2) improves treatment procedures and increases effectiveness and timeliness. In 2019, the project won the first prize among all outstanding STOP & FIX projects in the Total Quality Excellence & Innovation Conference.
Detection and Correction of Abnormalities (STOP)
In the die bonding manufacturing process of new products, the Advanced Packaging Operations Division saw two consecutive dies abnormal in a vacuum. In addition to stopping the equipment for inspection, the division proactively examined the products and detected fine cracks that were considered the main cause of vacuum abnormalities. As a result, the division immediately conducted the comprehensive testing and completely ceased production for the products.
Analysis of Causes & Prevention (FIX)
Through cause analysis and testing, the Advanced Packaging Operations Division confirmed that the array of equipment ejector pins is in the same direction as the lattice in silicon wafers so that the residual stress caused cracks in products. The best configuration of ejector pins was found through stress simulation. The division continued to test the products to ensure that no more cracks were in the products, and the results were sent back to the R&D team for them to manage from the original source. As of July of 2020, the innovation has been applied into advanced packaging process technology, preventing wafers worth around NT$95 million from being scrapped in the stage of volume production.
The Project of Improving the Array of Ejector Pins to Improve Die Yield
