FLANDERS, NJ—Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a provider of process characterization equipment and software for the microelectronics and solar manufacturing industries, has expanded into the LED (light emitting diode) market.
The company has shipped its Explorer Automated Macro Defect Inspection System and Discover Enterprise Data Analysis Software to a leading world-wide producer of LEDs. In addition, says the company, a U.S.-based market leader in LEDs has placed new orders for Rudolph’s ProcessWORKS and ARTIST process control software, along with repeat orders for AutoShell factory automation software.
“Rudolph offers a suite of inspection, metrology and data analysis technologies that help high-volume LED makers better understand the causes of defects and yield loss in their front and back-end processes, ultimately lowering manufacturing costs and enhancing the performance and reliability of their products,” said Ardy Johnson, Rudolph’s marketing vice president. “As the LED industry enters what promises to be a period of rapid expansion, rising costs and increased competition are driving a focus on yield management. This is similar to developments we have seen in semiconductor manufacturing, where the effort to maximize yield has been in place for many years.”
Newer, high brightness (HB) LEDs deliver higher performance, but require tighter control of variability and defectivity in the front-end processes, where the LED itself is formed, to ensure process yield and consistent performance of these high-output devices. Johnson added, “Understanding and improving front-end processes is critical to achieving the performance and reliability required, while maintaining manufacturing costs that allow LED manufacturers to succeed in a very competitive industry.”
Source: www.rudolphtech.com