Whole-wafer failure analysis (FA) solution for advanced packaging and increasing adoption of scia Mill 200 and scia Cluster 200 platforms underscore scia Systems' leadership in ion beam and plasma processing.

CHEMNITZ, Germany, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- scia Systems GmbH, the industry leader in advanced ion beam and plasma process equipment for the microelectronics, MEMS, and precision optics industries, today announced new capabilities supporting high-precision, high-throughput semiconductor device manufacturing and failure analysis (FA) on its industry-leading scia Mill series of ion beam etching (IBE) systems.

The company will showcase this innovative solution at SEMICON West 2025, taking place October 7-9 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. scia Systems executives will also highlight new developments and recent customer installations demonstrating growing global momentum for its thin-film processing solutions across key applications, including optics and photonics, advanced semiconductor packaging, and MEMS and sensors.

Advanced Whole-Wafer Failure Analysis for AI and Heterogeneous Integration

Supporting wafer substrates up to 300mm in diameter, the scia Mill series is optimized for whole-wafer delayering in FA workflows. The platform complements existing FA approaches, such as mechanical preparation, wet chemical etching, dry plasma etching, and focused ion beam (FIB) processing, each of which comes with trade-offs and is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Mechanical prep requires highly skilled operators and carries personnel cost, and FIB, while precise, has extremely high cost of ownership and low throughput.

IBE bridges these gaps by providing greater precision than mechanical prep, faster results than FIB, and compatibility across all materials. It can process semiconductors, metals, ceramics, and multilayer devices, all without causing structural damage to the material, which is a critical factor in applications where preserving device integrity is paramount.

In advanced packaging, multilayer devices with numerous ultra-thin layers must be delayered accurately. The scia Mill series combines IBE with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) endpoint detection to deliver precise control down to sub-nanometer layers. This is especially important for heterogeneous integration devices and components such as chiplets and photonic ICs (PICs), as well as large-area devices such as AI processors.

The adaptation of the scia Mill platform for FA was driven directly by customer demand. "We began receiving multiple inquiries from customers about whether our existing ion beam technology could be applied to large-area FA and advanced packaging workflows," said Marcel Demmler, Sales Director at scia Systems. "Our Eureka moment was realizing the proven precision and scalability of our systems could address an emerging need where existing approaches were too limited, too slow, or too expensive."

The scia Mill series opens up two new applications: large-area FA, which enables more efficient analysis of full wafers and large dies, and advanced packaging FA, where delayering complexity and precision requirements are rapidly increasing.

According to IMARC Group, the global failure analysis market is expected to reach USD 9.6 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 6.76 percent from 2025 to 2033. This growth is being fueled by the rapid adoption of advanced packaging, AI processors, and high-reliability electronics in the automotive, aerospace, and medical markets. With proven expertise in ion beam milling and multi-process FA workflows, scia Systems is uniquely positioned to meet this demand, offering solutions that combine speed, precision, and scalability for both R&D and production environments.

Expanding Adoption of scia Mill 200 and scia Cluster 200

In addition to its FA innovations, scia Systems will also showcase its scia Mill 200 and scia Cluster 200 platforms at SEMICON West, both of which are seeing increased adoption across research and production environments worldwide. INO, Canada's largest optics and photonics research institute, recently installed the scia Mill 200 for full-wafer etching of 3D optoelectronic microstructures, such as PIC waveguides, demonstrating the system's precision and scalability for advanced research. In addition, the scia Cluster 200 platform, designed as a modular, multi-chamber system that supports coating, etching, and cleaning processes based on advanced ion beam and plasma technologies, has gained traction at leading research institutions for advanced packaging workflows. Its adoption reflects the industry's recognition of scia Systems' ability to deliver comprehensive, multi-process solutions.

"These recent installations reflect the increasing reliance on scia Systems equipment for advanced R&D as well as production environments," said Michael Zeuner, CEO of scia Systems. "Our scia Cluster 200 enables us to co-create next-generation solutions through deepening collaborations with leading research institutes worldwide."

Visit scia Systems at SEMICON West

Attendees at SEMICON West interested in learning more about scia Systems' thin-film processing solutions for semiconductors, microelectronics, optoelectronics, and much more are encouraged to visit the German Pavilion at booth #1261-07.

About scia Systems GmbH

Founded in 2013, scia Systems is the technology leader in thin-film process equipment based on advanced ion beam and plasma technologies. The systems are used for coating, etching, and cleaning processes with nanometer accuracy and have been successfully implemented in various high-tech industries worldwide, including microelectronics, MEMS, and precision optics industries. For more information, visit the company's website at https://www.scia-systems.com.

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