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LG Innotek intros industry-first AI-powered raw materials analysis system

AI sorting raw materials (Image source: Generated using DALL·E 3)
AI sorting raw materials (Image source: Generated using DALL·E 3)
LG Innotek is now the first player in the industry to employ an AI-based inspection system for the raw materials being used in high-value semiconductor substrates. The technology combines material information and AI-powered image processing, applying this pair to the Radio Frequency System-in-Package process.

The drive to optimize industrial processes with the help of robots and AI continues, and this time it's about LG Innotek and the inspection of incoming raw materials. The area where AI comes into play is the detection of defects on receipt to prevent the use of non-compliant raw materials in high-value semiconductor substrates. According to CEO Moon Hyuksoo, LG Innotek is the first company in the industry to use such a raw material inspection technology.

According to the official press release, the use of AI allows LG Innotek to analyze raw material defects in just one minute, reducing defect analysis time by up to 90%. The same source reveals that the new technology brings together material information and AI-driven image processing to the Radio Frequency System-in-Package (RF-SiP) process. The technology is also being used for the Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA).

In the past, incoming raw materials were subjected to a visual inspection before being used in production. Sadly, the advances of semiconductor substrate technology led to the need for a better method of choosing raw materials up to the new requirements. Now, AI can help LG Innotek match the raw material inspection with the requirements of next-gen semiconductors. The final result is, according to LG Innotek CTO S. David Roh, the ability "to create top-quality products at the lowest cost and in the shortest time" while remaining competitive in a tough market.

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Source(s)

LG Innotek Becomes Industry's First to Use AI to Prevent Input of Defective Raw Materials in Production

  • Achieved early detection of cause of defects in raw materials through AI, becoming "first to overcome this challenge in the industry"
  • Applied to high-value semiconductor substrates, analyzing raw material defects in only one minute
  • Reduces defect analysis time by up to 90%

SEOUL, South KoreaOct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, LG Innotek (CEO Moon Hyuksoo) announced the development and application of the industry's first "Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based inspection system for incoming raw materials", designed to detect defects at the point of receipt and prevent the use of substandard raw materials in the process.

LG Innotek applied its AI-based inspection technology, developed by combining material information and AI image processing technologies, to the RF-SiP (Radio Frequency System-in-Package) process. Recently, the technology was also introduced for the FC-BGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array), and is expected to further enhance the competitiveness and quality of LG Innotek's high-value semiconductor substrate products.

Previously, incoming raw materials underwent only a visual inspection before entering the production process. However, the continued advancement of semiconductor substrate technology changed this. Even after improving all in-process defect causes, failures in reliability evaluations continued to rise. This led the quality of incoming materials to gain attention as a decisive factor affecting reliability evaluations. 

The core raw materials (i.e. Prepreg (PPG), Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), and Copper-Clad Laminate (CCL)) that comprise semiconductor substrates arrive as a mixture of glass fibers, inorganic compounds, and other components. In the past, air voids (gaps between particles) or foreign particles generated during the material mixing process did not significantly impact product performance. However, as substrate specifications, such as circuit spacing, have become increasingly stringent, the presence of air voids and foreign particles, depending on their size, has started to cause defects.

As a result, it is virtually impossible to identify which part of the raw material is responsible for the defect using traditional visual inspection methods, which has become a significant challenge for the industry.

If we were to compare one lot of raw materials mixture (unit of raw materials with the same characteristics that goes into the production process) to a batch of cookie dough, it is impossible for the eye to perceive the concentration of salt or sugar in a certain portion, the number of air holes in the dough, or the number of foreign particles.

LG Innotek has found a way to overcome this industry challenge with AI. Its "AI-based Inspection System for Incoming Raw Materials" has been trained with tens of thousands of pieces of data on the composition of materials that are either suitable or unsuitable for a product. Based on this, it analyzes the components and defective areas of semiconductor substrate raw materials in only one minute, with an accuracy rate of over 90%, and visualizes quality deviations in each lot of raw materials.

By using AI machine learning to visualize, quantify, and standardize material configurations optimized for quality, LG Innotek has been able to prevent defective raw materials from entering the production process. The company can change the material design based on the quality deviation information visualized by the AI system, allowing it to ensure that the quality of the raw materials lot is uniform at a suitable level before entering the process.

An LG Innotek official commented, "With the "AI-based Inspection System for Incoming Raw Materials", the time required to analyze defects has been decreased by up to 90%, and the cost of resolving the causes of defects has been significantly reduced."

LG Innotek plans to enhance the AI system's detection capabilities by sharing raw materials-related data with customers and suppliers in the substrate sector through digital partnerships.

Additionally, the company aims to expand the system's application to optical solutions, such as camera modules, where the image-based detection of material defects can play a crucial role.

LG Innotek CTO S.David Roh said, "With the "AI-based inspection system", we will complete LG Innotek's unique AI ecosystem, which delivers exceptional customer value by identifying causes of product defects early in the production process." He added, "We will continue innovating in digital production technology to create top-quality products at the lowest cost and in the shortest time."

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 10 > LG Innotek intros industry-first AI-powered raw materials analysis system
Codrut Nistor, 2024-10- 7 (Update: 2024-10- 7)