Description
Magnetoresistive technologies, such as Tunneling Magnetoresistance, are essential in modern sensing due to their high sensitivity and low power consuption. However, these sensors face performance variability and higher production costs compared to traditional Hall sensors, primarily due to manufacturing-induced non-uniformities across the wafer. This project, conducted at INESC-MN, details the development of two specialized process control tools, Heimdall and Brokk, designed to predict and monitor these variations early in the fabrication process.
Heimdall is a C++ command-line interface created to monitor in-line deposition parameters. It analyzes operational logs from Nordiko deposition systems to evaluate process stability, track target usage, and identify anomalies or trends that could lead to device failure.
Brokk is a Python-based graphical user interface developed to visualize spatial non-uniformities across a wafer using resistivity mapping and profilometry data. A key feature of Brokk is its ability to simulate and predict TMR sensor transfer curves at any point on the wafer before full fabrication is complete.
Together, these tools establish a framework for wafer-level performance prediction and early fault detection. By identifying problematic wafers early, this framework contributes to improved yield, resource preservation, and increased manufacturing efficiency for TMR sensors.
| Field of Research/Work | Beyond Physics |
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