Cost analysis of lithographic characterization: an overview

Abstract

The traditional cost of ownership approach used in the semiconductor industry answers the question `How much does processing a test wafer increase the cost of product?' However, this approach does not directly answer the question `How much does it cost to process a test wafer?' A simple new cost of ownership model which answers this question, the Opportunity Cost Model (OCM), has been developed and is presented here. Background information on the OCM, the determination of opportunity costs, and the extra costs associated with test wafers are analyzed. Also, in an effort to quantify the costs associated with test wafer processing, a comparison of modeling and test wafer processing is presented.