SemiAI Unveils AI Technology for Photo-Process Yield Optimization

SemiAI presented an artificial intelligence (AI) technology for improving photolithography process yield at SEMICON Korea 2026, the global semiconductor industry exhibition.

Vice President Junghoon Seo explained, "As extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is applied to advanced semiconductor manufacturing, process complexity has increased dramatically." He added, "Due to high metrology costs and productivity constraints, the industry samples only about 1% of all wafers, creating a structural limitation that makes it difficult to detect process anomalies early."

SemiAI introduced its "AI Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)" framework, which combines a collaborative structure between process engineers and AI. The technology uses a digital-twin-based virtual fab to generate process data, and AI analyzes the root causes of process anomalies.

Engineers verify defect causes based on the AI's analysis and make decisions to improve yield. According to the company, this enables full wafer-level analysis and process variation control.

The company stated that its "Causal-RAG" technology compares wafer defect patterns against historical process data, enabling rapid inference of process anomaly causes. SemiAI explained that this approach can shorten root-cause analysis time and support equipment and process optimization, contributing to higher semiconductor manufacturing efficiency.

"Conventional semiconductor process management has been a 'reactive' structure that responds after a process anomaly occurs," Seo emphasized. "The AI-HITL framework shifts to a 'proactive' operating model that predicts potential yield-degradation factors in advance and optimizes the process, making meaningful yield improvements achievable."

Meanwhile, SEMICON Korea 2026 is the largest semiconductor industry exhibition in Korea, hosted by the global semiconductor equipment and materials association SEMI. It is regarded as a leading annual event for tracking semiconductor technology trends and industry direction.