Wafer-level automated visual inspection systems ensure the highest quality and reliability of semiconductor ICs and enable manufacturers to continuously improve yields. These systems employ precision optics and analog circuitry to identify the smallest defects during wafer fabrication. As lithographic dimensions continue to shrink with advances in the latest process nodes, manufacturers require the highest defect sensitivities.

This requirement places stress on the analog and mixed-signal circuitry in vision systems that require considerable noise filtering. As power needs increase, filters are becoming too large to be accommodated by these systems. A new approach to power delivery is required to keep pace with advances in semiconductor wafer fabrication.