Metals & Semiconductors

Metals and Metal Products Testing

The malleability, ductility, strength, and temperature performance of metals makes them suitable for structural and load-bearing applications. Researchers are working to create metals, alloys, and composites that are strong, light, long-lasting, and corrosion-resistant. All ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys are tested for their mechanical properties, chemical composition, and metallographic properties. Other tests such as precision dimensional monitoring, nondestructive testing, fatigue testing, S-N curve, corrosion resistance testing, and environmental simulation tests are also done to ensure their quality and usability. Metal testing is done utilizing various methodologies to assess different parameters.

Semiconductor Testing

The semiconductor industry is a critical sector in the world economy that relies on rare earth metals for manufacturing electronic devices. Semiconductors are also known as integrated circuits, microelectronic chips, or computer chips. Semiconductors are tiny electronic devices based primarily on silicon or germanium. Semiconductors are composed of billions of components that can process, store, sense, and move data or signals. The main types of semiconductor chips are logic, memory, analog, optoelectronics, sensors, and discretes. Each of these types performs different functions and requires specialized design and manufacturing processes. Chip design, fabrication and manufacturing are the major activities taken up in the semiconductor industry. All research and manufacturing activities in this industry need various testing for quality assurance purposes.These are the major testing techniques utilized in semiconductor testing. 1. Advanced microscopy 2. Characterization of materials 3. Surface analysis 4. Trace elemental analysis 5. Failure analysis 6. Characterizing of dopants using SIMS 7. Thin film analysis 8. Particulate analysis 9. Contamination analysis 10. Visualizing surface morphology (AFM, XRR, Profilometry, Microscopy)