Tokyo Electron Device Limited (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takayoshi Miyamoto; hereinafter “TED”) and ITES Co.,Ltd. (Head Office: Otsu, Shiga; President and Representative Director: Yasuyuki Igarashi; hereinafter “ITES”), a provider of analysis and reliability evaluation services for electronic components, hereby announce that they will collaborate in the field of latent defect inspection solutions for SiC (silicon carbide) devices.

Through the development and sales of a new product-the “SiC Latent Defect Inspection System / Current-Stress Degradation Simulator ITS-SCX100,” which expands and visualizes latent crystal defects in SiC wafers via UV laser irradiation-TED and ITES will strengthen their delivery framework for this solution and support customers' development of highly reliable devices, primarily in the power electronics field.

■ Background

To improve energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality, SiC devices are increasingly being adopted across a wide range of applications, including automotive, industrial equipment, and renewable energy. Meanwhile, current-stress degradation caused by crystal defects unique to SiC (BPD: Basal Plane Dislocation) has become a critical technical challenge that affects long-term reliability.
Because such latent defects are difficult to detect using conventional inspection methods, it has generally taken several months of sample testing to evaluate the impact of changes in materials or process conditions. As a result, longer development cycles and higher evaluation costs have become one of the barriers to the full-scale deployment of SiC devices.

■ Collaboration Overview

To enhance the reliability of SiC devices and improve evaluation process efficiency, TED and ITES will promote the following initiatives:

・ Development and sales of the “SiC Latent Defect Inspection System / Current-Stress Degradation Simulator ITS-SCX100,” which reproduces current-stress degradation via UV laser irradiation and expands/visualizes latent BPDs in SiC wafers (orders to start in September 2026 (planned))
・ Evaluation services and solution proposals for materials manufacturers and device manufacturers
・ Evaluation and analysis support by combining latent defect data with electrical characteristics and reliability test results
・ Information dissemination and market education through technical seminars, white papers, case studies, and related content

Leveraging its expertise gained through the sales and development of semiconductor wafer inspection equipment, TED will lead planning and delivery on the equipment/system side, while ITES will apply its measurement and analytical capabilities developed through years of electronic component analysis and reliability evaluation services to design evaluation menus and conduct measurements and data analysis.

■ Key Features of the “SiC Latent Defect Inspection System / Current-Stress Degradation Simulator ITS-SCX100”

1. Wafer-level visualization of latent BPDs

・ UV laser irradiation expands and brings out latent BPDs in SiC wafers in a short time
・ Enables full-wafer understanding of defect distributions that were difficult to detect with conventional methods

2. Shorter lead time for materials and process evaluation

・ Compare and evaluate changes in defect distributions at the wafer level across material lots and process conditions
・ By replacing part of sample testing that previously took months, helps shorten development cycles and reduce prototyping costs

3. Application to reliability design and quality assurance

・ By combining latent defect maps with electrical characteristics and reliability test results, enhances analysis of root causes of device failures
・ Can be used for material selection, process optimization, and consideration of product warranty conditions

4. Also envisioned as an evaluation service offering

・ In addition to equipment installation, ITES will also consider offering contracted evaluation services, addressing trial evaluation needs prior to adoption

※For more information, please visit:
URL: https://us.teldevice.com/product/sic-latent-crystal-defect/

■ Future Outlook

Through this collaboration, the two companies will prioritize establishing a delivery framework for latent defect evaluation solutions in the SiC device field and contribute to improving customers' mass-production quality. Going forward, they will also consider expanding to other power device materials and related inspection solutions in line with market needs.
In the digital factory domain, TED will combine this collaboration with other solutions addressing themes such as predictive maintenance, inspection automation, and investigation of quality failure causes, thereby contributing to the advancement and stable operation of customers' production sites.

Comments

Comments from both companies regarding this collaboration are as follows:

Tokyo Electron Device has worked to solve challenges at customers' development and production sites through solution proposals cultivated in the field of semiconductor wafer inspection equipment. By collaborating with ITES, which has extensive expertise in electronic component analysis and reliability evaluation, we will strengthen our ability to provide end-to-end support-from visualization of latent defects in SiC devices through evaluation and analysis. By combining the strengths of both companies, we will improve the efficiency of customers' materials evaluation and development processes and contribute to the development of highly reliable devices.

Tokyo Electron Device Limited
Corporate Officer / Vice President, PB BU / BUGM
Mitsutaka Kamimoto

ITES has contributed to customers' quality assurance and lead time reduction in product development by leveraging the technology and track record it has cultivated over many years in semiconductor evaluation and reliability testing. Through this collaboration, by combining Tokyo Electron Device's solution proposal capabilities with our evaluation services, we will strengthen our ability to provide consistent support from design and development through reliability verification, and we aim to further enhance customers' competitiveness.

ITES Co.,Ltd.
President and Representative Director, Yasuyuki Igarashi

About Tokyo Electron Device Limited

Tokyo Electron Device aims to become a company that solves latent social challenges by combining the strengths of a manufacturer and a technology trading company, promoting the social implementation of cutting-edge technologies centered on semiconductors and IT. By discovering advanced products and services and strengthening its manufacturing capabilities to develop innovative solutions, TED contributes to the realization of a super-smart society and sustainable growth.
For more information, please visit: https://www.teldevice.co.jp/eng/

About ITES Co.,Ltd.

ITES Co.,Ltd. is a technology company engaged in analysis and reliability evaluation services for electronic components, as well as the development, manufacturing, and sales of solar cell inspection equipment and electronic device repair. Leveraging advanced evaluation technologies and facilities for electronic components and devices, ITES supports quality and reliability improvements for manufacturers in Japan and overseas.
For more information, please visit: https://www.ites.co.jp/english.html

Contact Information

Tokyo Electron Device Limited, Digital Factory Sales Dept.
Inquiry form: https://www.teldevice.co.jp/contact/sic-latent-crystal-defect/

Note: Company names and product names mentioned in this news release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.