Crisis Management for a Conflict with North Korea

Semiconductor Digest | English | AcademicThink | Oct. 8, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Nikhilesh Chawla, an engineer at Purdue University, is collaborating with colleagues and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to develop advanced high-resolution imaging techniques aimed at detecting minuscule defects in semiconductor chips. These defects, though smaller than a human hair, can cause significant issues in everyday devices such as cars and laptops. The research focuses on improving inspection speed and accuracy during chip manufacturing by integrating new imaging methods and faster algorithms.

The project is divided into three main areas: first, employing X-ray imaging and tomography at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source to create detailed 3D microstructures of chips and identify defect locations; second, using artificial intelligence to streamline and automate defect detection for faster processing without disrupting manufacturing; and third, analyzing which types of defects are likely to cause functional failures in devices, allowing for earlier identification and prevention during production.

The team comprises experts from Purdue, Argonne, the University of Arizona, and GlobalFoundries. This research aligns with Purdue’s broader semiconductor leadership under the Purdue Computes initiative and is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Future of Semiconductors program. The nondestructive imaging approach offers the potential to replace labor-intensive, destructive testing methods currently used in the industry. Additionally, the data generated could enable predictive models to estimate when defects might cause device failures in the future. Chawla anticipates publishing the research findings by the end of 2025.