It can help companies improve product quality and reduce delays in the production of electronic devices.
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) unveiled its newly acquired Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), which is an equipment that can analyze materials and detect defects at a nanoscale level.
Housed at the Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) in Bicutan, Taguig, it will be used to expand the laboratory’s capabilities in failure analysis and material characterization.
Currently, the ADMATEL also has the Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Analyzer.
The equipment is expected to serve a broad range of users, including semiconductor companies, academic institutions, and research organizations.
Beyond electronics, the FE-SEM equipment can also analyze biological samples and advanced nanomaterials, making it a versatile tool for multidisciplinary research.
“Investing in a FE-SEM is a strategic step toward strengthening the country’s advanced research and manufacturing capabilities,” noted DOST Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr.
He added, “With its ability to reveal materials at the nanoscale, this technology enables precise characterization of nanoparticles, nanotubes, and advanced materials, as well as detailed analysis of thin films and multi-layer coatings essential to modern technologies.”
Solidum also said that the new equipment strengthens the country’s capacity to support the semiconductor and electronic sectors, as well as advanced materials in research and development industries. All of whom are welcomed to collaborate with the ADMATEL.
“It empowers our local companies not just to fix problems, but to design better, more reliable products from the start. In today’s fast-changing technological landscape, the semiconductor and electronics industries are essential engines of economic growth,” he furthered.
Meanwhile, PINAS-SEM project leader Engr. John Kenneth Valerio said, “As electronic devices become smaller and more efficient, we need equipment that can analyze materials at a much smaller scale,” and added the FE-SEM is capable of capturing extremely high-magnification images and detect “even the smallest defects or contaminants that affect product performance.”
According to Dr. Dan Lachica, President of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), the FE-SEM helps enable precise examination of device structures, interfaces, materials behavior, and process-induced variations that may directly affect performance and reliability.
“It plays an important role in identifying defects, supporting root cause analysis, process improvement, validating processes, and helping resolve complex reliability issues,” he added.
DOST Undersecretary for R&D Leah Buendia, meanwhile, highlighted that the FE-SEM can be used in wide range of critical applications.
“These include identifying defects in semiconductor devices, analyzing microstructural failures in electronic components, and detecting contamination at a nano scale, resulting in improving product reliability and quality assurance processes,” said Beundia.