PDF Solutions(R) Announces Factory-Wide, Data Analysis Solution Enabling Semiconductor Companies to Quickly Ramp to Production Volumes

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 3, 2015) - PDF Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDFS) -- The leading provider of yield improvement services and solutions for the integrated circuit (IC) industry, is announcing the release of its state-of-the art solution focused on semiconductor yield maximization. Exensio™, an enterprise-wide, Big Data platform, analyzes and reports critical data generated across the semiconductor ecosystem. The solution also provides tools and immediate information for foundries to rapidly adjust equipment for higher yields and reduced variability. Exensio provides a competitive edge to semiconductor and fabless companies, as well as foundries, by providing actionable information to rapidly identify and resolve manufacturing issues.

"ON Semiconductor previously had a very successful experience using dataPOWER® in our manufacturing environment," said Kevin Haskew, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at ON Semiconductor. "We have now transitioned from dataPOWER to Exensio Yield Module with the Automation and Reporting functionality. The new features and the single platform approach of Exensio are critical for the success of our new product introductions, enabling us to drive our manufacturing process to higher yields, higher efficiency, and help our customers get to market quickly."

Inevitably, process complexity continuously increases to keep up with today's advanced integrated circuits, however, there is an exponentially growing amount of data that needs to be analyzed. Most of today's yield analysis methodologies and infrastructures are not adequate for finding root cause unless they have ways to effectively process Big Data. Additionally, manufacturing issues can result in high variability and low product yields, causing delays in product launches, as well as reduced revenue and profitability. Using Exensio, foundries and IC manufacturers can provide measureable value and faster time to market to their customers.

"PDF provides our customers with solutions and services to proactively identify and understand the impact and relationship amongst the extremely complex factors that drive yield in today's manufacturing environments," said John Kibarian, President and Chief Executive Officer, PDF Solutions. "The leading-edge technology in Exensio helps our customers quickly identify and address product and process issues, which result in increased wafer yields. The Exensio unified analysis infrastructure enables our customers to rapidly resolve critical root cause relationships and leverage these relationships with predictive actions."

Exensio Components

Exensio modules include Exensio Yield, Exensio Control, and Exensio Char. Exensio Yield encapsulates and replaces the dataPOWER YMS functionality, while Exensio Control encapsulates and replaces both the mæstria® and Modelware™ real time FDC functionality as well as summary FDC information. Exensio Char leverages PDF Solutions' full Characterization Vehicle® infrastructure data, with product as well as tool level data. This provides customers using our Characterization Vehicle® infrastructure with critical insight into module details and tool level root cause, which is required for the successful ramp of leading-edge manufacturing nodes.

ABOUT PDF SOLUTIONS

PDF Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDFS) is the leading provider of yield improvement technologies and services for the IC manufacturing process life cycle. PDF Solutions offers solutions that are designed to enable clients to lower costs of IC design and manufacture, enhance time to market, and improve profitability by addressing design and manufacturing interactions from product design to initial process ramps to mature manufacturing operations. PDF Solutions' Characterization Vehicle® (CV®) electrical test chip infrastructure provides the core modeling capabilities, and is used by more leading manufacturers than any other test chips in the industry. Proprietary Template™ layout patterns provide optimum area, performance, and manufacturability for designing IC products. The proprietary Exensio™ solution for YieldAware™ FDC enables world-class variability control in manufacturing, in part by leveraging PDF Solutions' industry-leading dataPOWER® yield management system (YMS) and mæstria® fault detection and classification (FDC) software. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., PDF Solutions operates worldwide with additional offices in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. For the Company's latest news and information, visit http://www.pdf.com/.

Characterization Vehicle, CV, dataPOWER, mæstria, PDF Solutions, and the PDF Solutions logo are registered trademarks of PDF Solutions, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Exensio, Template and YieldAware are trademarks of PDF Solutions, Inc. or its subsidiaries.