Abstract
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) station is one of the main inspection tasks in the wafer manufacturing process. Because of searching on the screen for long time, SEM operators frequently complained about visual fatigue problems. In this study, we evaluated the effects of LCD monitor size (14 and 19 inch) and wafer coating condition (non-coating wafer and gold-coated wafer) on objective visual fatigue (NPA and CFF), subjective eye fatigue rating and task performance. Twelve SEM operators participated in this study and conducted the experiment in fab. The results indicate that the gold-coated wafer had significant reduction on NPA and CFF threshold change. Using a 19-inch LCD not only reduced objective visual fatigue but also reduced subjective eye fatigue and improved task performance. It is recommended to use a 19-inch LCD monitor and gold-coated wafer to improve SEM operators’ visual fatigue problems.Keywords： Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), eye fatigue, critical fusion frequency (CFF), near point accommodation (NPA)