Semiconductor Lot Hold and Release Form Template
A lot hold form is the paper trail behind every MES hold in a fab or assembly house. This template captures the lot, route step, affected wafers, reason, containment and the signed release so the lot can move again with evidence.
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Semiconductor Lot Hold and Release Form Template
Lot Hold Record
Site: Fab 2, Bay 4 Lot ID: A24Q1187.1 Product: PMIC-180-R2 Route step at hold: M2 ETCH-INSPECT (step 2410) Hold date: 2026-10-19 Hold type: Metrology out of spec
Scope of Hold
Wafers in lot: 25 Wafer slots affected: Slots 3, 4, 11-14
Reason for hold: see detail below.
Hold Reason Detail
Post-etch CD measured 0.21 um on slots 3, 4 and 11-14 against a 0.18 um +/- 0.015 um target. Remaining wafers within limits.
Containment Check
| Check | Done (Y/N) | Initials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot status set to HOLD in MES | |||
| Sister lots on same tool and time window identified | |||
| Tool or chamber placed on engineering hold if suspect | |||
| Metrology data attached | |||
| Physical lot location confirmed (FOUP, stocker slot) |
Proposed Disposition
Disposition: Split and release good wafers Release authority: Process engineering manager
Conditions for release (rework recipe, re-measure plan, split instructions): ______________________________________________
Release Authorization
Hold codes, reason codes and release authority levels differ by site, so align the select lists with your MES hold-code table. This is a starting point, not a substitute for your quality system procedure.
Get lot holds summarized from your MES
Optional: talk to us about asking questions over your MES and ERP hold history on your own infrastructure.
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How to use the template
Fill in the lot ID, product and route step exactly as they appear in the MES. Choose a hold type, describe the observation with the measured value and the specification, and list the wafer slots affected rather than writing the whole lot. Pick a proposed disposition, then export to PDF, Word or Excel and attach it to the lot history. The containment table is meant to be completed by hand on the shop floor so that sister lots and suspect tools are checked before anyone argues about the disposition.
- Quote measured value and spec limit in the reason
- List wafer slots, not just the lot
- Record who released and when
- Attach metrology or inspection data to the lot history
Why holds need a disposition record
A hold in the MES stops the lot but does not explain why. Auditors for IATF 16949 automotive customers and for ISO 9001 expect traceable disposition of nonconforming product, including who authorized release and on what evidence. Split-and-release decisions are the most scrutinized, because good wafers leave the lot under a different identity. Writing the conditions for release down, such as a rework recipe or re-measure plan, prevents the common situation where the lot is released verbally and nobody can reconstruct the logic six months later during a customer complaint.
Containment before disposition
Most expensive fab escapes come from not looking sideways. When one lot is out on a metrology step, ask which other lots ran on the same tool, chamber, recipe and time window. The containment table prompts this. If a chamber is suspect, put it on engineering hold in the equipment system as well so that production lots are not loaded while the lot hold is being argued. Record the sister lots you checked, even if all were clean, because the negative result is part of the evidence.
Common mistakes
Hold forms fail in predictable ways. Reasons are written as 'bad CD' without numbers. Releases are signed by the same engineer who raised the hold. Rework is approved without checking the rework count limit for the layer, since many photolithography and etch steps allow only one or two reworks. Customer-specific hold requirements get missed because the hold type was set to generic engineering hold. Use the hold type list to force a choice, and keep one form per lot so the history stays clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this form a replacement for the MES hold record?
No. The MES hold stops the lot and carries the system status. This form is the supporting record that explains the reason, the containment performed and the signed release, and it is usually attached to the lot history or quality system.
Who should be allowed to release a lot?
That is set by your quality system. Many sites separate the person raising the hold from the release authority, and require quality approval for customer-affected or scrap-related dispositions. Edit the signature lines to match your own procedure.
Can I use it in an OSAT or test house?
Yes. Replace the route step with the assembly or test operation, for example die attach, wire bond or final test, and list units or strips affected instead of wafer slots. The structure of hold, containment and release is the same.
How do I keep one form per lot when many lots are held together?
Fill in the template once per lot and keep a common reference in the reason field, such as a tool alarm number. Export each as its own document so that each lot history is complete and individually auditable.
If your hold and disposition data lives in an MES or ERP and you want it summarized or queried in plain language on your own servers, Netray can build that as a private deployment.
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