SAN FRANCISCO, July 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In advance of
SEMICON West, KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) today
introduced six advanced wafer defect inspection and review systems
for leading-edge IC device manufacturing: the 3900 Series
(previously referred to as Gen 5) and 2930 Series broadband plasma
optical inspectors, the Puma™ 9980 laser scanning inspector, the
CIRCL™5 all-surface inspection cluster, the Surfscan®
SP5XP unpatterned wafer inspector and the eDR7280™
e-beam review and classification tool. These systems employ a range
of innovative technologies to form a comprehensive wafer inspection
solution that enables discovery and control of yield-critical
defects at all stages of IC manufacturing— from early process
characterization to production process monitoring.
"Early collaboration with our customers strengthens our
understanding of inspection requirements for future process nodes
and, as a result, we're able to direct our R&D and engineering
efforts to deliver the inspection systems and solutions that will
help them solve critical yield issues," said Mike Kirk, executive vice president of
KLA-Tencor's Wafer Inspection Division. "As an example, the 3900
Series broadband plasma inspector not only produces impressive
inspection performance—optical detection of sub-10nm defects—but it
is also aiding our customers with process debug for their most
complex device designs. All of the systems in our new wafer
inspection portfolio integrate innovative technologies that support
advanced defect discovery and monitoring, enabling our customers to
develop and ramp their leading-edge devices."
Defect Discovery
The 3900 Series, 2930 Series and eDR7280 merge inspection,
design and review information to form a defect discovery solution
that drives process and yield improvements through the detection
and characterization of critical defects. This solution helps IC
manufacturers address advanced design node challenges such as
process window discovery and yield loss associated with the
proliferation of pattern and process systematic defects.
The revolutionary 3900 Series broadband plasma optical
inspectors utilize a new super resolution deep ultra violet
(SR-DUV) wavelength range and scanner-grade stage accuracy to
produce superior optical resolution for proven detection of
sub-10nm defects. With DUV/UV wavelength bands, the 2930 Series
broadband plasma optical inspectors complement the 3900 Series,
ensuring optimal contrast for yield-relevant defect detection
across all process layers. Both broadband plasma optical inspectors
provide full wafer inspection in approximately an hour, allowing
collection of wafer-level and lot-level defect data for a complete
understanding and quick debug of complex process issues.
Design information is leveraged on both the 3900 Series and 2930
Series systems through pin•point™ and super•cell™—patented
technologies that improve sensitivity to yield-limiting defects on
critical features, including those related to design weak points,
and reduce nuisance related to non-critical features, such as dummy
patterns. With enhanced imaging and automatic defect classification
capability, the eDR7280 e-beam review system quickly delivers an
accurate representation of the defect population detected by the
broadband plasma inspectors, dramatically reducing the time
required for defect discovery.
Defect Monitoring
The Puma 9980, CIRCL5 and Surfscan SP5XP provide
early identification of yield excursions across a broad range of
line, process and tool monitoring applications, helping chipmakers
accelerate the production ramp and maximize the yield of
leading-edge device technologies. With enhanced defect type
capture, the Puma 9980 laser scanning inspector supports high
throughput production ramp monitoring of comprehensive front- and
back-end-of-line advanced patterning applications. The Puma 9980's
new NanoPoint™ design-aware capability improves defect sensitivity
and suppresses systematic nuisance defects, increasing the
yield-relevance of inspection results.
The CIRCL5 includes configurable modules that utilize parallel
data collection for fast, cost-efficient process monitoring: the
8920i front side inspection module, the CV350i edge inspection,
review and metrology module, the BDR300 back side inspection and
review module and the Micro automated defect review and metrology
module. By correlating inspection results from all wafer surfaces,
such as the relation of edge peeling defects to front side particle
defects, the CIRCL5 can facilitate the quick identification of the
source of production excursions.
Essential for cost-effective, early detection of relevant random
substrate or film defects and excursions, the Surfscan
SP5XP unpatterned wafer inspector utilizes extended DUV
technology and innovative algorithms to produce new operating
modes. One mode offers industry-leading sensitivity for advanced
process debug applications, while another provides the highest
throughput-to-date on the Surfscan platform for production process
monitoring.
Multiple 3900 Series, 2930 Series, Puma 9980, CIRCL5, Surfscan
SP5XP and eDR7280 systems have been installed at IC
manufacturers worldwide where they are being used for development
and production ramp of logic and memory devices at advanced
technology nodes. The 2930 Series, Puma 9980, CIRCL5, Surfscan
SP5XP and eDR7280 are field-upgradeable from their
predecessors, providing extendibility that protects a fab's capital
investment. To maintain the high performance and productivity
demanded by IC manufacturing, all six systems are backed by
KLA-Tencor's global comprehensive service network. More information
can be found on the Advanced Wafer Inspection Portfolio web
page.
About KLA-Tencor:
KLA-Tencor Corporation, a leading provider of process control
and yield management solutions, partners with customers around the
world to develop state-of-the-art inspection and metrology
technologies. These technologies serve the semiconductor, LED, and
other related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of
industry standard products and a team of world-class engineers and
scientists, the company has created superior solutions for its
customers for 40 years. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif.,
KLA-Tencor has dedicated customer operations and service centers
around the world. Additional information may be found at
www.kla-tencor.com (KLAC-P).
Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this press release other than historical facts,
such as statements regarding the expected performance of the 3900
Series, 2930 Series, Puma 9980, Surfscan SP5XP, CIRCL5
and eDR7280 systems; the extendibility of the 3900 Series, 2930
Series, Puma 9980, Surfscan SP5XP, CIRCL5 and eDR7280
systems to future technology nodes; expected uses of the 3900
Series, 2930 Series, Puma 9980, Surfscan SP5XP, CIRCL5
and eDR7280 systems by KLA-Tencor's customers; and the anticipated
cost, operational and other benefits realizable by users of the
3900 Series, 2930 Series, Puma 9980, Surfscan SP5XP,
CIRCL5 and eDR7280 systems, are forward-looking statements, and are
subject to the Safe Harbor provisions created by the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are based on current information and expectations, and
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may
differ materially from those projected in such statements due to
various factors, including delays in the adoption of new
technologies (whether due to cost or performance issues or
otherwise), the introduction of competing products by other
companies or unanticipated technological challenges or limitations
that affect the implementation, performance or use of KLA-Tencor's
products.
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SOURCE KLA-Tencor Corporation