Surface Topography Profiling

Product Description

The HRP-260 is an automated, advanced surface topography metrology tool, featuring high resolution/high-aspect ratio, stylus-based surface topography profiling for leading edge 200mm applications. This surface topography metrology tool’s ultra-fine 20nm stylus tip option enables down to 45nm-generation surface topography profiling at cost-effective throughputs for critical transistor and interconnect applications. Featuring diamond styli down to 20nm radius and a lower-noise platform for enhanced measurement sensitivity, the HRP-260 surface topography profiling system offers nanometer-scale stylus technology which matches AFM resolution – without modeling requirements. In addition to the 200mm HRP-260 surface topography profiling system, a 300mm HRP-350 surface topography metrology system is also available for IC semiconductor manufacturing applications.

Applications

• High-resolution mode enables accurate control of nano-scale features for applications that directly impact device performance, such as Shallow Trench Isolation, CMP in the interconnect, metal film roughness and tungsten plug recess.
• Long-scan mode operates at high throughput to measure Cu CMP dishing and erosion, copper plating, die planarity, and C4 bump height in packaging.

LMS IPRO7
LMS IPRO6
LMS IPRO5

Product Description

• New operating mode provides highly accurate on-device measurement of reticle registration error with industry-leading cycle time for comprehensive reticle qualification
• Significantly improved measurement performance over the LMS IPRO6 enables development and production of reticles at the ≤7nm design node
• Fast and accurate model-based image processing algorithms for on-device pattern metrology to detect and characterize pattern dependent placement error
• Optical resolution enables measurement of all immersion masks and development and production of EUV masks
• Registration measurement on 193i reticles with and without pellicles
• High-throughput mode enables more comprehensive reticle and e-beam qualification at the same cycle time for production masks
• Registration metrology on resist test masks enables feed forward of mask registration data to 5D Analyzer^® for optimized intra-field scanner corrections
• Automated pattern selection from design capability allows for easy generation of on-device measurement jobs with 1000 or more OPC’ed sites
• Field-proven EUV mask capability for 7 nm node development
• Field upgradability from the previous generation model protects customer’s capital investment

Applications

Mask writer qualification and monitoring: Today’s mask writers are able to incorporate sub-nm pattern placement corrections. In order to take advantage of this capability, pattern placement error must be measured accurately with high sampling frequency. LMS IPRO7 supplies the automation performance, high throughput, and analytical software needed to fully characterize reticle pattern placement error. Based on these data the performance of the mask writer can be verified and adjustments performed if required, so that fewer problems are discovered at outgoing quality control (OQC).

Mask process development and monitoring: LMS IPRO7 is the only mask registration metrology system to offer flexible, automated on-device metrology, industry-leading performance, and the ability to take through-pellicle (193i masks) measurements. In order to envision and correct pattern dependent registration error, the LMS IPRO7 provides accurate measurement capability on actual on-device features.

Furthermore, the LMS IPRO7 is the only DUV illumination-based registration tool which enables measurement on resist masks in order to separate e-beam error from process deviations.

Wafer patterning control: As part of the 5D Patterning Control Solution™, LMS IPRO7 reticle data can be directly uploaded to the industry standard 5D Analyzer software to assess the mask’s contribution to wafer overlay error. Thus, on-device data can be fed forward to the wafer fab’s lithography module and used for optimized scanner corrections that can improve intra-field wafer overlay yield.

Accurate Sheet Resistance Measurements

Product Description

The RS-200 resistivity mapping system based on proven industry resistivity mapping standards provides accurate and reliable sheet resistance measurement for 45 nm and beyond. This resistivity mapping system provides capabilities such as advanced automation and improved edge performance to meet today’s production requirements for 300mm wafers.

• The resistivity mapping system’s accurate and repeatable sheet resistance measurements to 1mm from the conductive film edge provides enhanced performance for both 200mm and 300mm wafers
• Patented temperature compensation provides the accuracy, long-term repeatability, and system-to-system/fab-to-fab matching for today’s production requirements
• The RS-200 resistivity mapping system includes easy-to-use software based on the Windows XP operating system, enabling faster recipe set-up and data analysis

Unpatterned Wafer Surface Inspection Systems

• Surfscan SP5XP
• Surfscan SP5
• Surfscan SP3

Product Description

The Surfscan® SP5^XP unpatterned wafer inspection system and wafer qualification tool is a platform extension of the Surfscan SP5, enabling lower cost of ownership for 1Xnm design rule High Volume Manufacturing (HVM). The Surfscan SP5^XP can operate at sensitivity similar to that of the Surfscan SP5, but at much higher throughput, enabling increased sampling for a lower cost of ownership. Additionally, the Surfscan SP5^XP provides higher available sensitivity on bare wafers and blanket films than that of the previous-generation Surfscan SP5, delivering the inspection performance required for IC manufacturers to qualify processes during R&D. The Surfscan inspector also includes an integrated, high resolution SURFmonitor module that characterizes and measures surface quality, helping IC modules qualify their process and tools by characterizing wafer surface quality and detecting subtle defects.

• Powerful DUV source, incident laser innovations, new spot sizes and improved algorithms deliver sub-20nm sensitivity, increased throughput and enhanced defect detection and classification
• Platform improvements produce the highest throughput-to-date on the Surfscan platform
• Dual Threshold operates without throughput loss, allowing fabs to maintain their baseline while investigating the possible presence of new defect types and signatures
• Attenuated Continuous Laser Power Attenuation (ACLPA) feature enables variable laser power in a single scan, allowing the system to maintain sensitivity without throughput loss
• Laser power dosage test wizard enables faster recipe setup on laser power sensitive layers
• New and improved algorithms enable enhanced signature detection and classification with no baseline change and no throughput loss
• Matching between Surfscan SP5^XP tools improves factory productivity by providing fabs with the option of routing WIP to different Surfscan SP5^XP inspection tools to optimize work flow
• Correlation of Surfscan SP5^XP to Surfscan SP5 and SP3 baselines enhances fleet flexibility, allowing fabs to mix-and-match tools based on their unique sensitivity and throughput requirements
• Field upgradeable from the Surfscan SP5 protects a fab’s capital investment
• Flexible configurations support the specific performance requirements of different end-users

Integrated SURFmonitor is a defect/metrology module that utilizes background scattering (haze) data from Surfscan SP5^XP scans to monitor process signatures and low contrast defects, without affecting inspection throughput. SURFmonitor can correlate haze to process parameters such as surface roughness and grain size, serving as a high speed, full-wafer metrology proxy for bare wafers and blanket films.

Applications

IC Manufacturing

Process Tool Monitoring: Within the IC fab, the Surfscan SP5^XP is used for qualification and monitoring of process tools for the 1Xnm design node HVM. The extended DUV sensitivity captures tiny blanket film defects at production speeds, enabling engineers to monitor process tools for defects that may be introduced during film deposition or CMP.

R&D: The high sensitivity operating mode on the Surfscan SP5^XP supports characterization and qualification of new processes during the R&D phase of IC manufacturing. With strong connectivity, the Surfscan SP5^XP and KLA-Tencor’s e-beam review tool provide development engineers with a solution for quickly finding, identifying and sourcing critical defects on leading-edge processes.

Incoming Wafer Qualification: The extended DUV sensitivity of the Surfscan SP5XP helps IC manufacturers ensure that incoming wafers meet their strict wafer quality specifications.

Equipment manufacturing

Process tool qualification:  Defects added by the tool during processing, such as fall-on particles or metal contamination, can adversely affect wafer yield or device performance. Certain process steps like polishing can worsen the wafer surface quality and create anomalous process defect signatures that may render the wafer unsuitable for further processing. Early detection and classification of these subtle conditions is critical to ensure optimal yield. The Surfscan SP5^XP’s extended DUV sensitivity and high-resolution SURFimages provide key information, enabling equipment vendors to build reliable, production-worthy process tools.

Process uniformity monitor: The full-wafer high-resolution SURFimage represents the variations of the wafer surface quality in response to changes in process chemistries or recipes, enabling process optimization and production monitoring. Dark field haze calibration ensures that the haze readings are accurate and repeatable across tools.