March 16, 2007 – Bede X-ray Metrology has announced that Austin, Texas-based SEMATECH, the global semiconductor consortium for commercializing of technology innovations into manufacturing solutions, will use a Bede x-ray metrology system to evaluate novel semiconductor materials needed for the 45nm and 32nm technology nodes and beyond.

The Bede system will be used by SEMATECH researchers to investigate leading-edge frontend materials including SiGe, metal gates, and high-k dielectrics. More specifically, the system will assist metrologists in investigations into the phase and degree of crystallinity present in high-k dielectrics and metal electrodes, and the determination of the strain in SiGe films.

“Our evidence shows that the phase and crystallinity in high-k material have an impact on a device’s electrical characteristics,” says Alain Diebold, SEMATECH Senior Fellow and metrology expert. “Using XRD allows us to fine-tune the process, and speed up high-k development. Currently, XRD is a leading technique for measuring strain and composition in SiGe.”

X-ray metrology offers increased analysis of material properties and parameters, including thickness, at atomic levels, as a result of its short wavelength. However, Bede claims, unlike optical and opto-acoustic metrology, the system also measures strain, relaxation, phase, composition, and density — information that is key for full characterization of materials.

Frank Hochstenbach, director of sales and marketing, and responsible for customer partnerships at Bede X-ray Metrology, says, “I am delighted that SEMATECH, an organization which addresses critical challenges in advanced technology and manufacturing effectiveness on behalf of its worldwide membership of semiconductor manufacturers, is using our system to help to deliver new solutions and value to its customers and to the industry.”

For more recent SEMATECH news, see “SEMATECH: Planar CMOS, not finFETs, favored through 22nm”.