July 13, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Bruker Corporation introduced three 450mm X-ray and atomic force microscopy (AFM) semiconductor metrology tools — the InSight-450 3DAFM, the D8 FABLINE X-ray system, and the S8 FABLINE-T X-ray system — during SEMICON West, this week in San Francisco, CA.
Eliminating the need for model setup, and providing TEM-like accuracy in fractions of the time without wafer damage, Bruker’s automated atomic force microscopes (AFMs) enable critical technology development and continued process control in semiconductor production. Based on the production-proven InSight 3DAFM platform for 300mm, the InSight-450 3DAFM suits various roughness, depth and CD applications. Capabilities include bare wafer process validation, roughness characterization and pit/bump/scratch defect metrology; incoming substrate qualification; thin film and epitaxial deposition performance with micro/nano roughness and angstrom-level step height precision; etch depth metrology for process development and control, in-line resist profile measurements of CD, SWA, and LER with full TEM-like profiles; and CMP flatness performance to monitor dishing and erosion. All of these applications are available in a single tool with no modeling required, full NIST traceability and no material or wafer damage, making it the ideal tool to provide early learning in 450mm process development with scalability to 450mm production.
Bruker’s X-ray metrology provides a reliable, accurate and non-contact method of characterizing various essential semi parameters without the need to use a reference. The next-generation D8 FABLINE is equipped with the latest high-brilliance X-ray sources, detector technology and user-friendly software for improved data analysis. The system provides various in-line, thin film X-ray measurements for front end of line (FEOL) and back end of line (BEOL) process monitoring on blank or product wafers. It can be used to determine thickness, composition and strain in SiGe, SiC, SOI, III-V on Si; as well as composition and thickness for metal films and stacks, including ALD layers. New and emerging device processing creates metal contamination control challenges for IC manufacturing. Bruker developed the S8 FABLINE-T TXRF (Total X-ray Reflection Fluorescence) for non-destructive trace metal and light element contamination analysis in semiconductor applications.
“Both X-Ray and high-resolution AFM technologies have been identified by the 2011 International Technology Roadmap as critical for the success of future semiconductor technology nodes,” said Bruker AXS division president Dr. Frank Burgäzy, speaking about the industry transistor from 300mm to 450mm wafers. Also read: The elephant has left the room — 450mm is a go! from blogger Dick James, Chipworks.
Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ:BRKR) provides high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. For more information about Bruker Corporation, please visit www.bruker.com.
Check out Solid State Technology’s coverage of SEMICON West 2012!