July 14, 2009 – KLA-Tencor has taken the wraps off three new tools for defect wafer inspection and review: the 2830, the Puma 9500, and eDR-5210.

A key feature of the 2835 brightfield inspection tool is a broadband illumination source that allows selection of different wavelengths, a capability that can be used to suppress noise, or enhance the signal from defects — important capabilities to help find killer defects at the 32nm node, explained Brian Trafas, KLA-Tencor COO, in a briefing for SST just before SEMICON West. As system sensitivity improves to see small killer defects, those signals can be dwarfed by sources of noise, including color variations, grainy surfaces, low contrast pattern, and even a “noisy” previous layer.

Another area of focus with the new system is increased available light intensity, through a redesigned laser-pumped plasma source (called Power Broadband). “By improving the source, we’re able to make the pattern brighter, which gives improved contrast of pattern features relative to the underlying surface,” Trafas said. Another improvement is flexible imaging — selectable nodes and custom apertures in the illumination and collection channels, to enhance defect edges or suppress graininess, he noted.

KLA-Tencor’s 2830 Series. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Puma 9550 combines high-NA collection optics with a higher-power laser, enabling apertures, a new image acquisition system, and innovative algorithms, that together provide a >30% increase in sensitivity-at-throughput vs. the previous-generation darkfield inspection tool. New sensors are faster, a new laser scans at higher speeds, and the collection optics incorporate both darkfield and brightfield scattered light. “With the new and enhanced illumination and collection optics, they can now capture smaller defects at higher throughputs while preserving sensitivity at advanced nodes,” Trafas noted.

KLA-Tencor’s Puma 9500 Series. (Photo: Business Wire)

In the eDR-5210, KLA-Tencor redesigned the electron optics column, notably relocating the top and bottom detectors above the lens to move the working distance of the column much closer to the substrate. “By improving that effective working distance, we’ve been able to improve the resolution of the system to 1.9nm, and at the same time, we’ve been able to in a single detector, acquire both brightfield and darkfield information,” which allows collection of data in a single pass and provides a throughput advantage, Trafas said. “We’ve been able to get better resolution while acquiring topographic information in the same scan. This is a big improvement for a SEM review platform.” — D.V., J.M.

KLA-Tencor’s eDR-5210. (Photo: Business Wire)