Duker,
Great post. Some AMAT news:
seminews.com
Applied Materials integrates metrology with CVD system
A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc.
Story posted 9 a.m. EST/6 a.m., PST, 8/19/99
SANTA CLARA, Calif -- Applied Materials Inc. here said today that it has integrated metrology capability on its Producer chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system.
The NanoSpec 9000i thin film analyzer enables users to run their processes at very high throughput rates while closely monitoring the thickness, uniformity and refractive index of single or multiple-layer films deposited on wafers.
Producer systems equipped with the film thickness measurement analyzer are the first in a new suite of integrated wafer monitoring options, called Producer QA. The NanoSpec 9000i, developed by Nanometrics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., is exclsuive to Applied Materials' CVD systems.
"Today, dielectric deposition systems essentially run blind between monitor checks," said Kevin Fairbairn, general manager of PECVD products at Applied Materials. "With the thin film analyzer, customers can have real-time measurement and statistical process control capability for every wafer."
This will be an especially critical capability as the semiconductor industry moves below 0.18 micron geometries and demands higher levels of process control to meet performance and yield objectives, Fairbairn noted.
The integrated NanoSpec unit features measurement of film thickness, uniformity and refractive index on bare or patterned wafers. The technology, capable of measuring single or multiple-layers, has been demonstrated with up to a five-layer in situ-deposited dual damascene stack comprised of PECVD (plasma enhanced CVD) silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and dielectric anti-reflective coating (DARC) layers.
The NanoSpec unit is fully programmable to inspect a range of designated wafer types, including specific wafers identified by fab management systems. Measurement data can be easily used to manage yield, improve operator efficiency and quickly detect any process excursions. It also features statistical process control capabilities, aids in more rapid process modeling and diagnosis, and speeds system re-qualification after maintenance.
Existing Producer systems can also be retrofitted with integrated metrology capability. The NanoSpec unit has also been integrated on Applied Materials' Mirra Mesa CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) system. |
