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Technology Stocks : KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLAC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SemiBull who wrote (1645)	2/28/2002 6:43:42 PM
From: SemiBull	Respond to of 1779

KLA-Tencor Unveils New Line of CD Metrology Systems for High-Volume Production In the Nano-Lithography Era Fully Automated, Web-Based Lithography Process Window Monitoring and Matching Enable Tighter Critical Dimension (CD) Control, as Well as Maximize Productivity of Lithography Cells SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move that could greatly accelerate volume production of sub-130-nm devices, KLA-Tencor Corp. (Nasdaq: KLAC - news) today unveiled its new Process Window Monitor(TM) (PWM) Series of CD metrology systems for the nano-lithography era. Building on the high precision, throughput and sensitivity of KLA-Tencor's most advanced CD SEM and optical CD metrology tools, the new 8x50-PWM and SpectraCD(TM)-PWM systems include fully automated, web-based CD process window measurement, analysis and reporting capabilities. With these new features, chipmakers can now monitor and match the process windows of every lithography cell and process in the fab, maintaining tight CD control within these narrowing windows. This enables chipmakers to significantly accelerate development efforts on advanced lithography processes, while at the same time increasing baseline yields and maximizing lithography cell productivity in high-volume manufacturing. ``With 8x50-PWM and SpectraCD-PWM metrology systems, we can now perform process window qualification and control during the production of our most advanced flash memory products without any loss in lithography cell productivity,'' stated Dr. T.C. Wu, executive vice president of technology at Atmel Corp. ``These tools helped us recover cost savings equal to the cost of purchasing and maintaining one to two lithography systems per production fab. It has also given us greater insight into the CD process windows for all of our lithography cells and processes, which will ensure the manufacturability of our most advanced IC designs.'' Over time, optimal focus and exposure settings for a given lithography cell and process can drift and change in a variety of ways, such as CD variations during the patterning process. These variations might have been tolerable at larger design rules, but at sub-130-nm design rules, process windows are so small that previously insignificant fluctuations now cause CD variations that result in significant yield losses. Knowing not just the optimal process settings, but also the size of the window and the sensitivity to process variation, is now critical for stable and efficient pattern transfer. The new PWM-enabled tools automate all steps -- from measurement to reporting -- that are required to obtain the critical focus and exposure measurements that previously had been performed by the lithography tools. Chip manufacturers using PWM systems can quickly access the optimal focus and exposure settings for each lithography cell, in addition to the process latitude (depth of focus and exposure latitude) of each cell. As a result, the smallest process window drifts and changes can be detected and corrected, even before production wafers are placed at risk. This also frees up the lithography tools to pattern more wafers -- significantly improving lithography cost of ownership and overall fab efficiency. In addition, PWM-equipped systems allow chip manufacturers to match process windows for all lithography cells across the fab. As a result, if one lithography tool has to be taken offline for any reason, production wafers can be redirected to another cell with similar process window characteristics to achieve the same performance for a given layer-significantly improving overall fab efficiency with a more flexible manufacturing strategy. ``CD control is one of the key roadblocks to preventing chip manufacturers from successfully transitioning to 100-nm and smaller design rules,'' stated Brian Trafas, vice president and general manager of KLA-Tencor's CD Metrology Division. ``Every time you have even a single nanometer variation for a state-of-the-art fab, it can cost millions of dollars in lost revenue. Our new PWM series of CD metrology systems help our customers recover this revenue by eliminating the increasing yield loss associated with process window variation. Chip manufacturers can now quickly and cost-effectively get the comprehensive lithography control information needed to accelerate their migration to the next design-rule node, while leaving their lithography systems to do the job they were designed to do.'' With full end-to-end automation and web-based reporting, PWM systems give chip manufacturers company-wide access to process window reports on stability, cross-field uniformity and matching for all lithography cells and processes in the fab. Integration to KLA-Tencor's Klarity ProDATA process window analysis software is also available for detailed engineering analysis of data processed by the 8x50-PWM and SpectraCD-PWM. About KLA-Tencor: KLA-Tencor is the world leader in yield management and process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing and related industries. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the company has sales and service offices around the world. An S&P 500 company, KLA-Tencor is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol KLAC. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at kla-tencor.com . Process Window Monitor (PWM) and SpectraCD are trademarks of KLA-Tencor. SOURCE: KLA-Tencor Corp.