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KLA-Tencor Introduces Laser-Imaging Patterned Wafer Inspection System With High Sensitivity and Defect Capture for Advanced Devices
Wednesday, March 18, 1998 08:23 PM
> SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1998--
Combination of Oblique Angle Darkfield Illumination
and Small Pixel Digital Image Processing
Result in Optimal CMP Inspection Tool
KLA-Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ:KLAC) today introduced the ILM-2230, the industry's highest performance, laser imaging darkfield patterned wafer inspection system for production-line monitoring.
The ILM-2230 is the first system to combine oblique angle darkfield illumination with KLA-Tencor's small-pixel, high data rate image processing. This combination of technologies provides superior capture rate of a wide range of yield-critical defect types on 0.25 micron and smaller devices, at high throughput and with a low nuisance defect rate. The system is optimized for advanced interconnect process-inspection applications, such as chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).
Yield monitoring has become an increasingly vital and challenging component in semiconductor manufacturing as device manufacturers seek to increase both productivity and profitability. The complex manufacturing processes adopted to support shrinking geometries and increased device functionality are driving the demand for inspection tools optimized for particular processes, such as CMP, metal etch, film deposition and lithography.
"Advanced processes, such as CMP, pose unique inspection challenges that require optimized solutions to assure maximum defect capture," said David Icke, KLA-Tencor's vice president of marketing, Wafer Inspection Group. "While minimizing sensitivity to previous layer defects, the ILM-2230 provides integrated circuit manufacturers with the optimal high sensitivity and throughput required for CMP and other advanced interconnect processes." Icke continued, "This is achieved by leveraging the two inspection technologies, high-speed digital image processing and laser illumination, which KLA and Tencor brought to the merger."
Patterned wafer inspection systems are a critical component in a fab's yield learning strategy, providing in-line detection of pattern defects and contaminants, which drive down yields. High throughput and sensitivity allow these tools to detect such process issues and to identify critical base line defects that must be corrected to improve yields.
"Today's semiconductor manufacturing is too complicated for any one tool to meet the inspection needs for all process steps," said Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research. "One of KLA-Tencor's strengths is its broad technology portfolio, which allows the company to deliver inspection solutions tailored for each process. With the ILM-2230, KLA-Tencor has combined the historic technology strengths of its two parent companies to deliver a laser-imaging inspection system truly optimized for CMP."
CMP is a critical process in the development and production of sub-quarter micron devices, enabling both increased levels of interconnect and tighter packing densities. According to VLSI Research, the CMP market was $514.8 million in 1997 and is expected to grow to $1.46 billion by 2002. The CMP process, however, also introduces many new yield-limiting defect types and noise sources, including: color from oxide thickness variation; underlying and top surface pattern variations; and grain noise from metal and polysilicon. The ILM-2230 suppresses these noise sources to provide a high capture rate on the new classes of defects encountered in the CMP process, while delivering throughput of up to 20 wafers per hour at the sensitivities required for sub-quarter micron devices.
"The ILM-2230 has been in beta at a leading semiconductor manufacturer since December 1997 and has demonstrated exceptional micro-scratch detection capability on the fab's most challenging CMP layers," said KLA-Tencor's Icke. "In addition, the system has proved to be extremely robust, inspecting over 6,000 wafers in a six week period with no system failures."
The ILM-2230 incorporates several features that combine to deliver critical levels of sensitivity and noise suppression. The digital image processing system uses a new proprietary, low noise, high-speed sensor specifically designed for darkfield illumination. The sensor helps provide the exceptional sensitivity needed to detect the yield-critical defect types, such as microscratches, pattern deformations, residual metal tungsten and microbridging, typically found in CMP inspection applications. The ILM-2230 employs two proprietary advanced optical filtering techniques, which facilitate collection of the non-repetitive defect signal and block noise from horizontal and vertical lines. In addition, KLA-Tencor's segmented auto threshold (SAT) technology, a proprietary image processing technique, further enhances defect detection sensitivity on wafers with the grainy metal and color variations encountered in CMP and metal etch processes.
By reflecting light off the wafer at an angle instead of directly, oblique angle darkfield illumination increases surface selectivity and suppresses noise resulting from the wafer's granular surface features. Another feature, circular (C) polarization suppresses color and grain noise from underlying layers and minimizes capture of previous layer defects, a capability particularly critical for oxide CMP inspection applications.
KLA-Tencor's new patterned wafer inspection system leverages the company's IMPACT/Online automatic defect classification (ADC) software to rapidly identify both process excursions and key yield-limiting defect types, accelerating the yield-learning curve. In addition, the ILM-2230 is built on the 2100 Series platform, leveraging its proven technology and high reliability and benefiting from a common recipe set up and user interface.
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.
CONTACT: KLA-Tencor
Roberta Emerson, 408/875-3000
or
MCA, Inc.
Chris Castillo, 650/968-8900 |
