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KLA-Tencor Unveils Next-Generation E-Beam Inspection System to Accelerate Transistor Innovation at 65-Nm and Smaller Nodes

Posted on: Thursday, 2 February 2006, 18:01 CST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To accelerate transistor innovation at the 65- and 45-nm nodes, KLA-Tencor today introduced the eS32 -- an extension of its market-leading e-beam inspection platform. The eS32 enables the industry's widest capture of subtle electrical and small physical defects, which are arising as chipmakers integrate numerous new materials and device architectures into volume production. As a cornerstone of KLA-Tencor's complete suite of next-generation inspection solutions for the emerging technology nodes, the eS32 sets new performance standards with advanced features and capabilities that accelerate the detection and resolution of systematic, yield-limiting defects in both front-end-of-line (FEOL) and back-end-of-line (BEOL) applications.

Solving the new yield challenges in BEOL and FEOL

Just as KLA-Tencor's earlier-generation eS30 and eS31 played a pivotal role in helping leading-edge logic fabs overcome copper-related BEOL yield challenges at the 130- and 90-nm technology nodes, the eS32 breaks through barriers at the 65-nm and smaller nodes. In addition to providing a proven BEOL solution, the eS32 offers the wide range of imaging conditions required to capture the growing number of yield-limiting FEOL defect types. Today, with the fast feedback provided by e-beam inspection, logic manufacturers can identify and overcome FEOL issues in integrating nickel silicide (NiSi) and strained silicon into their devices. Furthermore, the eS32 is architected to meet the yield challenges that chipmakers are likely to encounter as they innovate to address device speed and power consumption concerns.

DRAM manufacturers face shorter product lifecycles and, therefore, are increasingly focused on ramping new processes into high volume production. As these manufacturers scale to increasingly smaller cells, they face critical FEOL and interconnect challenges-from inspecting higher aspect ratio vias and capacitors to addressing the increasing yield impact of small physical defects. The eS32 can help to promptly identify critical defect mechanisms impacting DRAM manufacturers.

"With extensive knowledge gained through customer collaborations and our breadth of applications expertise, we are focused on developing advanced solutions that help our customers to successfully innovate and remain competitive," said Mike Kirk, vice president of KLA-Tencor's Wafer Inspection Group. "The eS32 continues the leadership established with our previous-generation e-beam inspection tools, reaffirming our commitment to our customers' success."

Fast detection of emerging defect types

The eS32 incorporates important advancements in physical and voltage contrast sensitivity to enable faster time to root cause. Landing energy range has been extended to enhance capture of slight under-etch contact defects. New beam current and scanning flexibility options have been designed for use on highly resistive materials, and to capture the growing array of subtle buried shorts associated with NiSi and strained silicon integration. The capture of small physical defects in dense, high aspect ratio structures has been improved with the addition of a smaller pixel. To help chipmakers accelerate root cause analysis and identify and resolve new systematic defect mechanisms, the eS32 is integrated with advanced binning algorithms. The eS32 also supports KLA-Tencor's proprietary MicroLoop(TM) methodology, which has been proven to accelerate yield learning by 50 percent.

Optimized for volume production

Part of a proven product platform focused on protecting capital investment through ongoing enhancements, the eS32 delivers superior throughput and cost of ownership to enable chipmakers to more effectively monitor the health of their manufacturing line at critical steps. Enhanced ease-of-use capabilities, such as auto-calibration for imaging conditions, allow the system to be quickly and smoothly integrated into production. As a result, defect engineers spend less time on tool setup or optimization issues, and more time implementing and developing unique applications.

Volume shipments of the eS32 are underway. KLA-Tencor will showcase its latest yield management and process control products, including the eS32, at SPIE Microlithography 2006 (Booth 1013) from Feb. 21 to Feb. 22 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.

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 http://www.kla-tencor.com/

NOTE: MicroLoop is a trademark of KLA-Tencor.

KLA-Tencor

CONTACT: Uma Subramaniam, Director, Corporate Communications ofKLA-Tencor, +1-408-875-5473, or uma.subramaniam@kla-tencor.com; orDavid Moreno, Senior Account Director, MCA, +1-650-968-8900, ext. 125, ordmoreno@mcapr.com, for KLA-Tencor

Web site: http://www.kla-tencor.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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