FEI Company,
(NASDAQ: FEIC), a leading provider of atomic-scale imaging and analysis
systems, and SEMATECH,
the global consortium of chipmakers, announced today that FEI Company has joined
SEMATECH's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the College of Nanoscale
Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany. The collaboration
will expand on current joint efforts for the development of novel technologies
to enable improved process control and yield.
As a member of this program, FEI will collaborate with experts in SEMATECH's
Metrology divisions to develop high-resolution capabilities of transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS)
and focused ion beam (FIB) technology to address critical needs in process development
and defect analysis. These tools will provide the high resolution imaging and
compositional data on the scale of a few nanometers, which is invaluable for
defect analysis.
“The Advanced Development Metrology Program is a prime example of SEMATECH's
collaborative model in which leading equipment and materials manufacturers can
participate in a broader consortium-university-industry partnership to develop
cutting-edge metrology and characterization techniques,” said John Warlaumont,
SEMATECH vice president of technology. “The collaborative effort among
world-class researchers and engineers from FEI, SEMATECH and CNSE, along with
access to critical laboratory analytical equipment available within CNSE, form
an important cornerstone in providing world-leading advanced metrology capabilities
to our members.”
“FEI is proud to supply SEMATECH with our highly advanced wafer-to-TEM
data equipment suite, which will help them maximize the volume of high resolution
imaging and analytical data output for next generation semiconductor devices,”
said Rudy Kellner, vice president & general manager of FEI's Electronics
Division. “Utilizing the automated, high-throughput CLM+™ TEM sample
preparation solution, combined with FEI's TEMLink lamella lift out system,
SEMATECH will be able to produce a steady supply of high quality TEM lamella
for its Titan TEM. Equipped with the new MultiLoader double-tilt sample holder,
the Titan TEM achieves a level of unprecedented connectivity across system platforms
enabling secure, reliable, and traceable sample transfer.”
Analytical TEM has historically been used for basic research in advanced materials
development. However, as electronic devices approach the nanometer scale, defects
consisting of even a few atoms become critical. The combination of both TEM
and EELS is uniquely powerful in that it provides detailed information about
physical structure, atomic arrangement, chemical bonding, density, and electronic
behavior on a nanometer scale. The result is a much more complete profile of
each material than would have been possible with a smaller set of techniques.
“The integration of FEI's TEM with EELS is a leading candidate
to replace SEM-based EDX for inline elemental analysis of defects for the 45nm
node and below,” said Brad Thiel, CNSE Associate Professor of Nanoscience
and Director of SEMATECH's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the
UAlbany NanoCollege. “We welcome FEI's membership, and look forward
to their participation as we work together to drive the development of processes,
materials, and characterization technologies that are critical for continued
progress and leadership in nanoscale manufacturing.”
“We are pleased to welcome FEI to the growing roster of industry-leading
companies engaged in cutting-edge nanoelectronics research and development at
the UAlbany NanoCollege,” said Richard Brilla, vice president for strategy,
alliances and consortia at CNSE. “This collaborative relationship with
FEI further demonstrates the success of the SEMATECH-CNSE partnership in accelerating
nanoscale innovations, supporting pioneering education, and fostering high-tech
economic growth, all of which underscore New York's recognition as a global
leader in nanotechnology.”
Integration of new materials into semiconductor devices requires advanced analytical
characterization techniques such as the high-resolution imaging capabilities
afforded by TEM. FIB technology is uniquely suited for preparing ultrathin TEM
samples from even the smallest device features.
SEMATECH's Advanced Metrology Development Program at the UAlbany NanoCollege
is assessing and developing new characterization technologies that will address
current and projected metrology gaps. “Our goal is to develop characterization
techniques and methodologies to address a range of issues, including the metrology
for films, defects, and 3D structures,” said Thiel.