Applied Materials, Inc. today
unveiled its most advanced defect review SEM1, the Applied
SEMVision™ G4, which extends the technology and productivity
of Applied’s highly successful SEMVision system to 45 nm and
beyond applications. Key to the SEMVision G4 are its new SEM column
technology and enhanced multi-perspective SEM imaging system (MPSI)
that deliver state-of-the-art 2nm physical resolution for unmatched
image quality at a benchmark one defect-per-second review rate.
“The task of reliable and high productivity defect
review and classification at 45nm in high-aspect ratio and densely
packed memory and logic structures requires unprecedented SEM
performance,” said Ronen Benzion, general manager of the SEM
division of Applied Materials' Process Diagnostics and Control business
unit. “The SEMVision G4 sets new standards for image quality
and productivity while adding new technologies that allow customers to
accelerate defect root cause analysis and boost yield.”
“The SEMVision G4 has recently been put into
production and is expected to have a significant role in our in-line
defect root cause analysis strategy,” said Tomoharu Watanabe,
senior manager of Yokkaichi Operations Manufacturing Engineering
Department, Semiconductor Company, Toshiba Corporation.
The SEMVision G4 brings several advanced defect monitoring
capabilities from the engineering floor to in-line volume
manufacturing. These vital analytical tools enable customers to rapidly
analyze and classify defects as small as 30nm in the most sensitive
device layers, such as immersion photoresist and low-k dielectrics.
Featuring EDXtreme, a revolution in EDX1-based material analysis, the
SEMVision G4 extends the chemical characterization of defects to
sub-50nm particle sizes. The system’s new SEM column can
rotate and tilt up to 45° relative to the wafer to provide
complete 3-D data for superior defect visualization and classification.
In addition, wafer edge and bevel analysis technology address a new
frontier of yield enhancement, enabling customers to successfully
address immersion-related defectivity issues.