Rudolph Technologies, Inc., a
leading provider of process characterization equipment and software for
thin film measurement and macro defect inspection, and SEMATECH, the
global consortium of leading chipmakers, announced today that Rudolph
has become the first semiconductor equipment supplier company to join
SEMATECH's Metrology Program headquartered at the College of Nanoscale
Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany.
Under the membership agreement, Rudolph and SEMATECH will
jointly establish an International Process Characterization (IPC)
program, aimed at the development of process, analysis, and
characterization technology to address critical challenges in
nanoelectronics research. The IPC program, which will be a foundational
component of SEMATECH's expanding metrology programs at CNSE's Albany
NanoTech Complex, brings together expert researchers and technologists,
along with critical tools and software, as part of the consortium's
broader industry-university-government partnership with New York State
and CNSE.
As the first associate member, Rudolph will team with
SEMATECH's members and the members of ISMI (International SEMATECH
Manufacturing Initiative) to accelerate the development and application
of measurement methods for advanced semiconductor technologies.
Rudolph's membership is the latest example of SEMATECH's new
collaborative model, in which leading equipment and materials
manufacturers can participate in focused, cooperative R&D with
SEMATECH's members.
The IPC program will focus on integrated metrology, inspection
and yield enhancement software solutions to address critical process
characterization challenges identified in the ITRS roadmap for
semiconductor manufacturing at the 32 nm technology generation and
beyond. The program will significantly benefit from the interactions
among world-class researchers and engineers from Rudolph, SEMATECH and
ISMI, and CNSE.
"We are very excited to join SEMATECH in this groundbreaking
research at the UAlbany NanoCollege," said Alex Oscilowski, Chief
Operating Officer at Rudolph. "This is a truly unique opportunity for
collaboration, with some of the best minds in the industry using a
cutting-edge technology platform in the world's most advanced research
complex."
Oscilowski outlined the difficult challenges faced by
semiconductor manufacturers, including exponential growth in process
complexity, decreasing size of systematic and extraneous defects, and
increasing difficulty in discerning actionable information within the
torrent of raw data. "The integration of advanced hardware and
intelligent analytical software will be the key to meeting these
challenges," he stated, "and we're looking forward to contributing our
experience, front-end to back-end throughout the manufacturing process,
and our broad expertise in metrology, inspection and data analysis
technologies, to this important joint effort."
SEMATECH President and CEO Dr. Michael Polcari said, "We're
delighted to welcome Rudolph as a member and partner, and we're excited
about the IPC program at CNSE's world-class Albany NanoTech Complex. It
will give our researchers access to advanced, integrated hardware and
software platforms that will enable them to drive the development of
process, materials, analysis and characterization technologies that are
critical for continued progress and leadership in nanoscale
manufacturing. And ultimately, we believe the IPC program can serve as
both a foundation and a model for expanded programs in this critical
area of metrology and process characterization."
Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer of CNSE, said, "We are pleased to welcome
Rudolph Technologies to the UAlbany NanoCollege, where the company's
participation in SEMATECH's newest research program will address
challenges that are critical to nanoscale manufacturing. The attraction
of yet another leading global nanoelectronics company once again
demonstrates that the pioneering vision of Governor Spitzer, Speaker
Silver and Senate Majority Leader Bruno-including their unwavering
support in bringing International SEMATECH to CNSE's Albany NanoTech-is
paying dividends in luring new high-tech jobs and investment that
underscore the State's growing recognition as a worldwide leader in
nanotechnology education, research and commercialization."
The initial IPC program addresses a range of issues, including
the metrology of thin films and metal gate stacks; wafer front, back,
and edge macro defect inspection; inspection and metrology for through
silicon vias (TSV) and three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DIC);
immersion lithography process characterization; process modeling and
optimization for yield enhancement; and automatic defect classification
(ADC). In addition to these technology goals, the program seeks to
establish benchmarks for cost-effective solutions by including
cost-of-ownership criteria in all projects.