Nanometrics Incorporated
(Nasdaq: NANO), a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of high-performance
process control metrology systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors,
solar photovoltaics and high-brightness LEDs, today announced the delivery of
a Unifire metrology system equipped with the Advanced Film Capability
(AFC) option. The Unifire technology configured with AFC enables the simultaneous,
nondestructive measurement of film thickness and step height metrology within
the industry's smallest test areas and targets. This system is a follow-on
order currently being qualified to support a leading hard drive manufacturer's
production capacity for advanced magnetic heads.
"We are pleased with the traction of the Unifire product in both the
semiconductor and magnetic head manufacturing sectors. Unifire systems are being
placed into specific segments that leverage the unique capabilities of the interferometer
measurement technology," commented Michael Darwin, Vice President of the
Unifire Product Group at Nanometrics. "Our customers are deploying the
Unifire systems to monitor critical process parameters including device topography,
film thickness and step height, many of which can only be observed non-destructively
with our proprietary small-spot AFC technology."
Nanometrics' Unifire platform has been deployed across front-end manufacturing
and advanced packaging processes in applications including lithography, etch,
chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and thin film deposition.