Jan 31 2013
The rapidly growing application of SlurryScope™ systems at major semiconductor wafer fabs has begun to stimulate the need for tighter collaboration between nanometer-node process developers and the wafer fab managers who oversee the quality/delivery of slurry used during chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process. Minimizing large particle counts (LPCs) in undiluted slurry at wafer planarization and polishing steps is becoming increasingly critical as complex chips are manufactured at ever finer geometries.
“Our SlurryScope systems continue to affirm correlations between LPCs and yield-diminishing wafer scratches,” asserted Paul Magliocco, Vantage CEO. “Not surprisingly, the most advanced process development teams working at the 28nm node and beyond are asking for continuous analyses of undiluted slurry from their wafer fab colleagues.”
Magliocco expects the growing concern over LPCs to result in his firm’s real-time metrology tool to be increasingly embedded at all critical CMP and Slurry Delivery System (SDS) steps. “We are pleased to see that the SlurryScope data is improving the dialogue between process and materials teams. By providing more data to use, our tool is proving invaluable in detecting potentially damaging LPCs in time to allow corrective action to be taken.”
SlurryScope shipments continue to ramp with repeat multiple orders coming from global wafer fabs. The company continues to demonstrate its innovative tool at Semicon trade shows around the globe. When Semicon Korea opens its three-day run in Seoul on January 30th, the SlurryScope System will be demonstrated by SEOIL E&M Co., Ltd. (Booth # 1448, COEX Center).
Source: http://www.helmholtz.de/