KLA-Tencor today
unveiled the Candela 7100 series for advanced defect inspection and classification
of hard disk drive substrates and media. Built upon the production proven Candela
line, the 7100 series is designed to help manufacturers identify and classify
submicron critical defects such as pits, bumps, particles, and buried defects,
for maximizing yield and lowering total cost of inspection.
“The Candela 7100 series is an innovative extension of our optical surface
analysis technology that customers already recognize as the tool of record for
defect inspection and classification,” said Jeff Donnelly, group vice
president of Growth and Emerging Markets (GEM) at KLA-Tencor. “With improved
sensitivity and classification capabilities, the 7100 series’ all-in-one
solution is designed to reduce dependency on other tools, lower our customers’
costs and provide them with faster time to results.”
Continued growth in areal, or bit, density has driven the need for lower surface
contamination levels, smoother disk surfaces, increased sensitivity to smaller
defect sizes, and an emphasis on controlling specific defect types early in
the process. Moreover, with magnetic recording head fly-heights shrinking, small
defects now have a much larger yield impact. With industry-leading sensitivity,
the Candela 7100 series is the ideal solution to address these industry challenges.
The hard disk drive industry continues to demand increasing price-performance
for their customers, so manufacturers must remain cost competitive with faster
time to results and statistically valid decisions. The Candela 7100 reduces
dependency of multiple non-production tools and methods, such as an atomic force,
scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopes, as well as electrical
testing. Analyses currently being conducted by multiple inspection tools can
now be done faster and at a lower cost on a single tool.
The Candela 7100 series is being qualified by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
(HGST), a leading storage technology company.
KLA-Tencor is currently accepting product orders. Shipments are scheduled to
begin in October.