Park NX-Hybrid WLI is the first-ever AFM with built-in WLI profilometry for semiconductor and related manufacturing quality assurance, process control for semiconductor front-end, back-end up to advanced packaging, and R&D metrology.
It is intended for individuals who demand high throughput measurements across a broad area that can zoom in to nanometer-scale areas with sub-nano precision and extremely high accuracy.
Park NX-Hybrid WLI Introduction | The fully automated industrial AFM-WLI system
Video Credit: Park Systems
The Two Best Complementary Technologies for Semiconductor Metrology
- WLI-White light interferometry is an optical technology that produces high throughput measurements by rapidly imaging a very large area
- AFM-Atomic force microscopy is a scanning probe method that gives the finest nanoscale resolution measurements even for transparent materials
Image Credit: Park Systems
WLI and AFM complement each other in terms of field of view, resolution, and speed. Source: Park Systems
| |
Measurement Area |
Speed |
Lateral Resolution |
Vertical Resolution |
Accuracy |
| WLI |
Large |
High |
Low |
High |
Low |
| AFM |
Small |
Low |
High |
Very High |
High |
WLI Applications Requiring Much Higher Resolution and Accuracy Beyond WLI Capability
- Hot-spot and defect detection on full reticle die
- Wafer level metrology
- WAdvanced CMP metrology and monitoring
- Advanced packaging
AFM Applications Requiring Much Higher Throughput Over Much Larger Areas
- Sub-Angstrom surface roughness control
- Wafer inspection and analysis
- In-line Wafer Metrology
- Long-range profiling for CMP characterization
NX-Hybrid WLI Features
Park WLI System
- Various objectives lens magnification available: 2.5×, 10×, 20×, 50×, 100×
- Park WLI supports WLI and PSI modes (PSI mode is supported with Motorized Filter Changer)
- Two objective lenses can be automatically replaced by a Motorized Linear Lens Changer
Image Credit: Park Systems
WLI Optical Interferometry
- The height of the sample surface at each pixel can be estimated by observing the fluctuation in light intensity caused by interference while scanning the height of the Mirau objective lens
- White light interferometry (WLI) and phase shifting interferometry (PSI) are two prominent surface characterization methods
Image Credit: Park Systems
NX-Hybrid WLI Applications
Hotspot Detection and Review
A fast survey of hotspots and automated review of hotspot defects
- Comparing images of reference and target sample areas can allow users to identify hotspots of a patterned structure.
- WLI’s high-speed “hotspot detection” permits quick localization of fault sites for high-resolution AFM evaluation
Image Credit: Park Systems