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Tool Order: Nova wins multiple copper metrology order from a foundry
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A leading foundry has place a multiple tool order with Nova Measuring Instruments for its integrated NovaScan metrology system that will be used for 45nm copper line thickness measurements with correlation of electrical tests for early stage diagnoses. The foundry customer was said to have already employed standalone NovaScan systems as part of that foundry's copper CMP process control scheme.
"For technology nodes of 45nm and below we see a move from Copper process monitoring on solid measurement pads to a comprehensive control scheme where the Copper line trench is measured after Etch and the Copper line thickness is measured on 2D and 3D test targets after CMP,” noted Noam Shintel, Corporate Marketing Director for Nova. “The deployment of NovaScan is indicative that our adaptive solution of fully matched high throughput standalone and integrated metrology coupled with NovaMARS 3D modeling software enables control of Copper processes in advanced technology nodes. With Advanced Process Control (APC) and Nova's metrology solutions, semiconductor manufacturers are able to significantly reduce their process development cycle, increase the device performance and overall yield."