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New Product: SoftJinâ??s NxDAT mask defect analysis software boots inspection productivity
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Product Briefing Outline: SoftJin, a provider of Customized Automation software for Electronic Design and Manufacturing, has launched NxDAT, software for efficient Analysis of Defects identified by Mask Inspection Systems. The software supports correlation of defect data with Layout/Mask data in GDSII, OASIS, OASIS.VSB and MEBES format. Other Mask data formats are intended to be supported shortly.
Problem: Industry data suggests that Mask Inspection represents the second biggest component of Mask Cost as well as Mask Turnaround Time after Mask Writing. Since the Mask Inspection machines are expensive, the mask inspection time is the biggest factor that determines the mask inspection cost. Ever decreasing Defect size targets lead to more sensitive mask inspection across the chip, thus generating too many defects and more operator time is spent in analyzing and disposition of defects.
Solution: The software includes features for easy and fast defect navigation, visual display, defect selection and filtering, defect classification, clustering, sophisticated CD analysis, analysis over multiple Inspections, Repeatability and Trend Analysis. These features along with automatic generation of reports, charts, graphs, image mosaics and paretos are claimed to significantly improve the productivity of the mask inspection operators. The software supports several types of defect analyses including Die-to-Die and Die-to-Database thereby making it applicable at both Mask Shops and Wafer Fabs. The features such as automatic grid detection, comparison of actual detection line against the expected detection line and repeatability analysis on test masks allow NxDAT to be used also for calibrating the Mask Inspections Systems to check their defect detection capabilities.
Applications: SoftJin is launching NxDAT initially with support for Applied Materials’ new Aera2 Mask Inspection System.
Platform: A Plug-In interface to NxDAT enables Users to add their own proprietary defect analysis and image processing algorithms as well. Based on SoftJin’s Nirmaan Post Layout Software Development Toolkit Platform, NxDAT combines Mask Inspection and Design Automation worlds by supporting correlation of defect data on reticles with Design layout data in any major industry standard Layout and Mask Data formats.
Availability: September 2008 onwards.
