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Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied Inflexion’ edge polishing system for high-precision defect removal that polishes and cleans the critical wafer edge region. The Applied Inflexion is claimed to be the only system that polishes the entire wafer edge, removing film stack residues and shallow surface defects in a single pass while minimizing the exclusion area in order to maximize the number of good die. In addition, the system precisely controls the edge profile, enabling process engineers to tailor the film-to-wafer interface to meet a wide range of integration requirements. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Nanometrics has released its NanoCD Suite, which is composed of four key optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology solutions: NanoGen; NanoMatch; NanoStation and NanoDiffract. When NanoCD Suite is combined with its Atlas standalone and 9010 integrated metrology systems, it provides a complete OCD solution that can measure and model all 45nm and smaller devices, including scribe line process control targets and advanced die structures, as well as advanced R&D structures for 32nm and 22nm nodes, providing the necessary metrology for critical process control. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Axcelis Technologies has launched the Optima XE high-energy ion implanter, the final component of Axcelis’ Optima single wafer suite of tools, which provides a complete range of energy levels from 10keV to 4MeV. In particular, the Optima XE is designed to provide a broad energy range to perform all isolation and retrograde well implants for advanced devices. With its new single wafer endstation, it can also perform medium current implants. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials, Inc. today unveiled its most advanced defect review SEM, the Applied ‘SEMVision’ G4, which extends the technology and productivity of Applied's SEMVision system to 45nm-and-beyond applications. Key to the SEMVision G4 are its new SEM column technology and enhanced multi-perspective SEM imaging system (MPSI) that deliver 2nm physical resolution at a benchmark one-defect-per-second review rate. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Tokyo Electron Limited announced the introduction of the ‘CELLESTA+,’ TEL’s newest 300mm single wafer cleaning system targeting FEOL critical cleans, advanced gate, and surface preparations for 90nm technologies, down to 45nm and beyond. Offering high productivity and optimal performance, the CELLESTA+ represents TEL’s continuous investment in advanced surface preparation technology. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: KLA-Tencor has released the WaferSight 2 that measures bare wafer flatness, shape, edge roll-off and nano-topography in a single system. Designed for 45nm wafer requirements and below, the new tool enables a higher degree of precision and tool matching capability compared to previous systems for wafer suppliers and incoming wafer quality control for IC makers. WaferSight 2 has been accepted for silicon and SOI production applications. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: KLA-Tencor has officially introduced the new ‘Aleris’ family of films metrology systems, beginning with the Aleris 8500 which the company claims is the industry’s first system to combine production-worthy composition and multi-layer film thickness metrology into a single platform. Additional Aleris family systems will be introduced in the coming months in configurations to meet the performance and CoO requirements for all film applications at the 45nm node and below. Aleris 8500 systems have been shipped to several key customers where they are being used for 65nm gate control production and 45nm/32nm development. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Lam Research has officially launched its new Coronus plasma-based bevel cleaning system. Designed to reduce yield loss caused by defects that originate near the wafer’s edge, the Coronus system combines the multiple material cleaning capability of plasma with a proprietary confinement technology that protects the die area. Several major semiconductor customers are now moving into production with the Coronus bevel clean system, the company said. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced its new Applied ‘FullVision’ system that enables real-time control of dielectric CMP processes for the 45nm node and beyond.  The FullVision system couples Applied's patented window-in-pad technology with multiple-wavelength spectroscopy to deliver advanced in situ endpoint capability for a variety of dielectric materials, including oxide, STI and poly CMP applications. The FullVision system has already been adopted by major memory customers on their Applied ‘Reflexion’ LK CMP systems in high volume manufacturing, the company said. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has launched the Applied ‘UVision 3’ DUV Brightfield wafer inspection tool for FEOL critical-defect detection sensitivity required for the 45nm node using immersion lithography. This next-generation system is claimed to have triple the number of laser beams scanning the wafer to provide 40 percent faster throughput than any competitive system. Two new imaging modes extend sensitivity to 20nm, and a new flexible automatic defect classification engine enables quick access to defects of interest and faster yield learning, according to the company. Read more >>