n&k
Technology, Inc. Announces Advanced Metrology Tool for Trench System
Measurements
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – February 12, 2001 –
n&k Technology, Inc., a pioneer in manufacturing equipment for
reliable and accurate thin film characterization and metrology,
optical properties measurements, and equipment for critical dimension
measurements, today announced the availability of an advanced metrology
tool especially suited for characterizing shallow trench structures.
The n&k
3000 employs a rapid, non-destructive and non-localized characterization
method, returning average results from an illuminated measurement
area of 50 microns. In addition to accurately measuring standard
quantities like trench depth and width, the system is also capable
of acquiring a wealth of data regarding the thicknesses and properties
of films deposited inside and outside trench regions. Ultimately,
the non-destructive, non-contact n&k 3000 is ideal for the manufacturing
environment, greatly improving process control and increasing throughput.
“Traditionally, the characterization of shallow
trench systems has been accomplished through the use of time-consuming
and highly localized techniques like atomic force microscopy (AFM)
or through the use of destructive methods like scanning electron
microscopy (SEM),” said Dr. Rahim Forouhi, president and co-founder
of n&k Technology. “While these methods are capable of
yielding detailed information, in general, they do not accommodate
high-throughput sampling. As a result, they do not lend themselves
to wafer uniformity studies and cannot practically be used in volume
production or manufacturing environments. The n&k
3000 is specifically designed to give manufacturers data they
can use for successful process control.”
n&k engineers compared data obtained using the
n&k
3000 with SEM trench measurements. Not only did the average
trench depths measured by the n&k
3000 agree remarkably well with the SEM trench measurements,
but in addition, the n&k
3000 revealed distinct center to edge variations and readily
distinguished trench geometry process variations on the order of
100 Å. Whereas this level of wafer uniformity, or lack thereof,
would be difficult and time consuming to detect using conventional
techniques, the n&k
3000 has the data available within minutes, making the instrument
well suited for enhancing manufacturing production.
n&k’s approach to thin film and wafer characterization
and analysis has a unique advantage in the fab environment because
it is easily integrated with the actual fabrication equipment and
is also accurate regardless of changes in environment or manufacturing
process. n&k Analyzers simultaneously determine thickness, refraction
index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and energy band gap from
spectrophotometric measurements, and also measure reflectance, transmittance,
and interface roughness for a wide variety of thin films and substrates.
Furthermore, n&k’s patented methodology makes it possible
to establish a correlation between the optical properties of the
materials and other qualities such as composition, resistivity and
density.
About n&k Technology, Inc.
n&k Technology is a privately held company that is quickly gaining
recognition as a pioneer and technological leader in reliable, accurate,
and precise thin film characterization as well as trench and critical
dimension metrology for a variety of markets including semiconductor,
photo mask, flat panel display, data storage, and optical and industrial
coatings. Its cost-effective, easy to use systems deliver “the
true measure” with superior resolution, enabling users to
characterize virtually any combination of thin films, substrates,
and structures. n&k’s products are also ideally suited
for challenging integrated metrology. More information about n&k
Technology can be found on the Internet at www.nandk.com.
For Further Information Contact:
Iris Bloomer (408) 513-3800
n&k Technology, Inc.
ibloomer@nandk.com
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