FEI Releases V600CE For High-Performance Circuit Edit And Design Validation

Hillsboro, OR - FEI has introduced a new member of its V600 focused ion beam (FIB) family. The V600CE enables faster semiconductor design validation and performance optimization on today's 65nm and below devices. Featuring an advanced ion column technology, a versatile gas delivery system, and advanced end-pointing control, the V600CE delivers enhanced circuit edit capabilities.

Successful semiconductor companies rely on FIB-based circuit editing to get new electronics products to market faster. Circuit editing is an alternative to time-consuming mask and fabrication iterations, enabling faster verification and prototyping of new designs. However, as semiconductor geometries decrease to 45nm, and new materials are introduced, successful FIB-based circuit edit becomes more challenging. The V600CE is specifically designed to increase success rates, reducing development costs and time-to-market.

"Modern integrated circuit devices introduce significant challenges to circuit edit, including shrinking geometries, low-k dielectric materials, dummy metallization and high circuit densities," said FEI Product Marketing Manager Joseph Race. "The latest release in the V600 family demonstrates FEI's commitment to deploying our core technologies on an extensible, cost-effective circuit edit platform."

The V600CE improves etching planarity with its NanoChemix gas delivery system. Innovative gas handling accommodates a wide range of precursors for etching and deposition, and gas mixtures can be used to improve electrical performance of insulator depositions. The unique tri-nozzle delivery provides a symmetric, high-flux flow of agents. A dedicated central nozzle delivers the precursor for metal depositions, and dual opposing nozzles eliminate the shadowing that occurs in trenches milled using single-nozzle systems.

The new system also includes a dynamic end-point solution that improves operator control during critical applications. Live imaging of the active pattern is displayed on the user interface, and both stage current readings and secondary electron intensity for each active pattern are graphically displayed. The combination of these graphical monitors with the live milling image provides reliable end-pointing, resulting in higher edit success rates.

FEI will feature the V600CE and its entire suite of time- and cost-saving solutions for semiconductor manufacturers at SEMICON West, July 17-19, 2007 (Booth 2120, South Hall) at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

SOURCE: FEI