Fully Automated SEM Review Tool
The eV300 delivers a four-fold increase in productivity compared with manual SEM review systems. This, combined with its superior defect classification and analysis accuracy, makes it ideal for both in-line monitoring and engineering analysis applications at 0.18-micron and smaller geometries. No other automated SEM review tool is currently designed for both types of applications.
Shrinking design rules and the adoption of new materials and structures in semiconductor manufacturing has led to the creation of new and smaller yield-killing defects that cannot be captured using optical technology. This, in turn, has created the need for e-beam inspection and review tools that combine both high accuracy and throughput with the low cost of ownership required for critical in-line monitoring, as well as for more traditional engineering analysis applications.
Earlier this year, the company introduced the eS20, which addressed the industry need for a true in-line e-beam inspection tool. Now with the introduction of the eV300, the company offers complementary e-beam SEM review capability to enable the rapid review and classification of voltage contrast defects, as well as those defects too small to review with optical systems.
The eV300 is designed for defect review and analysis in a high-volume wafer production environment, and can be configured to handle both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. The system reads defect files from inspection and review tools, sorts or filters the defect data to minimize review time, then automatically provides the user with images, classification results and elemental data related to the captured defects.
The unit is the only defect review tool currently on the market that offers three different operating modes to provide optimum imaging on all process layers and materials. These include a low field mode, which is excellent for micro-scratches and voltage contrast defects; a high field mode, which is optimized for image resolution and for high aspect ratio contact hole imaging; and a zero field mode, which is the traditional SEM review mode.
It also incorporates a new imaging capability called TruePerspective, which features a flexible 0-45 degree wafer tilt and 360 degree continuous rotation. This enables exceptional accuracy in classifying and analyzing defects by allowing the operator to select the optimum orientation for defect review. In addition, the eV300 is the only automated SEM tool that offers 19 keV beam landing energy, which enables unsurpassed elemental analysis of copper-related defects and allows the tool to differentiate the peak overlaps of tungsten silicide and titanium nitride layers quickly and accurately.
The eV300 supplements optical review with topographical information provided by the SEM, enabling more accurate defect classification than can be achieved by optical review systems alone. This is especially critical at 0.18-micron and below design rules, where optical review is no longer sufficient for correctly classifying the associated defects at these advanced geometries. The eV300 can also resolve device structure differences of 4 nm at 600 eV, providing excellent imaging at extremely low voltage conditions, which reduces charging on the sample. In addition, it features the fastest image acquisition time of any automated SEM review tool in the industry.
The eV300 automates the energy/dispersive X-ray collection task, replacing manual methods, which are both labor-intensive and time-consuming. With the eV300, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) data is automatically collected and transferred to KLA-Tencor's new PMC-Net central database. This allows EDS information to be viewed in tandem with the defect image and assigned defect class code.
KLA-Tencor Corp., Kern Beare, Tel: 408-875-7039. Email: kern.beare@kla-tencor.com.