Nova pushing limits of 3D profile metrology with new optical CD system

REHOVOT, ISRAEL: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd, provider of leading edge stand-alone metrology and the market leader of integrated metrology solutions to the semiconductor process control market, has introduced an innovative product for process control of complex vertical structures for the 22nm technology node and beyond.

The powerful new Nova T600 Optical Critical Dimension (Optical CD) metrology system, developed in collaboration with leading device makers, has shown breakthrough metrology performance on critical device parameters. During evaluations with leading memory and foundry customers significant improvements were demonstrated, including up to four times increase in measurement sensitivity on critical profile parameters of advanced 3D applications.

As chipmakers strive to follow Moore's Law and continue to shrink device area, process architecture is driven to increasingly more complex 3D structures, such as FinFET, Stacked NAND, and Buried-Gate DRAM. Optical CD is the only known method to non-destructively measure and control these vertical processes. The newly introduced Nova T600 is the first Optical CD system to feature oblique incidence spectroscopic reflectometry. Combined with a normal-incidence reflectometer, this multi-channel reflectometry configuration is optimized for best sensitivity on small features, including at the bottom of high-aspect-ratio structures.

The exceptionally high signal-to-noise extracted by the Nova T600 provides superior performance on the full range of profile metrology applications. Measurement precision and accuracy are further enhanced by innovative new algorithms included in the next version of the NovaMARS application development software, soon to be announced. The concurrent optimization of information from multiple sources, a concept introduced by Nova as the Holistic Metrology Approach, is now fully supported by the combination of Nova T600 and NovaMARS.

Nova T600 is designed to meet the challenging cost of ownership requirements of semiconductor customers. This was achieved through a combination of high TPT, Modular Metrology[TM], and the flexibility to optimize optical configuration and tool type to best serve application needs. Nova T600 metrology units fit into the full frame low vibration T-platform, designed with a Modular Metrology concept that provides unrivaled cost effectiveness. T-platform can be configured to support multiple load ports and multiple measurement units - any combination of Nova T600 and Nova T500.

Eitan Oppenhaim, executive VP of Global Business, said: "We see critical importance in bringing to the market at this time a system that enables production of 3D devices. This major transition of the industry after 50 years of planar transistors is truly a revolution, and the Nova T600 allows us to actively participate in this revolution. We are excited to introduce this latest metrology innovation from Nova, extending our product portfolio going forward in order to address the challenging demands of advanced nodes and complex structures below 22nm."