Jul 10 2014
Nova Measuring Instruments, a leading innovator and a key provider of optical metrology solutions for advanced process control used in semiconductor manufacturing, announced today that a major customer in Asia placed an order for its Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) metrology solution. This is the first order from this customer for Nova's TSV stand-alone metrology solution.
Following an intensive evaluation in a production environment, Nova's V2600™ solution was qualified to be the production tool of record (PTOR) for measuring and controlling the TSV formation process in both memory and logic applications. The planned implementation of Three-Dimensional (3D) Integration in volume manufacturing by this customer is expected to yield multiple orders over the next few years.
Nova's V2600™ was selected over alternative solutions primarily due to its unique capabilities to accurately measure all critical TSV dimensions, including side-wall angle, bottom diameter, and bottom curvature. Nova's innovative patented technology combines an optical method, Dark-Field Reflectometry, which is highly sensitive to variations in TSV internal structures, with a novel modeling engine for non-periodic structures. The system was confirmed to enable tight and reliable process control at high sampling rates, minimizing potential yield loss due to TSV electrical failures.
"Our selection by this top customer confirms the competitive advantage that our solution offers to the sector," said Eitan Oppenhaim, President and CEO of Nova. "Our industry collaboration and technological innovation in specialized scatterometry solutions have identified a previously unaddressed customer need and resulted in a unique solution that enables the advancement of 3D Integration in volume manufacturing. This significant milestone is a result of our strategy to strengthen our cooperative efforts with leading customers to identify critical process issues and offer unique solutions throughout the device lifecycle. We are looking forward to enhancing our collaboration with this customer to generate further orders in the future."
Source: http://www.novameasuring.com