Aug 11 2009
Nanometrics Incorporated (Nasdaq: NANO), a leading supplier of advanced process control metrology systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors, solar photovoltaics and high-brightness LEDs as well as advanced wafer-scale packaging, announced that it has been selected as a recipient of the 2009 R&D 100 Award for its innovative Advanced Film Capability (AFC) technology incorporated in the UniFire line of metrology systems.
The R&D 100 Award recognizes the 100 most technologically significant products introduced the past year. Recipients of the annual R&D 100 Award are selected by an independent judging panel and editors of R&D Magazine.
The AFC technology module enables measurement of thickness and optical properties of the individual layers in complex film stacks for in-line process control of semiconductor manufacturing. When incorporated as an option in the UniFire 7900, AFC combines high-precision film metrology with the industry's smallest metrology targets, thereby enabling direct sampling of relevant customer features/structures.
"The spectroscopic and small target capability of AFC is of interest to a large number of customers in the semiconductor industry," commented Michael Darwin, Vice President of the UniFire Business Group at Nanometrics. "In particular, when AFC is used with the UniFire's state of the art interferometry capability, our customers have a unique capability to measure and combine film thickness with die level topography information for control of advanced CMP, lithography, and etch processes in semiconductor manufacturing."