SAN JOSE , USA: KLA-Tencor has introduced the eDR-5200, a new-generation wafer defect review and classification system that leverages advances in resolution and defect re-detection sensitivity, along with unique connectivity with KLA-Tencor inspection systems, to enable better review performance, faster yield learning and higher productivity from both systems.
"As design rules shrink to 45nm and beyond, defect and yield engineers are becoming increasingly concerned about the quality of the defect Pareto coming from their review tools," said Zain Saidin, group vice president for electron-beam technology at KLA-Tencor.
The eDR-5200's immersion column design breaks through the resolution barriers hampering traditional SEM review systems, enabling the imaging and classification of <50nm defects. Industry-leading stage accuracy and access to the optical patch image from a KLA-Tencor inspector reduce the percentage of SEM Non-Visuals in the defect Pareto by an order of magnitude or more.
KLA-Tencor has engineered connectivity between the eDR-5200 and KLA-Tencor inspectors to enable inspector recipe setup and optimization on the SEM without repeatedly moving the wafers back and forth between platforms. The result is more than 50 percent reduction in recipe setup time, as well as a significant improvement in recipe quality.
The eDR-5200 has been shipped to customers in Asia, Europe and the US, where it is being installed for memory and logic applications. Multiple customers already depend on the systems' industry-leading resolution and re-detection capability, together with its synergy with the KLA-Tencor inspectors, to produce the best defect Pareto in the shortest time.
DR-5200 technology summary
Immersion column design -- As leading-edge fabs bring 45nm devices into production and investigate the 32nm node, the need for better resolution is driving an inflection point in defect review and classification. The eDR-5200 introduces an immersion column design to address the need to image and classify <50nm defects. Bathing the imaged area in a strong electromagnetic field enables nearly 2X better resolution, analogous to the benefit that immersion lithography brings to printing smaller features.
Widest range of beam conditions -- A broad range of operating conditions is necessary to achieve best resolution on the wide variety of materials and geometries employed in advanced devices. The 193nm resists are often the most challenging, requiring soft landing energy to avoid damage to the imaged layers. The eDR-5200 spans the industry's widest range of beam conditions to best meet imaging needs for the 45nm node and beyond.
EDX technology for 45nm node -- The eDR-5200 employs an innovative EDX design that uses robust, innovative algorithms to enable analysis and classification of defects less than 100nm in diameter, based on their composition.
SEM non-visual reduction -- Inspector Recipe Tuning -- Proprietary connectivity to KLA-Tencor optical inspection systems enables 2X faster, more accurate inspector recipe development. The inspector's recipe can be set up and optimized on the eDR-5200 for maximum sensitivity and lower SNV rate, eliminating multiple transports of the wafer between the systems, and freeing the inspection tool for additional inspections.
High positioning accuracy -- The eDR-5200 review and classification system is equipped with a high precision stage and advanced defect de-skewing algorithms. Together these can reduce SNV rates, by increasing the ability of the SEM review tool to capture <50nm defects.
Superior automatic defect location -- Low contrast or tiny defects can be completely missed and categorized as SNV by traditional defect re-detection approaches. The eDR-5200 introduces advanced re-detection methods which contribute a considerable number of critical yield-limiting defects to the final Pareto.
Recognition of previous-layer defects -- As an electron beam interacts with only the surface of a layer, previous-layer defects are traditionally classified as SNV. A new approach accessing proprietary optical information from KLA-Tencor inspection tools allows characterization of previous-layer defects by displaying their optical image.
Innovative, production-worthy classification -- The eDR-5200 provides an innovative approach to defect classification. Set-up free, power assisted defect classification (ePACTM) and a learn-as-you-go classification engine enable the user to easily transition from manual classification to fully automated defect classification (eADCTM).