KLA-Tencor introduces Puma 9150 system

SAN JOSE: KLA-Tencor today introduced the Puma 9150 system, the company's latest advancement in darkfield patterned wafer inspection technology, featuring new optical modes that enable capture of a broader range of yield-critical defects for 45nm production and beyond . At the same time, the Puma 9150 provides the highest available darkfield production throughputs, reducing operating cost and allowing higher sampling rates for tighter process control.

"At 45nm, customers are faced with increasing yield challenges due to shrinking dimensions, new materials and innovative device structures. They also are driven to ramp their fab yields as quickly and cost-effectively as possible ," noted Mike Kirk, group vice president and general manager of KLA-Tencor's wafer inspection division. "With the improved defect type capture made possible by new optical modes, the Puma 9150 has again raised the industry bar for darkfield inspection capability. The Puma 9150's unique combination of performance and speed provides customers with the fastest, most cost-effective path to higher device yield of any darkfield technology."

The Puma 9150 provides enhanced capture of low profile, large area defects, such as underpolish and slurry residues from copper CMP. It also improves darkfield defect capture in etch applications, such as microbridges and partially or fully blocked vias.

Masanori Numano, manager of the Material and Process Engineering Group at Toshiba Oita, said, "Our evaluation and beta testing of KLA-Tencor's new Puma 9150 system demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity and increased defect capture, including low-profile line-short defects in copper CMP layers that were not found by our previous darkfield systems. We have already begun using the system on our most advanced production line."

Building on the success of the Puma 9110/9130 systems, launched in September 2006 and already tool of record in advanced fabs, KLA-Tencor has shipped Puma 9150 systems to memory and logic customers in all chipmaking regions, including multiple systems to several fabs. The system is being used for 65nm production, 45nm ramp, and sub-45nm R&D. As the darkfield inspection market's leading platform, Puma-series systems have been installed at 18 of the world's top 20 chipmakers. To protect chipmakers' investments in optical inspection, all Puma 91xx systems are field-upgradeable to 9150 specifications.