|
HILLSBORO, Ore., Feb 07, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall
via COMTEX/ -- FEI Company (Nasdaq: FEIC) and IMEC,
Europe's leading independent nano-electronics and
nano-technology research center based in Leuven, Belgium,
today announced that they have commenced a joint development
project (JDP) for advanced metrology and analysis
techniques for (sub)-45nm technologies.
The JDP will focus
on providing ultra-high resolution process diagnostic
information in a production environment in support
of process development for 45nm and smaller technologies.
IMEC will introduce a full suite of FEI's UltraView(TM)
tools in its process R&D pilot line for these
development efforts.
For the measurement
of critical dimensions and analysis of layers and
structures in the (sub)- 45 nm node, standard imaging
and analysis methods will be no longer capable of
providing sufficient information that chipmakers require
to accurately analyze, predict and maximize yield
and transistor performance. Metrology and chemical
analysis with sub-nanometer resolution will be required
to develop, ramp and produce these devices, while
at the same time keeping to 18-24 month process development
cycles. FEI's UltraView solution was designed to meet
these challenges while also allowing product wafers
to continue in the manufacturing process.
Ultraview gives access
to site specific, sub-angstrom resolution for both
metrology and chemical analysis of structures and
layers both at the surface and subsurface, with fast
time to result while preserving the wafer for further
processing and analysis. UltraView makes use of FEI's
most advanced tools for sample preparation and ultra-high
resolution imaging and analysis, including FEI's in-fab
Defect Analyzer(TM) 300 HP equipped with NanoLift(TM).
Identified defects are rapidly milled and transferred
to a sealed transfer capsule via a fully automated
process. Wafers remain in the process flow as the
sample, in its sealed environment, proceeds to the
lab for thinning and advanced STEM and TEM analysis.
Together, these tools deliver unmatched cost of ownership
for next generation semiconductor fab processes.
About FEI Company:
FEI's Tools for Nanotech(TM),
featuring focused ion- and electron-beam technologies,
deliver 3D characterization, analysis and modification
capabilities with resolution down to the sub-Angstrom
level. With R&D centers in North America and Europe,
and sales and service operations in more the 40 countries
around the world, FEI is bringing the nanoscale within
the grasp of leading researchers and manufacturers
and helping to turn some of the biggest ideas of this
century into reality. More information can be found
on the FEI website at: www.feicompany.com.
SOURCE FEI Company
|
