Olympus Integrated Technologies America Demonstrates Broadband DUV Imaging on the FR3200 Wafer Inspection and Automated Defect Review System at SEMICON West Booth #244.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Olympus Integrated Technologies America (Olympus-ITA), a subsidiary of Olympus Corporation of Japan and a leader in quality inspection and defect review systems, will demonstrate its FR3200 200 and 300mm Wafer Inspection and Automated Defect Review System at SEMICON West, July 17-19, 2007 at booth #244. In addition to the broad range of visible light imaging methods, the system integrates a new Broadband DUV technology for better material contrast and characterization on advanced films and materials. The new multiple band DUV optics provide imaging in single or combined UV and DUV bands. With the advent of many new materials in front-end processing, this flexible multiple band DUV observation method will be very powerful in characterization of advanced material defects.

Observation techniques of the FR3200 include Bright Field, Dark Field, Differential Interference Contrast (Nomarski), Confocal, UV and Multi-Band UV, allowing the user to observe inspection points and defects under a wide variety of optics, magnifications and illumination. A tracking laser auto focus keeps the wafer focused in all observation modes. Images of the wafer are displayed in a live video window and automatically captured and stored. The FR3200 also includes macro observation under various selectable wavelength illuminations.

In order to provide a well focused image on all process steps, a variety of focus methods are necessary. The FR3200 provides a multi spot laser auto focus, focus offsets, video contrast auto focus, and extended focus imaging methods. The focus method can be programmed as part of the inspection or defect review recipe, allowing the user to tune the recipe for best image quality at each process step, ensuring the most consistent and accurate inspection and defect review results.

The FR3200's Extended Focus Imaging (EFI) allows the user to capture images at various focal planes and quickly combine them into a single image with a greatly increased depth of focus. EFI is indispensable when observing tall film stacks or when trying to observe defects in deep trenches. Without this feature it might not be possible to see defects at certain layers and the amount of information provided by the image can be severely decreased.

The FR3200 is delivered standard with manual inspection software, manual defect review software (MDR), and automated defect review (ADR) software. Automated defect classification (ADC) software is optional. The ADC software option will automatically classify defects and update the KLARF files for export to the yield management system or downstream tools.

The system is equipped with Olympus Software Framework (OSF) architecture, a very flexible architecture that allows software development for new applications and features to be developed quickly by re-using existing software components. OSF's flexibility enables the tool to be very configurable, meeting a variety of applications in many parts of the fab so there can be a common inspection and review platform in almost all parts of the fab, both front and back end. Common platforms save hardware, facilities, training, and operation costs to reduce overall CoO.

The FR3200 provides both 200 and 300mm inspection and review capabilities in a single system with minimal footprint. A flexible load port configuration makes the system adaptable to any manufacturing layout requirement. The system can be configured with any combination of SEMI-E63 Bolts-M compatible load ports and can be configured so that the tool has 200 and 300mm capability simultaneously without any setup or change required. High speed robotic wafer handling helps ensure high throughput.

For Photo of FR3200 see link below: http://www.olympus-ita.com/images/FR3200_system.jpg

About Olympus-Integrated Technologies of America

Olympus Integrated Technologies America, Inc. (Olympus-ITA) was founded in March 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. Specializing in semiconductor products and systems for wafer inspection and defect review, Olympus-ITA is responsible for sales and marketing of semiconductor systems in the United States and is also the application software development R&D center for Olympus semiconductor products. Its location in San Jose, California, enables the company to respond quickly to provide sales, service, and support to semiconductor companies throughout the United States. For more information contact Greg Baker at 408-514-3918, email [e-mail], or visit our website at www.olympus-ita.com.