Nova and Sokudo Integrate NovaScan CD Metrology on RF3 Track Systems
KYOTO, Japan and REHOVOT, Israel, February 26 - Sokudo Co., Ltd. and Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. today announced that
Nova's optical critical dimension (CD) metrology platform has been qualified on Sokudo's RF3 coat/develop track systems. The combined solution provides less than 0.8 nanometer (nm), 3 sigma CD uniformity and, through Sokudo's suite of bake technology, offers customers the processing flexibility to meet their most challenging process control requirements in volume production.
The RF3 coat/develop track platform, which includes the RF3S and RF3T systems, is Sokudo's most advanced lithography track platform, and has demonstrated high productivity and reliability for advanced manufacturing. Its flexible architecture provides customers with an extendible platform solution for both dry and immersion lithography. Nova's
NovaScan® 3090Next Integrated Metrology (IM) with NovaMARS advanced modeling and application development software was qualified on the RF3 platform at Applied's Maydan Technology Center in Sunnyvale, CA. Sokudo's RF3S system with integrated NovaScan CD metrology began shipping to customers in January, 2008.
According to Mohsen Salek, general manager of Sokudo, "We teamed with Nova to integrate optical metrology on our systems because of Nova's strong optical CD and CD modeling technology. The addition of the
NovaScan® and NovaMARS platforms to Sokudo's products strengthens Sokudo's ability to provide customers with the most advanced track solutions."
The NovaScan 3090Next is an advanced metrology platform for Optical CD Control & shape-profiling, implementing polarized normal incidence spectroscopic scatterometry with an extended Deep UV (DUV) and IR spectral range. It provides the high throughput, reliability and tool-to-tool matching required for high volume measurements on the RF3. The NovaMARS delivers an automatic solution for advanced structure modeling and application development for the 45nm technology node and beyond - and can be used both for optical CD and for scatterometry overlay applications.
Avi Magid, executive vice president of Global Business at Nova, adds: "The RF3 coat/develop system incorporates several significant advances in track equipment technology and provides leading CD control, throughput, and reliability. We are happy to be working with Sokudo to further complement the track's technology with the leading integrated metrology solution. This collaboration is a significant step towards the proliferation of integrated metrology into the lithography manufacturing process."
About Nova:
Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. develops, produces and markets advanced metrology solutions to the semiconductor process control market. The company is the provider of leading edge stand-alone metrology and the market leader of integrated metrology solutions. Nova is traded on the NASDAQ & TASE under the symbol NVMI. The company's website is www.nova.co.il.
About Sokudo:
Sokudo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is a joint venture company owned by Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. and Applied Materials, Inc.
for the advancement of semiconductor coat/develop track equipment. The company's website is www.sokudo.com.
Source: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd
