MS NEWS & EVENTS






				German Fraunhofer Institute Purchases Metrosol's VUV-7000 Optical Metrology Tool System to be Installed at the Institute of Integrated Systems & Device Technology (IISB) Erlangen, Germany in Program Demonstrating VUV Measurement Technologies for Advanced Films Austin, TX - 20 May 2009 Metrosol, Inc., a developer, manufacturer and worldwide supplier of short wavelength optical metrology solutions, today announced that the Fraunhofer Institute in Erlangen, Germany, has purchased a Metrosol VUV-7000 automated in-line metrology system. Metrosol’s system provides fab engineers with a non-destructive spectral reflectometry tool operating in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) (down to 120 nm) wavelength for use on product wafers. The tool has been installed at the Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology. A joint program has been defined utilizing the VUV-7000 to provide a more comprehensive and accurate characterization of transistor and capacitor processing for future technology generations. Specific objectives will cover optical models for interfacial layers, higher-k and metal gate films, characterization of such materials on advanced substrates and development of measurement capabilities for memory based gate stack applications that are being introduced in the semiconductor industry for use at the 45nm and smaller design nodes. “The VUV wavelengths down to 120nm will provide unique characterization capability of advanced materials that Fraunhofer is investigating now in advanced technology nodes” said Prof. Dr. Lothar Pfitzner, Fraunhofer IISB. “The sensitivity to advanced films provided by the Tru-VUV® wavelengths will provide us with films information at a potential high throughput that will provide the control needed for high-k stacks with interfacial layers and other advanced film stacks that we are beginning to use in our research towards new technology nodes.” Optimized for semiconductor metrology applications such as measuring the thickness and composition of thin films used to build gate structures, the VUV-7000 is currently the only production-worthy tool capable of measuring both film thickness and composition simultaneously. Gauge-capable even for films well below 10Å, Metrosol’s new metrology platform can measure optical properties at beyond 193 nm down to 120 nm, while delivering the required level of sensitivity to N content, as well as other low-Z elements. “The new films being adopted at the 45 nm node and below are helping the semiconductor industry extend the life of Moore’s Law,” said Kevin Fahey, Metrosol’s CEO. “For example, high-k dielectric films are being adopted in gate and memory dielectric applications to help control leakage currents and lower equivalent oxide thicknesses. Variations in film composition or film thickness or interfacial layer can result in significant degradation in device performance. Our VUV-7000 metrology tool is able to extract both film thickness and composition in a single measurement, providing device manufacturers with a powerful production-worthy tool in their efforts to maximize device performance and yield.” As part of its advanced film characterization program, the Fraunhofer IISB will be using Metrosol’s new MetroSolver modeling and analysis software, which provides a powerful environment in which to develop optical models of thin film stacks from raw reflective data sets or to create film stack libraries. Metrosol’s new software environment offers customers the flexibility needed to determine the optical metrology models best suited for their particular processes. It is optimized to seamlessly utilize optical data gathered on Metrosol’s industry-leading VUV-7000 automated, in-line vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) metrology system and helps accelerate the ability to turn that data into analysis and gauge information that can be used to improve process yields and device performance. About Metrosol Metrosol, Inc., a developer, manufacturer and worldwide supplier of short wavelength optical metrology solutions, delivers advanced thin-film measurement systems that solve the needs of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing such as process monitoring and excursion suppression for high-k gate structures and multilayer dielectric stacks... Metrosol’s VUV optical metrology technology offers the only commercially available platform capable of collecting reflectance data in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength region down to 120 nm. , Metrosol is a privately-held company based in Austin, Texas. For information please go to www.metrosol.com. For more information, please contact: Metrosol Media Contact Christopher Castillo Castle Communications Phone: +1.408.244.0657 Metrosol Sales Contact Sean Jameson VP Sales Phone: +1.512.833.8750