The challenges of wafer metrology encountered in the semiconductor back-end process, where more work is traditionally carried out manually than in front-end process control, are addressed by an automatic wafer measurement system released by the industrial metrology business unit of Nikon Corporation. The primary target for NEXIV VMZ-NWL 200 is measurement centered on semiconductor manufacturing processes in the back-end.
The NEXIV VMZ-NWL 200 alleviates the shortage of skilled technicians for manual measurement. The semiconductor industry has developed along the path of miniaturization, which has increased the skill level required for measurement and reduced the number of available engineers. On the other hand, the
Source: Nikon Corporation semiconductor market continues to expand so the increasing metrology opportunities are being offered to ever fewer people. As a result, manual measurements using conventional optical microscopes have reached their limits.
This system automatically measures 6-inch or 8-inch wafers held in a carrier according to a measurement program. High repeatability of measurement is ensured by the reliability of the NEXIV and stable wafer loading using the NWL. The system allows intuitive selection of the chip to be measured using dedicated software. Therefore, anyone is able to achieve the chip measurement results required with a high degree of reliability. In addition, it is possible to trace when the measurement was performed and by which program, helping to improve traceability.
The system is designed with safety in mind and a protective cover is provided to prevent possible damage due to operator error. Operation meets SEMI international standards S2, S8, and F47.
