KLA-Tencor Announces First Shipment of LMS IPRO5 Next-Generation Reticle Metrology System

Date Announced: 07 Jun 2011

Accelerating Advanced Reticle Development and Manufacturing.

MILPITAS, Calif., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today KLA-Tencor Corporation™ (NASDAQ:KLAC - News) announced shipment of the first LMS IPRO5 reticle pattern placement metrology system. The recipient, the Advanced Mask Technology Center (AMTC) in Dresden, Germany, intends to use the system to support development of advanced reticle technology that will be used to pattern the most critical layers of the industry's next-generation integrated circuits.

The development of the LMS IPRO5 was partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through project CDuR32, "Critical Dimension and Registration for 32nm Mask Lithography." The purpose of the CDuR32 project is to accelerate advanced reticle development and manufacturing for the Dresden region, already recognized as a European center for electronics.

CDuR32 is also aligned with the goals of the European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council (ENIAC) to help expand Europe's position in nanoelectronics. Access to leading-edge metrology equipment is crucial to ensuring that reticle features are sized and positioned within the narrow tolerances specified for next-generation chip manufacturing.

The German Metrology Institute (PTB) made significant contributions to the project. They developed a reference metrology system for the LMS IPRO5 to validate length and straightness measurements and enable calibration of the tool. PTB scientists also investigated the potential applicability of scatterometry and electron and scanning probe microscopy for mask metrology, through basic experimental and theoretical work.

At the outset of the project, the LMS IPRO product group was part of the Microelectronic Inspection Equipment (MIE) division of Vistec Semiconductor Systems. In September 2008, the MIE division was acquired by KLA-Tencor. Development and manufacturing of the industry-leading LMS IPRO product line remains in Weilburg, Germany. The next-generation system, the LMS IPRO5, is designed to support the stringent precision and repeatability requirements for pattern placement metrology of reticles supporting advanced lithography techniques and 3Xnm to 2Xnm node devices.

Source: KLA-Tencor

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