Applied Materials Announces Major Advancement for Defect Detection
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 1999--
WF-736 XS System Adds High Sensitivity Detection and
Automation Technology for Increased Productivity
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT), introduces the WF-736 XS system, a significant enhancement of its breakthrough WF-736 defect detection technology.
The WF-736 XS features major advancements in defect sensitivity
and capture rate for defects in devices using geometries as small as
0.15 micron. Improvements in light collection technology allow the
capture of smaller defects with an extremely low false or "nuisance"
defect rate. The new features also enable users to process many more
wafers per hour in each system for greater productivity.
"In designing the WF-736 XS, our efforts have been focused at
increasing peak sensitivity to enable volume manufacturing at
extremely small geometries," said Dr. Gino Addiego, president of
Applied Materials' Process Diagnostics and Control Group.
"Our new Customized Light Collection technology allows customers
to detect smaller defects, particularly on dense and repetitive
patterns. The system also features remarkably fast turnaround times
for setting up and changing process recipes. In production
environments, especially where many new setups are required, customers
have been able to develop a recipe and optimize the defect process in
as little as 15 minutes.
"This latest upgrade continues the extended list of technology
'firsts' pioneered by our WF series systems. The WF-736 was the first
system to offer the advantages of combined darkfield-brightfield
detection technology, which dramatically increased the number and
types of defects chipmakers could detect. It was also the first system
to have On-The-Fly Automatic Defect Classification that enabled
customers to determine specific defect types and prioritize their
importance. We are now further elevating the system automation to
provide a new level of utilization and effectiveness."
One of the key features of the WF-736 XS is an automatic
recipe-making enhancement that selects the detection parameters, then
optimizes the defect scanning. Best-Known-Method (BKM) libraries in
the recipe database enable the user to quickly create a recipe based
on similar conditions. Users can save substantial amounts of time
formerly needed for recipe creation and setup, and the technology
requires far less training for operation.
Another unique feature of the WF-736 XS is its advanced
multi-tasking capability, which allows operators to input data
simultaneous to inspection. Results at customer fabs have shown up to
25 percent higher net output because of the increased utilization.
The WF-736 XS technology is being extensively used at Applied
Materials' Equipment and Process Integration Center (EPIC) in Santa
Clara, California, for inspection of a wide variety of copper and
aluminum interconnect processes. The EPIC facility enables the tool to
inspect very advanced wafers as well as test next-generation
technology for advanced process development within Applied Materials.
The enhancements made to the WF-736 XS have been engineered to
allow previous WF-736 systems to be retrofitted in the field with the
latest technology. The WF-736 XS is also available for use with 300mm
wafers.
According to Dataquest, a market research firm, the market for
wafer defect detection systems totaled $359 million in 1998, and is
projected to grow to $867 million by the year 2003.
Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company
and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and
services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is
traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol "AMAT."
Applied Materials' web site is www.appliedmaterials.com.
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CONTACT: Applied Materials, Inc.
Betty Newboe, 408/563-0647 (Editorial/Media)
Carolyn Schwartz, 408/748-5227 (Financial Community)
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED PRODUCT