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MetaPULSE-II System

The MetaPULSE-II™ System is the second generation of Rudolph's highly successful patented picosecond ultrasonic laser sonar (PULSE™) technology for opaque film metrology. Designed for the advanced applications that will be required at the 90, 65, and 45 nm technology nodes, the MetaPULSE-II features a smaller spot size, higher throughput, improved performance on low-k and ultra low-k materials, and a multi-mode detector for measuring post-CMP narrow line structures. The new expert application system (EASy™) software, based on years of in-fab experience, simplifies challenging applications for novice and experienced users

Overview

  • Designed for advanced copper applications, higher throughput and better repeatability are achieved when measuring structures with low-k and ultra low-k interlevel-dielectric (ILD) materials
  • Industry-leading post-CMP copper thickness profiling of dense sub-micron array structures for erosion process control
  • Robust recipes to measure structures containing different materials, single layer films ranging in thickness from Angstroms to microns, and films such as silicides that change properties as they are processed are available with the EASy software
  • Finding and aligning to the smaller structures used in advanced semiconductor devices is made simple with a high-resolution microscope that provides sharp, clear images for site sizes down to 30 micron by 30 micron
  • Offers high-throughput thickness measurements of opaque films or film stacks ranging in thickness from 40 Angstroms to 5 microns with Angstrom accuracy and sub-Angstrom repeatability
  • Accurate, independent measurements of the thickness of each individual layer in a film stack are made with virtual immunity to interference from underlying structures by the time-separated results of the laser sonar technique
  • On-product measurements are enabled with the small laser spot size and non-contact, non-destructive measurement method
  • In addition to thickness, PULSE Technology can determine RMS roughness, material density, adhesion, material phase, and interlayer reactions, as well as low-k and ultra low-k ILD modulus
  • Fast, accurate measurements of product wafers are achieved with field-proven wafer handling and robust pattern recognition
  • Meets industry standards for 200mm and 300mm automation