Wafer-inspection system handles 45-nm lithography

The Applied UVision 3 system from Applied Materials is a deep ultraviolet (DUV) brightfield wafer-inspection tool that offers the sensitivity necessary for 45-nm front end of line (FEOL) and immersion lithography. Compared to the original UVision technology, the UVision 3 system triples the number of laser beams scanning a wafer to provide 40% faster throughput.

Two new imaging modes extend sensitivity to 20 nm, and an automatic defect-classification engine enables faster yield learning and quick access to defects of interest. By coupling laser DUV architecture with a sensitive photomultiplier tube (PMT) and variable polarization, the UVision 3 system also meets the challenges of 32-nm memory devices.

Applied Materials, www.appliedmaterials.com.