Stylus Profilers for Metrology Applications

KLA Instruments’ Alpha-Step stylus profilers, Tencor P-series stylus profilometers, and HRP-series stylus profilometers deliver high-precision 2D and 3D surface metrology, measuring step height, surface roughness, bow, stress and other challenging analyses by generating reliable, precise data with industry-leading stability and reliability.

Nano Technology Solutions is the exclusive distributor of KLA Instruments and supplies, installs, supports surface metrology products and accessories across Australia and New Zealand. We have KLA factory-trained engineers on these metrology products and can guide you on the right configuration suitable for your research needs.

Contact us to discuss your specific requirements and applications.

KLA Instruments provide the following range of Stylus Profilers with different sensing technologies and features suitable for a wide range of applications:

• Alpha-Step ‘Development’-Series bench-top systems suitable for R&D and product development
• Tencor ‘Production’-Series systems suitable for R&D, semiconductor and pilot-scale applications
• HRP-Series Automated High-Resolution systems suitable for high-throughput industrial-scale applications

Alpha-Step Stylus Profilers

Since the launch of the Alpha-Step 100 stylus profilometer in 1977, KLA’s technical experts have continued to bring key innovations such as advanced topography sensors, ultra-flat scanning stages, and fully automated measurement capability to market. The Alpha-Step® D-500 and D-600 are the latest generation of the Alpha-Step stylus profilers. The innovative Optical Lever sensor technology offers high-resolution measurements, a large vertical range, and low force measurement capability. The Alpha-Step combines time-tested technical capability with the smallest system footprint for a benchtop stylus profiler. It is designed for universities, research labs, and institutes, ideal for low-volume, pilot production lines, and R&D. It is very easy to use, allowing any user to quickly generate measurement data with minimal training.

For detailed information on features, characterisation methods and applications of Alpha-Step D-Series Profilers, click here.

Tencor P-Series Profilers

KLA P-series Stylus Profilers have been chosen by leading Australian Universities, CSIRO, and Defence Science &Technology Group. They are ‘Production series’ instruments ideal for the demands of greater performance at Semiconductor fabs and pilot-level R&D applications. The unmatched performance of P-Series Profilers is achieved by KLA’s revolutionary UltraLite® sensor which delivers ultra-high Z resolution of 0.001Å and sub-Angstrom resolution throughout the vertical range, enabling high-resolution scans across entire surfaces for a wide range of samples. The UltraLite® sensor is an LVDC sensor with the lowest mass, lowest noise, and highest resolution of any sensor available today. It is the only sensor technology with constant force control over the entire vertical range.

Following are the products available for different operational requirements:

• Tencor P-7: The P-7 is a best-selling Benchtop Stylus Profiler system with a programmable 150mm scan stage for measuring samples without the need for stitching. It provides single view optics from the top or side for process monitoring.
• Tencor P-17: The P-17 is an upgraded system with a 200 mm scan stage for measuring larger samples, with options for further upgrades. It provides both top and side view optics simultaneously which enables easy site reaching, pattern recognition, and visualisation of the stylus during a measurement. The P-17 combines automation with high reliability for addressing production applications where a wafer handler is not required.
• Tencor P-170: The P-170 system is a cassette-to-cassette profiler featuring the industry-leading measurement performance of the P-17 stylus profiler and the HRP-260 system’s production-proven handler. It is a multi-purpose tool designed for 24×7 production environments with the capacity for fully automated measurements, automated wafer handling, pattern recognition, sequencing, and feature detection.

 

Advantages

• 2D and 3D step heights from nanometres to 1mm
• 2D and 3D texture, roughness and waviness.
• 2D and 3D shape or wafer bow, radius of curvature.
• 2D and 3D stress metrology for AlTiC, GaAs, Si, SiC, and sapphire wafers
• Automated defect identification and topography characterisation

 

Applications

• LED and power devices
• MEMS and optical devices
• Semiconductor wafer characterisation
• Data storage industrial processes
• Consumer electronics industry
• Textile industrial processes
• SIMS Crater characterisation
• Biomedical
• 5G Applications

 

 

For detailed information on features, characterisation methods and applications of Tencor P-Series Profilers, click here.

HRP-Series Stylus Profilers

The HRP-260 system is an automated high-resolution, cassette-to-cassette stylus profiler, offering production proven performance with automated wafer handling capability for high-throughput applications and 24×7 production environments. It offers all of the same characterisations mentioned above for Alpha-Step profilers. For detailed information on features, characterisation methods and applications of HRP-Series Profilers, click here.

 

Advantages

• Dual-stage capability with full wafer scanning without stitching
• 2D and 3D measurements with filtering, levelling, and data analysis algorithms
• Fully automated, material-independent measurement mechanisms
• Fast and easy recipe setup and process monitoring

Applications

• LED and Power Devices
• MEMS and Optical Devices
• Semiconductor Wafer characterisation
• Data Storage industrial processes

 

Software Features

The Apex software platform extends the analysis and reporting capabilities of the systems. Apex is fully integrated into the profiler software, with a simple and intuitive format that allows for easy creation of customised reports and automatic processing of data. The offline software has the same data analysis and recipe creation capability that exists on the tool. This enables the user to create recipes and analyse data without using valuable tool time.The software includes multiple features to improve ease of use and productivity:

• Automatic feature detection to place cursors relative to the detected step
• High and low pass filtering for roughness and waviness data analysis
• Thin film stress and sample bow calculation
• 2D step heights with cursors analysis
• Multiple cursors for characterisation of multiple features within a single scan trace
• Extensive suite of surface parameters including slope, flatness, and bearing ratio, and roughness parameters supporting international and regional standards.
• Thin and thick film NIST-traceable step height standards are offered by VLSI Standards.
• 4x digital zoom with advanced controls to keep the stylus centred in the field of view
• Multiple language support
• Advanced filtering, levelling, and analysis functions
• Manual stitching to increase the total scan length beyond the scanning length of the sample stage

Hardware Features

All KLA Stylus profilers have the following hardware features:

• Sample Chucks: The standard is a nickel-plated aluminium chuck for the Alpha stylus profilers and a universal vacuum chuck with precision locating pins for the Tencor Stylus Profilers. Sizes vary for each instrument. A flat black chuck is available for transparent samples to minimise reflection from the chuck surface. A universal chuck includes precision locating pins for samples and enables a sample vacuum hold. Both the standard and universal chucks support stress measurements with 3-point pin locators to hold the sample in a neutral position for accurate bow measurements. Additional options for solar samples, HDD disks, and 200mm universal chucks are available.
• Top or Side View Optic: The Tencor profilers can be configured with either top view or side view optics, both incorporating an automated stylus lift for increased sample protection. The top view enables easy sample positioning with the stylus offset from the field of view, as well as pattern recognition. The side view provides real-time viewing for verification of the scan position.
• Isolation Tables: All profilers come with both tabletop and free-standing passive isolation options. The Granite Isolator™ Series offers tabletop isolation systems that combine granite with high-grade silicone gel. The Onyx Series tabletop isolation systems use pneumatic air isolators, and the TMC 63-500 Series isolation tables consist of a free-standing steel frame table with pneumatic air isolators. The P-170 is configured with a free-standing isolation table, which uses air isolators to provide passive isolation. This custom isolation table meets SEMI S8 ergonomic requirements, placing the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and a cassette station at the correct ergonomic height.

Stylus Options

The KLA profilers, including the Alpha-Step® D-Series, Tencor™ P-Series and High Resolution Profilers (HRP) Series, all use the same stylus parts. Each stylus is designed to optimise performance for specific applications, and if none of the styli discussed here meet your specific application requirements, KLA has 40+ years of stylus development expertise to assist with custom stylus designs.

2-50μm Radius Styli

The standard stylus that comes with the KLA stylus profilers has a 2 μm radius with a 60° included angle. Applications include step height, roughness, and stress measurements. Other large radii styli (2, 5, 12.5, 25 and 50 μm) are typically used when lower sample pressure is required and/or for very fast scanning speeds.

Knife Edge Stylus

The knife edge stylus has a 2 μm radius and 60° included angle, with a 50 μm long edge perpendicular to the scan direction. This stylus is primarily used for features that have a rounded top, where measuring across the exact peak of the feature is critical.

2μm HAR Stylus

This stylus supports the measurement of larger, higher aspect ratio (up to 2:1) features, e.g., 50 μm wide, 100 μm deep. An example application is the measurement of photoresist via etch for a copper pillar process.

Submicron HAR Styli

The Submicron styli have either a 0.2 μm or 0.5 μm radius with a 40° included cone angle. This stylus has a faceted pyramidal shape at the tip, which is common for all styli with a tip radius < 1 μm. This stylus is for trench or via depths that have an aspect ratio greater than 1:1 and can also be used for higher resolution roughness measurements.

Submicron Stylus

The Submicron stylus has a 0.2 μm radius with > 90° included angle. This stylus is typically used for higher resolution roughness measurements but can also support standard step height applications

DuraSharp Styli

The DuraSharp styli can only be used in the Tencor P-Series and HRP-Series stylus profilers . They have a 0.04 ± 0.01 μm radius with 40 ± 5° included angle. The DuraSharp stylus is designed for surface characterisation that requires high resolution measurements or small, high aspect ratio features. Examples includes post-CMP surface characterisation measurements such as copper dishing, erosion, and recess, shallow trench isolation, tungsten plug recess and local surface roughness characterisation of both metals and dielectrics. The DuraSharp, when combined with the HRP scanning stage, can provide very high lateral resolution measurements for analysing small, high aspect ratio features or metal grain structures.

UltraSharp Stylus

The UltraSharp stylus has a 0.02 ± 0.01 μm radius, a 20 ± 5° included angle, and an exposure > 0.7 μm. can only be used with the HRP-Series profilers, using the high-resolution scanning stage. This stylus is recommended for applications with shallow sidewalls, such as measuring very high resolution surface roughness and CMP dishing, erosion, and recess.

Contact us for more information…****