Tencor™ P-170 Stylus Profiler

The Tencor P-170 stylus profiler is a cassette-to-cassette profiler offering step height measurement capability for steps from a few nanometers to one millimeter, for production environments. The profiler system supports 2D and 3D measurements of step heights, roughness, bow, and stress for scans up to 200mm without stitching. The Tencor P-170 has advanced pattern recognition algorithms, enhanced optics, and an advanced stage for robust performance and seamless recipe transportability between systems – a key requirement for a 24x7 production environment.

Product Description

The Tencor P-170 is a cassette-to-cassette profiler featuring the P-17’s industry leading benchtop system measurement performance and the HRP^®-260’s production proven handler. This combination provides a low cost of ownership solution for a handler-based system serving the semiconductor, compound semiconductor and related industries. The Tencor P-170 supports 2D and 3D measurements of step height, roughness, bow, and stress for scans up to 200mm without stitching.

Excellent measurement stability is achieved with the combination of the UltraLite^® sensor, constant force control and an ultra-flat scanning stage. Recipe setup is fast and easy with point-and-click stage controls, top and side view optics and a high-resolution camera with optical zoom. The Tencor P-170 supports 2D and 3D measurements, with a variety of filtering, leveling, and data analysis algorithms available to quantify the surface topography. Fully automated measurements are achieved with automated wafer handling, pattern recognition, sequencing and feature detection.

Features

Step height: Nanometers to 1000µm
Low force with constant force control: 0.03 to 50mg
Scan full diameter of the sample without stitching
Video: 5MP high-resolution color camera
Arc correction: Removes error due to arc motion of the stylus
Software: Easy-to-use software interface
Production capability: Fully automated with sequencing, pattern recognition and SECS/GEM
Wafer handler: Automatically loads 75mm through 200mm opaque (e.g., silicon) and transparent (e.g., sapphire) samples

Applications

Step height: 2D and 3D step height
Texture: 2D and 3D roughness and waviness
Form: 2D and 3D bow and shape
Stress: 2D and 3D thin film stress
Defect review: 2D and 3D defect surface topography

Industries

Semiconductor
Compound semiconductor
LED: Light emitting diodes
MEMS: Micro-electro-mechanical systems
Data storage
Automotive
And more: Contact us with your requirements

Step Height

The Tencor P-170 is capable of measuring 2D and 3D step heights from nanometers to 1000µm. This enables quantification of material deposited or removed during etch, sputter, deposition, spin coating, CMP and other processes. The Tencor P-170 has constant force control that dynamically adjusts to apply the same force on the sample surface, regardless of step height. This results in good measurement stability and enables accurate measurement of soft materials, such as photoresist.

Texture: Roughness and Waviness

The Tencor P-170 measures 2D and 3D texture, quantifying the sample’s roughness and waviness. Software filters separate the measurement into the roughness and waviness components and calculate parameters, such as the root mean square (RMS) roughness.

Form: Bow and Shape

The Tencor P-170 can measure the 2D shape or bow of a surface. This includes measurement from wafer bow that can result from mismatch between layers during device fabrication, such as deposition of multiple layers for the production of semiconductor or compound semiconductor devices. The Tencor P-170 can also quantify the height and radius of curvature of structures, such as a lens.

Stress: 2D and 3D Thin Film Stress

The Tencor P-170 is capable of measuring the stress induced during the manufacture of devices with multiple process layers, such as semiconductor or compound semiconductor devices. The bow of the sample is accurately measured using a stress chuck to support the sample in a neutral position. The change in shape from a process, such as film deposition, is then used to calculate the stress by applying Stoney’s equation. 2D stress is measured with a single scan across the sample diameter for samples up to 200mm without the need to stitch. 3D stress is measured using a combination of 2D scans, with the theta stage rotating between scans to measure the full sample surface.

Defect Review

Defect Review is used to measure the topography of defects, such as the depth of a scratch. Defect inspection tools identify defects and write the location coordinates to a KLARF file. The Defect Review feature reads the KLARF file, aligns the sample, and allows the user to select defects for 2D or 3D measurement.

The options for the Tencor™ P-170 Stylus Profiler are available to add on with your new product, or in the future. Contact your sales rep to learn more.

Stylus Options

The Tencor P-170 has a variety of styli available to support the measurement of step heights, high aspect ratio steps, roughness, sample bow, and stress. The tip radius ranges from 40nm to 50µm and determines the lateral resolution of the measurement. The included angle ranges from 20 to 100 degrees, which specifies the maximum aspect ratio of the measured feature. All styli are manufactured from diamond to reduce wear and increase stylus lifetime.

Sample Chucks

The Tencor P-170 has a range of chucks available to support application requirements. The standard is a vacuum chuck with support for measuring samples from 75 to 200mm. A stress chuck is available with 3-point locators to support the sample in a neutral position for accurate bow measurements. Additional options for bowed wafer sample handling are available.

Handler Options

The Tencor P-170 handler includes an aligner for opaque wafers (e.g., GaAs) and a cassette station for 200mm wafers. Options include transparent sample alignment (e.g., sapphire), smaller sample sizes ranging from 75mm to 150mm, a second cassette station, a cassette slot mapper, a signal tower, and an ionizer.

Isolation Tables

The Tencor P-170 is configured with the TMC 68-500 Series free-standing isolation table, which uses air isolators to provide passive isolation. This is a custom isolation table that meets SEMI S8 ergonomic requirements, placing the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and cassette station at the correct ergonomic height.

Step Height Standards

The Tencor P-170 uses thin and thick film NIST-traceable step height standards offered by VLSI Standards. The standards feature an oxide step on a silicon die mounted on a quartz block, or an etched quartz step with a chrome coating. 200mm wafer based step height standards are also available. A step height range of 8nm to 250µm is available.

Apex Analysis Software

Apex analysis software enhances the standard data analysis capability of the Tencor P-170 with an extended suite of leveling, filtering, step height, roughness, and surface topography analysis techniques. Apex supports ISO roughness calculation methods, plus local standards, such as ASME. Apex can also serve as a report writing platform with the capability to add text, annotations, and pass/fail criteria. Apex is offered in eleven languages.

Offline Analysis Software

The Tencor P-170 offline software has the same data analysis and recipe creation capability that exists on the tool. This enables the user to create recipes and analyze data without using valuable tool time.

Pattern Recognition

Pattern recognition uses pre-taught patterns to automatically align the sample. This enables fully automated measurements for enhanced measurement stability by reducing the impact of operator error. Pattern recognition combined with advanced calibrations reduces stage positioning error and enables seamless transfer of recipes between systems.

SECS/GEM and HSMS

SECS/GEM and HSMS communications support factory automation systems and enable remote control of the Tencor P-170. Measurements results are automatically reported to host SPC systems, plus alarms and key calibration/configuration data. The Tencor P-170 is compliant with SEMI standards E4, E5, E30, and E37.

General Information about Stylus-based Surface Profilers from KLA Instruments^™

This application note discusses components and technologies specific to the KLA Instruments stylus profilers, including topography measurement, force control, scanning mechanism, stylus types and dimensions, and stylus profilometry applications.

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Multi-Step Analysis Function: Powerful Analytics from KLA Instruments^™ Surface Profilers

Multi-Step Analysis is a new automated algorithm that automatically measures step height/trench depth for up to 30 features along a scan profile, including automatic cursor placement. This capability significantly improves time-to-results and removes measurement variability relative to previous manual methods.

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Topography Sensor Technology for Stylus Profilers

The topography sensor is one component of the stylus measurement head, which is used to track the surface of the sample being measured. Three major sensor types are LVDT, Optical Lever and LVDC, and this application note discusses the design of each.

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Precision Depth Measurement of Shallow SIMS Craters using a KLA Instruments^™ Stylus Profilometer

The depth of SIMS craters generated by ion beam milling is used to determine the concentration of impurities. The objective of this application note is to present a technique to accurately measure the depth of shallow SIMS craters using a stylus profiler.

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Profiler Pattern Recognition Selection

KLA Instruments^™ Tencor^™ P-Series stylus profilometers offer pattern recognition capability for automated surface analysis. This application note describes pattern recognition and its usage for automated sample alignment for the Tencor P-7, P-17, P-170, and HRP-260 profilometers.

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Stylus Product Line

KLA Instruments^™ stylus profilometers may be used with different styli to optimize measurements for specific applications. The KLA profilers, including the Alpha-Step^® D-Series, Tencor^™ P-Series and High Resolution Profiler (HRP^®) Series all use the same stylus design. This application note discusses the various types of styli available for these stylus profilometers and typical applications for their use.

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3D Surface Measurement Parameters

When using the Tencor^™ P-7, P-17 and P-170, and HRP^®-260 surface profilometers, the user sets up scan recipes which include calculations of various 3D surface metrology measurement parameters, including surface roughness. This application note provides mathematical detail regarding the equations used to generate the parameter values.

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2D Surface Measurement Parameters

When using the Tencor^™ P-7, P-17 and P-170, and HRP^®-260 surface profilometers, the user sets up scan recipes which include calculations of various 2D surface metrology measurement parameters, including surface roughness. This application note provides mathematical detail regarding the equations used to generate the parameter values.

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Thin Film Stress Measurements using KLA Stylus-Based Profilers

For Tencor^™ and P-Series stylus profilers, the full-diameter profile measurement can be taken before and after film deposition to calculate the induced thin film stress. Hardware and software usage recommendations are also included.

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Apex Software

Stylus profilers from KLA Instruments are available with advanced 2D/3D surface analysis software to provide additional insight into profilometer measurement data. The Apex software includes data processing, analysis, visualization and reporting capabilities for both 2D profiles and 3D topography.

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Tencor P-17 and Tencor P-17 OF Stylus Profilers

Tencor™ P-17 & Tencor™ P-17 OF Stylus Profilers

The industry-leading Tencor P-17 is the latest generation benchtop stylus profiler built on over 40 years of surface metrology experience, providing precise 2D and 3D step height and surface roughness measurements for R&D and production environments.

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HRP^®-260 Stylus Profiler

Built for high throughput and the reliability required in a production environment, the HRP-260 stylus profilometer combines high resolution, long scan capability and cassette-to-cassette wafer handling.

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The Zeta-388 non-contact 3D optical profiler combines the Zeta-300 system with a cassette-to-cassette wafer handler, pattern recognition, automated data analysis and SECS/GEM to support production measurement requirements.

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The Profilm3D^® and Zeta^™ optical profilometers offer fast, non-contact solutions for 3D step height, roughness, and other surface topography measurements, leveraging interferometer and ZDot™ measurement techniques.

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Tencor™ P-170 Stylus Profiler

Tencor™ P-170 Stylus Profiler

Product Description

Features

Applications

Industries

Step Height

Texture: Roughness and Waviness

Form: Bow and Shape

Stress: 2D and 3D Thin Film Stress

Defect Review

Stylus Options

Sample Chucks

Handler Options

Isolation Tables

Step Height Standards

Apex Analysis Software

Offline Analysis Software

Pattern Recognition