Hamamatsu’s Products for Optical Inspection, Metrology and Monitoring to Improve Yield and Accuracy for Semiconductor Processes

Pursuing small critical dimensions (i.e. 14 nm or below) and high integration bring us lots of physical defects causing low yield and functionality failures for foundries. Under this circumstance, inspection, metrology and monitoring technologies are unprecedentedly vital for development of semiconductor industry. Optical and electron beam solutions are the most common two methods in semiconductor manufacturing. Hamamatsu Photonics is now aiming at optical inspection, metrology and monitoring systems market by providing light sources, photodetectors and failure analysis systems for semiconductor equipment manufacturers, foundries and research institutions. In this paper, features and potential applications of light sources, photodetectors (like image sensors, photomultiplier tubes/modules, silicon photomultipliers (modules), (avalanche) photodiodes (arrays) and so on), with the wavelengths ranging from UV to Infrared, are mainly discussed. In addition, Hamamatsu’s star product – failure analysis system to quickly locate faults or defects are introduced. In conclusion, Hamamatsu Photonics is dedicated to develop large varieties of light sources and optical sensors/detector/modules along with failure analysis systems and willing to improve the development of semiconductor and related industries, especially in China.