Wafer Manufacturing Portfolio Overview
KLA's wafer manufacturing portfolio comprises defect inspection, review, metrology, and data management systems that play a crucial role in ensuring quality throughout the wafer fabrication process. These specialized tools not only assess wafer surface quality but also detect, count, and bin defects during production, thereby significantly contributing to outgoing wafer qualification. Moreover, wafer geometry systems ensure that the wafer shape remains extremely flat and uniform in thickness, with precise control over wafer shape topography. Additionally, data analysis and management systems proactively identify and address wafer/substrate fabrication process excursions that could potentially lead to yield loss.
In Situ Process Monitoring and Solutions
KLA's wafer manufacturing systems also include in situ process monitoring solutions, which assist engineers in visualizing, diagnosing, and controlling process and wafer handling conditions. These solutions prove to be invaluable in supporting process development, production monitoring, and final quality checks for a wide array of substrate types and sizes, including silicon, prime silicon, SOI, sapphire, glass, GaAs, SiC, GaN, InP, GaSb, Ge, LiTaO3, LiNBO3, and epitaxial wafers. By offering comprehensive support across various materials and sizes, KLA enables manufacturers to optimize their processes efficiently.
WaferSight™ 2+ Bare Wafer Geometry Metrology System
The WaferSight™ 2+ bare wafer geometry metrology system stands out as a key offering from KLA, specifically designed to qualify polished and epitaxial silicon wafers, engineered substrates, and other advanced materials. This system excels in producing critical data related to wafer flatness, dual-sided nanotopography, and high-resolution edge roll-off. Such data assists wafer manufacturers in ensuring the production of top-quality substrates at scale, thereby enhancing overall manufacturing efficiency and output.
MicroSense® Wafer Series for Bare Wafer Geometry Metrology
The MicroSense® bare wafer geometry metrology systems serve as another top-notch solution provided by KLA to aid wafer manufacturers in qualifying substrates across a diverse range of materials, sizes, and shapes. Leveraging patented non-contact sensor technology, these systems deliver precise and accurate automated geometry measurements at high throughput rates. By generating SEMI standard metrics and full wafer maps encompassing thickness, flatness, and shape (bow/warp), the MicroSense systems assist manufacturers in not only qualifying but also optimizing their processes, ensuring the mass production of superior-quality substrates.
Legacy Node Wafer Manufacturing Support
For legacy node wafer manufacturing needs, KLA offers systems such as the Surfscan® SP1 and SP2 Series unpatterned wafer inspectors through Pro Systems and Enhancements. These solutions cater to the specific requirements of legacy node processes, ensuring that even older manufacturing methods benefit from advanced inspection and quality control capabilities. By providing tailored support for legacy nodes, KLA demonstrates its commitment to assisting manufacturers across different technology stages, ultimately enhancing wafer quality across the industry.