Application:
- As the semiconductor industry rapidly evolves, the miniaturization of transistors and the increased complexity of technology nodes have led to exponentially rising manufacturing costs.
- Early-stage fault detection is crucial to minimize these costs.
- Current optical metrology tools lack the sensitivity required to keep up with the demands of the industry. There is a pressing need for a non-invasive, highly sensitive inspection system that can be integrated into the production line to enable early fault detection and maximize yield.
Our Innovation:
We have developed a cutting-edge optical Hall effect (OHE) method that surpasses the sensitivity of existing ellipsometry tools by more than 100 times while remaining fast and non-invasive.
Our technique applies an electrical field by shining a laser beam on the sample, eliminating the need for physical electrical contacts and sample preparation procedures. The system incorporates a large amplitude modulation of the externally applied magnetic field, enhancing the sensitivity to the Kerr signal and enabling the measurement of the OHE in non-magnetic metals at visible light wavelengths.
Advantages:
- Sensitivity more than 100 times higher compared to competing solutions.
- Fast and non-invasive.
- No sample preparation or processing required.
- Applicable to a wide range of materials, including metals, semiconductors, and insulators.
- Well-suited for integration into the production line as an in-line tool.
Commercial Opportunity:
Our technology targets the semiconductor industry, specifically semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs) operated by companies such as TSMC, Texas Instruments, Intel, Samsung, Micron, and others. The primary application is an in-line tool integrated into the production line at different stages to probe various aspects of the manufacturing process. The technology is also relevant for research facilities, such as clean rooms in academia and industry. Leading metrology and inspection companies, including Applied Materials, NOVA, and KLA, could partner with us to develop this technology.
