D8 FABLINE – Metrology Solutions for the Semiconductor Industry

The functional units of semiconductor and compound-semiconductor devices continuously shrink in size and thickness. Additionally, the structure of the devices becomes more and more complex, the process more and more expensive. Thus, the demand for reliable analytics, such as X-ray diffraction, for process development and at-line or in-line quality control increases permanently.

Why X-ray diffraction? First: X-ray diffraction is a non-destructive method probing the nanometre scale, which provides various essential material parameters without the need for being referenced. Second: the method is known and accepted for its accuracy and reliability since years in science, research, and development. In many cases just one quick X-ray diffraction measurement is required to determine sample parameters such as: layer thickness, roughness, density, and chemical composition; porosity; lattice spacing, gradients, mismatches, and degree of relaxation; preferred orientation, texture, stress, and strain – all with a local resolution down to some 10 µm square.

By introducing the D8 FABLINE, the analytical flexibility and reliability known for the D8 DISCOVER family used in research and development is now transferred to demanding cleanroom environments. The D8 FABLINE features a robot handling wafers up to 300 mm diameter as well as it can be equipped with two FOUP ports for routine analytics in quality control. Measurements and data analysis can be fully automated and, if required, Bruker AXS supplies the full service to adjust the analytics to the process requirements. Furthermore, SEC/GEM interface can be suited to user requirements, pattern recognition or bar code reading capabilities can be integrated.

D8 FABLINE – an analytical workhorse for semiconductor requirements.