Dec 4 2007
Agilent Technologies Inc. and Multiprobe Inc. today announced their intent to expand the companies' strategic partnership. As a result, Multiprobe's Multiscan Atomic Force Prober (AFP), the world's highest-resolution nanoprober, will be sold and supported by Agilent to customers in Asia and Japan.
This arrangement strengthens the existing relationship between the two companies and expands Agilent's product offerings to include the industry's leading solution for failure analysis in semiconductor devices. Multiprobe is already using the Agilent B1500A semiconductor device analyzer in its current products.
The Multiscan AFP allows users to quickly and repeatedly probe and characterize the electrical parameters of transistors and other structures at 65nm and below. The Multiscan AFP uses multiple, specialized atomic force microscope heads to locate a failing transistor and contact extremely close-spaced terminals. Its software allows the user to place probes easily, making previously expensive, time-consuming measurements routine. This also saves time and greatly facilitates the debug process.
"At 65nm and below, semiconductor manufacturers face tremendous challenges in failure analysis, including the probing of extremely small line widths and the measurement of very small voltages and currents," said Minoru Ebihara, vice president and general manager of Agilent Hachioji Semiconductor Test Division. "By expanding our relationship with Multiprobe, we are now planning to offer our customers in Asia access to a comprehensive solution available for nanoscale probing for failure analysis."
"We are pleased to continue and expand our partnership with such an established and well-respected leader in the industry," said Andy Erickson, president of Multiprobe. "This partnership with Agilent will allow us to further expand our reach to the customer base in Asia and Japan with Agilent's high-quality customer support."