Jul 8 2013
Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd., provider of leading edge stand-alone metrology and the market leader of integrated metrology solutions to the semiconductor process control market, announced today the introduction of its next generation NovaMARS 6.0 optical CD application development solution.
The new NovaMARS modeling engine provides a breakthrough in application development, improved Time-To-Solution (TTS) and accuracy for the most complex 3D structures in 2X and 1X technology nodes.
The breakthrough in Time-To-Solution, saving up to 50% of total application development time, is achieved by broad optimization of the application development steps, including over 10X improvement in regression time and 5X reduction in library creation time. In addition, new advanced automation functionality enables quick and robust metrology development cycles with optimized metrology performance for both R&D and production engineers. The new generation engine has been developed with emphasis on complex application building, enabling a friendly user experience from development to production. The new NovaMARS 6.0 modeling engine supports also Hybrid Metrology functions, combining data from other metrology tools in the fab, such as CD SEM parameters, in order to enhance overall metrology solution performance. This advanced capability complements existing NovaMARS Holistic Metrology elements to provide the most comprehensive algorithmic solution for scatterometry application development to date.
"With the growing pace of technology development and in light of shortened new technology node introduction cycles, the need for fast production ramp up with high yields is becoming extremely important for chip manufacturers. The new NovaMARS 6.0 modeling software assists our customers in achieving these goals with significant improvement in application development Time-to-Solution and functionality to support smooth and efficient transfer from R&D process development to high volume manufacturing", said Dr. Shay Wolfling, Chief Technology Officer of Nova. "This latest major product introduction is part of our strategic development focus on software solutions that helps our customers meet the increasing process complexity and challenges in advanced technology nodes. Initial customers' response to the solution performance and functionality has been outstanding, and we expect fast adoption of the solution at many customer sites during the second half of 2013."
The full suite of advanced metrology techniques included in NovaMARS 6.0 enables control over weak parameters in complex 3D structures such as VNAND memory cells or FinFET logic structures by extracting more structure shape parameters for the most complex geometries. Furthermore, the material characterization package of NovaMARS was upgraded with additional material models to support the increasing need for new materials in R&D and production environments in advanced nodes. Complementing the enhanced performance and functionality, the NovaMARS 6.0 modeling software is introduced with a new and intuitive user interface providing excellent user experience with clear guidance through the various steps of the application creation flow and comprehensive built-in data analysis tools. The new NovaMARS 6.0 modeling software is compatible with new and legacy Nova metrology platforms.
About Nova: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. develops, produces and markets advanced integrated and stand alone metrology solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Nova is traded on the NASDAQ & TASE under the symbol NVMI. The Company's website is: http://www.novameasuring.com