Project to further develop 300mm in-line wafer metrology system

Infinitesima has announced a three-year development project with partners including ASML. The Metron3D 300mm in-line wafer metrology system will be used to optimise and explore metrology solutions for cutting-edge applications, including hybrid bonding, high-NA EUV lithography and 3D logic device structures such as complementary field-effect transistors (CFETs). This project will combine the expansive expertise of the project partners with Infinitesima's Rapid Probe Microscope (RPM) technology, facilitating in-depth 3D surface detection, high-speed imaging, and interferometric accuracy. This will address the industry's urgent need for detailed 3D metrology information across the entire structure of features at high throughput and in high-volume manufacturing environments.

As part of this project, the company will be siting a tool at imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The system will be employed to advance next-generation device development by partners, including ASML, to continue the characterisation and development of high-NA EUV resist imaging. It will work closely with imec to develop new tool capabilities and enhancements. This joint effort aims to provide true 3D process control, which is critical for facilitating the production of future semiconductor devices.

The company's partnership with imec began in 2021, starting with the development of tip-induced nanoscale tomographic sensing using its patented RPM for research and failure analysis applications. This new collaboration marks the expansion of the Infinitesima-imec partnership into high-speed, in-line production metrology, supporting the semiconductor industry's growing demands for inspection and metrology, particularly for sub-nanometer features and increasingly complex 3D structures.

"We are delighted to extend our existing collaboration with imec to support the critical metrology challenges of some of the most critical process steps for next generation semiconductor processes," said Peter Jenkins, CEO of Infinitesima.