Tencor™ P-170 Stylus Profiler
The Tencor P-170 stylus profiler is a cassette-to-cassette profiler offering step height measurement capability for steps from a few nanometers to one millimetre, for production environments. The profiler system supports 2D and 3D measurements of step heights, roughness, bow, and stress for scans up to 200mm without stitching. The Tencor P-170 has advanced pattern recognition algorithms, enhanced optics, and an advanced stage for robust performance and seamless recipe transportability between systems – a key requirement for a 24x7 production environment.
Key Features
- Step Height: Nanometres to 1000µm
- Low force with constant force control: 0.03 to 50mg
- Scan full diameter of the sample without stitching
- Video: 5MP high-resolution colour camera
- Arc correction: Removes error due to arc motion of the stylus
- Easy-to-use software interface
- Production capability: Fully automated with sequencing, pattern recognition and SECS/GEM
- Wafer handler: Automatically loads 75mm through 200mm opaque (e.g., silicon) and transparent (e.g., sapphire) samples
Manufacturer
KLA
A global technology leader who make an impact by creating solutions that drive progress and transform industries. Collaboration is the key to their success. KLA provide leading-edge technology and devices using advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, and computational analytics. Their solutions accelerate tomorrow’s electronic devices. They enable evolution and innovation in the data era across key industries including automotive, mobile and data centre.
Product Overview
The Tencor P-170 is a cassette-to-cassette profiler that combines the P-17’s industry-leading benchtop measurement performance with the HRP®-260’s production-proven handler. This integration delivers a cost-effective solution for a handler-based system serving the semiconductor, compound semiconductor, and related industries. The P-170 supports precise 2D and 3D measurements of step height, roughness, bow, and stress for scans up to 200 mm without stitching.
Exceptional measurement stability is ensured with the combination of the UltraLite® sensor, constant force control, and an ultra-flat scanning stage. Recipe setup is fast with point-and-click stage controls, top and side view optics, and a high-resolution camera with optical zoom.
The Tencor P-170 supports both 2D and 3D measurements, offering a range of filtering, levelling, and data analysis algorithms to accurately quantify surface topography. Fully automated measurements are achieved through automated wafer handling, pattern recognition, sequencing, and feature detection.
Industries
- Semiconductor
- Compound semiconductor
- LED: Light emitting diodes
- MEMS: Micro-electro-mechanical systems
- Data storage
- Automotive
Applications
Step Height: 2D and 3D step height
The Tencor P-170 is capable of measuring 2D and 3D step heights from nanometres to 1000µm. This enables quantification of material deposited or removed during etch, sputter, deposition, spin coating, CMP and other processes. The Tencor P-170 has constant force control that dynamically adjusts to apply the same force on the sample surface, regardless of step height. This results in good measurement stability and enables accurate measurement of soft materials, such as photoresist.
Texture: 2D and 3D roughness and waviness
The Tencor P-170 measures 2D and 3D texture, quantifying the sample’s roughness and waviness. Software filters separate the measurement into the roughness and waviness components and calculate parameters, such as the root mean square (RMS) roughness.
Form: 2D and 3D bow and shape
The Tencor P-170 can measure the 2D shape or bow of a surface. This includes measurement from wafer bow that can result from mismatch between layers during device fabrication, such as deposition of multiple layers for the production of semiconductor or compound semiconductor devices. The Tencor P-170 can also quantify the height and radius of curvature of structures, such as a lens.
Stress: 2D and 3D thin film stress
The Tencor P-170 can measure the stress induced during the manufacture of devices with multiple process layers, such as semiconductor or compound semiconductor devices. The bow of the sample is accurately measured using a stress chuck to support the sample in a neutral position. The change in shape from a process, such as film deposition, is then used to calculate the stress by applying Stoney’s equation. 2D stress is measured with a single scan across the sample diameter for samples up to 200mm without the need to stitch. 3D stress is measured using a combination of 2D scans, with the theta stage rotating between scans to measure the full sample surface.
Defect review: 2D and 3D defect surface topography
Defect Review is used to measure the topography of defects, such as the depth of a scratch. Defect inspection tools identify defects and write the location coordinates to a KLARF file. The Defect Review feature reads the KLARF file, aligns the sample, and allows the user to select defects for 2D or 3D measurement.
Industry
Semiconductor
Compound semiconductor
LED: Light emitting diodes
MEMS: Micro-electro-mechanical systems
Data storage
Automotive
Downloads
Tencor P-170 Brochure
Tencor P-170 Profiler Product Specifications
3D Measurement Parameters
Precision Depth Measurement of Shallow SIMS Craters using a KLA Instruments™ Stylus Profilometer
Profiler Pattern Recognition Selection
General Information about Stylus-based Surface Profilers from KLA Instruments™
Multi-Step Analysis Function: Powerful Analytics from KLA Instruments™ Surface Profilers
Topography Sensor Technology for Stylus Profilers
Stylus Product Line
2D Surface Measurement Parameters
Thin Film Stress Measurements using KLA Stylus-Based Profilers
Apex Software
Options
Stylus Options
The Tencor P-170 has a variety of styli available to support the measurement of step heights, high aspect ratio steps, roughness, sample bow, and stress. The tip radius ranges from 40nm to 50µm and determines the lateral resolution of the measurement. The included angle ranges from 20 to 100 degrees, which specifies the maximum aspect ratio of the measured feature. All styli are manufactured from diamond to reduce wear and increase stylus lifetime.
Sample Chucks
The Tencor P-170 has a range of chucks available to support application requirements. The standard is a vacuum chuck with support for measuring samples from 75 to 200mm. A stress chuck is available with 3-point locators to support the sample in a neutral position for accurate bow measurements. Additional options for bowed wafer sample handling are available.
Handler Options
The Tencor P-170 handler includes an aligner for opaque wafers (e.g., GaAs) and a cassette station for 200mm wafers. Options include transparent sample alignment (e.g., sapphire), smaller sample sizes ranging from 75mm to 150mm, a second cassette station, a cassette slot mapper, a signal tower, and an ionizer.
Isolation Tables
The Tencor P-170 is configured with the TMC 68-500 Series free-standing isolation table, which uses air isolators to provide passive isolation. This is a custom isolation table that meets SEMI S8 ergonomic requirements, placing the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and cassette station at the correct ergonomic height.
Step Height Standards
The Tencor P-170 uses thin and thick film NIST-traceable step height standards offered by VLSI Standards. The standards feature an oxide step on a silicon die mounted on a quartz block, or an etched quartz step with a chrome coating. 200mm wafer based step height standards are also available. A step height range of 8nm to 250µm is available.
Apex Analysis Software
Apex analysis software enhances the standard data analysis capability of the Tencor P-170 with an extended suite of leveling, filtering, step height, roughness, and surface topography analysis techniques. Apex supports ISO roughness calculation methods, plus local standards, such as ASME. Apex can also serve as a report writing platform with the capability to add text, annotations, and pass/fail criteria. Apex is offered in eight languages.
Offline Analysis Software
The Tencor P-170 offline software has the same data analysis and recipe creation capability that exists on the tool. This enables the user to create recipes and analyse data without using valuable tool time.
Pattern Recognition
Pattern recognition uses pre-taught patterns to automatically align the sample. This enables fully automated measurements for enhanced measurement stability by reducing the impact of operator error. Pattern recognition combined with advanced calibrations reduces stage positioning error and enables seamless transfer of recipes between systems.
SECS/GEM and HSMS
SECS/GEM and HSMS communications support factory automation systems and enable remote control of the Tencor P-170. Measurements results are automatically reported to host SPC systems, plus alarms and key calibration/configuration data. The Tencor P-170 is compliant with SEMI standards E4, E5, E30, and E37.
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