Product category: Compliance Engineering
News Release from: Clear Shape Technologies
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 18 April 2007

Companies combine to make
masks accessible to test

Two companies collaborating on making masks easier to test

KLA-Tencor Clear Shape collaboration Companies combine to make masks accessible to test Two companies collaborating on making masks easier to test. KLA-Tencor and Clear Shape Technologies are collaborating on DFM (design for manufacturability) systems enabling 'design-aware' photomask inspection at 45nm and below.

The collaboration involves using KLA-Tencor's new Terascan HR photomask inspection system, which was introduced on 15th March, 2007 and Clear Shape's variability platform products, InShape and OutPerform.

The two companies expect this collaboration to enable customers to achieve improved device yield and, ultimately, faster production ramp for the most advanced designs.

Clear Shape's patented modeling techniques make use of design tolerances from transistor timing analysis to identify areas on the mask that are critical to device performance.

With its sensitivity and inspection capability, the TeraScan HR system can use this information to optimise and enhance mask-inspection parameters on specific yield-critical photomask features, resulting in a more efficient inspection flow that has the potential to streamline the overall mask manufacturing process.

This capability gives a mask shop's customers the flexibility to use tighter inspection specifications in just the critical areas on the mask which affect device performance, without significantly impacting overall mask yield or productivity.

The technology is also extendible to various types of wafer inspection, metrology and defect review applications.

'Having the ability to use critical design-intent models in our photomask inspection system should allow our customers to more quickly ramp production, with the potential to then increase yield ramp cycle time in 45nm and below manufacturing', says Harold Lehon, Vice President and General Manager of KLA-Tencor's Reticle and Photomask Inspection Division.

'Clear Shape's electrical DFM solution, which is based on fast and accurate silicon contour prediction models, provides additional enabling capabilities for our latest generation of photomask inspection systems'.

At 45nm and below, chipmakers risk an increase in systematic yield loss resulting from defects without obvious pattern transfer errors but which cause device electrical performance and/or functional problems.

By understanding a photomask defect's effect on final silicon electrical performance, a higher correlation can be established between the defect and final wafer yield, significantly improving yield predictability.

Clear Shape's electrical DFM technology enables a strong 'electrical design intent' relationship between design, mask manufacturing and wafer processing, so that parametric transistor gate and interconnect yield can potentially be better controlled in the design flow.

'We are proud to be working with the market and technology leader in photomask inspection to advance the tremendous potential of design-aware manufacturing', says Atul Sharan, President and CEO of Clear Shape.

'Clear Shape's initial DFM products have focused on allowing designers to perform variability-aware analysis, design and optimisation'.

'This collaboration with KLA Tencor is designed to give our customers increased ability to accelerate device yield by bringing electrical design-intent information directly into photomask inspection thus bridging the gap between design and manufacturing'.

• Clear Shape Technologies: contact details and other news
• Email this news to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page

Search the Pro-Talk network of sites

Put your news on Electronicstalk  |   Advertise  |   Get the free Electronicstalk newsletter
Electronicstalk Home  |   About Electronicstalk  |   Copyright © 2000-2007 Pro-Talk Ltd, UK