Release of NSR-S320F, ArF Scanner with the Streamlign Platform

Sales Summary

Development Background

VLSI chips, the backbone of the IT revolution, continue to shrink and get denser. The semiconductor industry is transitioning to development and high volume manufacturing of a 20 nm generation process device. The most critical layer is exposed with an ArF immersion scanner, but other critical layers as well as non-critical layers are normally exposed by an ArF scanner or KrF scanner.
NSR-S320F is the scanner that responds to the need for such a cutting-edge device. By employing Streamlign Platform, which has been proven in our immersion scanner, early realization of stable operation and high productivity is ensured.
Throughput is increased by an approximate factor of two compared to Nikon's existing scanners, and CoO (Cost of Ownership) has been significantly reduced. The level of overlay accuracy achieved is comparable to ArF immersion scanners, and it also has the potential for further expandability in the future.

Main Characteristics of the Streamlign Platform

1. New interferometer system that realizes significant improvement in overlay accuracy: Bird's Eye Control system

   Use of encoders delivers stage position measurements that are insensitive to air fluctuations, and in conjunction with the conventional interferometer measurements, a hybrid system that enables improved overlay accuracy is realized.

2. New measurement technology that realizes a dramatic improvement in throughput: Stream Alignment

   By increasing the number of FIA microscopes to five (Five-Eye FIA), alignment measurements can be performed in a shorter period of time.
   Five-Eye FIA minimizes throughput loss even when multiple points, nearly equal to the entire amount of shots, have to be measured.

3. New module structure for improved maintainability: Modular² Structure

   With its hierarchicalized module, installation time at a customer site is dramatically reduced and parts replacement is simplified. This substantially improves maintainability.

Main Performance Features