Brochure - Stiletto Scanning-Laser Particle Detector - INFICON - #1

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Stiletto is a breakthrough vacuum in situ particle detector that finds yield-limiting contamination in real time on every wafer with scanning-laser sensitivity and accuracy. An easy-to-use interface with the INFICON FabGuard® Sensor Integration and Analysis System enables synchronized data collection and diagnostics for real-time Advanced Process Control, wafer yield improvement, and increased tool productivity for the most demanding semiconductor applications. SCANNING FOR GREATER SENSITIVITY Stiletto’s resonant scanning-laser continuously monitors a large volume of the process chamber or vacuum pumping line and is able to provide statistically significant count rates for process control. Superior noise rejection and fast signal processing speed provide Stiletto with unprecedented accuracy and count rate for demanding processes. This combination of cutting-edge technologies delivers submicron sensitivity that detects “killer particles” while avoiding nuisance events. So you get reliable fault detection for every wafer, every run, every time. ACCURATE TIME RESOLUTION SPEEDS RECOVERY Stiletto is the first particle monitoring system to be fully integrated with the process tool and its data. When combined with FabGuard, the particle counts can be overlaid with equipment parameters to allow engineers to identify the exact timing and cause of particle formation (Fig. 1). This reduces tool downtime and improves productivity. MINIMIZE YIELD EXCURSIONS Stiletto's ability to detect particles during every run of every wafer provides unprecedented protection against defect-induced yield loss. Alarm levels can be set within FabGuard to provide a shutdown limit for the tool (Fig. 2). This prevents further wafer processing when high levels of particles are present. R E A L-T I ME I N S ITU PA RT I CLE MO N I TO R I NG FO R M A X I MUM Y I E LD Stiletto® Scanning-Laser Particle Detector Figure 1 - FabGuard screenshot shows Stiletto particle counts versus gas flows in an HDP CVD clean process.