MetaPULSE system measurements of UBM and RDL on product wafers displace monitor wafer methodology as pattern-dependent deposition effects become significant
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC), a leading provider of process characterization equipment and software for the semiconductor, LED and solar industries, announced today that it has delivered the first MetaPULSE® metrology system for measurements of under bump metallization (UBM) and redistribution layers (RDL) used in advanced packaging technologies in the back-end of the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process.
The MetaPULSE system is well-proven, long used for fast, accurate measurements of metal interconnect and other opaque materials in front-end wafer processing applications. Entry into back-end packaging opens a new application space for the MetaPULSE system with significant market potential. The first MetaPULSE tool for use in the back-end was shipped in Q4 2011 and has been installed at the customer's site.
"We are taking a well-established technology into a new market?advanced packaging is a rapidly-growing area of IC manufacturing, and represents a significant market opportunity for advanced metrology systems," stated Tim Kryman, Rudolph's director of product management for metrology.
"This development is the culmination of an evaluation program we began well over a year ago," adds Kryman. "Rudolph collaborated with a major IC manufacturer that anticipated the need for on-product metrology as decreasing feature sizes and increasing pattern densities introduced pattern-dependent deposition effects in their plating process. That collaboration was a success, and we are currently engaged with a number of other logic, memory and foundry customers to expand into additional critical back-end applications."
IC manufacturers use RDL and UBM in advanced packaging processes to route increasingly numerous I/O signals between the circuit and the outside world. Pattern-dependent deposition effects that must be measured on patterned product wafers, rather than the unpatterned monitor wafers used in older process generations. Only the MetaPULSE system offers nondestructive measurements with the small spot size, speed and accuracy required for measurements on patterned wafers. Furthermore, it can measure each layer within the completed multilayer stack or separate layers as they are deposited.
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of defect inspection, process control metrology, and data analysis systems and software used by semiconductor device manufacturers worldwide. Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down the costs and time to market of their products. The company's yield management solutions are used in both the wafer processing and final manufacturing of ICs, as well as in emerging markets such as LED and Solar. Headquartered in Flanders, New Jersey, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. Additional information can be found on the company's web site at www.rudolphtech.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") which include the benefits to
customers of Rudolph's products, Rudolph's existing market position and
its ability to maintain and advance such position relative to its
competitors and Rudolph's ability to meet the expectations and needs of
our customers as well as other matters that are not purely historical
data. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the "safe harbor" provided for
by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from
those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and
uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph's control. Such factors
include, but are not limited to, delays in shipping products for
technical performance, component supply or other reasons, the company's
ability to leverage its resources to improve its positions in its core
markets and fluctuations in customer capital spending. Additional
information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Rudolph are
available in Rudolph's Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31,
2010 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As
the forward-looking statements are based on Rudolph's current
expectations, the company cannot guarantee any related future results,
levels of activity, performance or achievements. Rudolph does not assume
any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in
this press release.
Contacts:
Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Investors:
Steven R. Roth,
973-448-4302
steven.roth@rudolphtech.com
or
Trade
Press:
Virginia Becker, 952-259-1647
virginia.becker@rudolphtech.com
