SAN JOSE, Calif., July 2, 2003--KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC) today unveiled AccuFilm, a new capability for its SpectraFx 100 optical thin-film measurement system that eliminates the effects of airborne molecular contamination (AMC) on ultra-thin-film measurements. A key roadblock to achieving control of advanced gate processes below the 100-nm node, AMC grows rapidly on film surfaces and degrades the accuracy and repeatability of gate dielectric metrology. AccuFilm enables SpectraFx 100 to remove these contaminants from product wafers in a matter of seconds before taking film measurements at each measurement site without placing product at risk. AccuFilm is a valuable enhancement for measuring extremely thin gate dielectric films (less than 20 angstroms thick), which are essential for the production of high-performance 90-nm and 65-nm devices. In addition to providing in-situ AMC control, AccuFilm adds a self-calibrating measurement sub-system to the SpectraFx 100 to enable the industry's most stable and highly matched measurement system for ultra-thin gate dielectric monitoring.

"With its novel approach to remove absorbed contamination on the wafer surface, KLA-Tencorà ¢??s new AccuFilm option enables us to accurately measure the true thickness and non-uniformity of very thin gate dielectrics," stated Eric Trumbauer, yield enhancement section manager at Texas Instruments' DMOS6 fab in Dallas, Texas. "This technology can significantly improve process control of advanced gates."

Maintaining film thickness and uniformity during gate production is critical to maximizing device performance and overall functional yield. Once the dielectric has been deposited onto the wafer, AMC--which is a natural part of the ambient fab environment--can build up on the wafer surface during the time the wafer is in transit to the metrology tool. AMC contributes significantly to film measurement error, and has an increasing impact on gate dielectric process control as design rules continue to shrink and film layers become thinner. At the 90-nm node and below, where some gate dielectric films must be less than 20 angstroms in film thickness, AMC-induced measurement errors can be equal to or greater than the specified process tolerance window of the gate dielectric itself. The new AccuFilm capability on the SpectraFx 100 system safely eliminates the effects of AMC on film measurement accuracy and repeatability to help ensure proper control of advanced gate films.

Conventional approaches to addressing the effects of AMC either place product at risk or lack the ability to accurately measure the gate dielectric layers. AccuFilm completely eliminates measurement artifacts caused by AMC without damaging surface and sub-surface layers. It accomplishes this at the measurement site within the scribe line of product wafers with a small measurement spot size (measures within a 40x40 micron field). Only a few seconds are needed to clean the site before film measurements can be taken. In addition to AccuFilm's ability to remove AMC as a process control roadblock, it also provides the tool-to-tool and fab-to-fab matching capability (0.2 angstrom) required for efficient gate process control in high-volume manufacturing environments, further enhancing the proven industry-leading matching performance of SpectraFx 100.

"By introducing artifacts in the measurement of ultra-thin gate dielectrics for sub-100-nm processes, AMC can create serious yield problems for chip manufacturers without the proper mechanism to control it," stated Dr. Sergio Edelstein, vice president and general manager of KLA-Tencor's Film and Surface Metrology Division. "Using AccuFilm, our customers can eliminate AMC as a factor in the quality of their measurements, enabling them to tighten their film processes and achieve higher yields on their latest-generation, high-performance devices."

AccuFilm is now available as an upgrade for KLA-Tencor's SpectraFx 100 and ASET F5x systems.


About KLA-Tencor: KLA-Tencor is the world leader in yield management and process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing and related industries. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with operations around the world, KLA-Tencor ranked #6 on S&P's 2002 index of the top 500 companies in the U.S. KLA-Tencor is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol KLAC. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at http://www.kla-tencor.com

Contact:
Meggan Powers
Director Corporate Communications