(Rigaku: Tokyo) -- Rigaku Corp., a global solution partner in X-ray metrology systems and a group company of Rigaku Holdings Corp., has launched commercial production of XTRAIA XD-3300, a high-resolution microspot X-ray diffraction system

Against a background of demand for generative AI and data centers, scaling and 3D realization of semiconductors are advancing at unprecedented speed. Needs are growing for next-generation memory such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and 3D DRAM as well as 2 nm and subsequent generations of logic semiconductors. To secure high performance in these devices, chipmakers are adopting superlattices (nanoscale integrated structures) using Si/SiGe (silicon/silicon-germanium) processes. To control these advanced internal structures appropriately, measurement technology that can accurately assess the composition and thickness of Si/SiGe films is indispensable; it holds the key to improving product performance and yield.

To answer these needs, Rigaku developed the XTRAIA XD-3300, an original metrology system designed and built entirely in-house, from the X-ray optical system to the detector and diffraction software. It’s the world’s only system capable of performing of direct, nondestructive diffraction measurements of superlattice structures with the highest resolution on microscopic pads on wafers.

XTRAIA XD-3300’s original X-ray optical system is the key performance enabler. Combining ultrahigh-performance mirrors with bent crystals, this system enables measurements to be completed at up to 100 times the speed of previous products. The diffraction measurement tasks that once took several hours can now be completed in just a few minutes.

Moreover, advanced diffraction software delivers accurate numerical results of the periodicity and boundary-surface quality of these complex, multilayer superlattices.

Rigaku expects sales of this product to exceed 1 billion Japanese yen (approximately $6.9 million) in fiscal year 2025. The company has already completed expansion of production capacity, including completion of a new factory building and increasing the number of production booths to 15. Going forward, Rigaku expects to realize a rapid expansion in sales through deliveries to multiple global semiconductor manufacturers. The company is aiming for sales of about 10 billion yen (approximately $69 million) in fiscal year 2030.

Kiyoshi Ogata, senior executive vice president and product division general manager, says, “XTRAIA XD-3300 represents the crystallization of Rigaku’s leading-edge technologies. We have already delivered this system to multiple leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers that are developing next-generation semiconductors using Si/SiGe superlattices. As manufacturers move toward mass production of next-generation semiconductors, Rigaku expects to expand deliveries of XTRAIA XD-3300. We are confident that high-resolution, nondestructive measurements using X-ray diffraction will become increasingly important in the months and years ahead as a core technology, supporting quality control in next-generation semiconductor production.”

Features of XTRAIA XD-3300

Direct, visual, nondestructive observation of microscopic structures with high resolution: Provides detailed, nondestructive diffraction of the interiors of nanoscale, multilayer structures on fine pads less than 40 µm across. World-class resolution feeds directly into improved yield.

100-fold increase in measurement speed compared with previous models: By using X-ray convergence optics with the latest mirror technology, XTRAIA XD-3300 delivers the world’s brightest small-spot X-ray beam. This enables it to complete vast measurement tasks with extremely high speed. Its high throughput makes it easily adaptable into production lines.

Incorporates software uniquely capable of analyzing diffraction of complex superlattice structures: The advanced diffraction software delivers accurate numerical analysis of the periodicity and boundary-surface quality of Si/SiGe and other multilayer structures. This powerful capability supports both high-volume manufacturing and the development phase of leading-edge memory and logic semiconductor devices.