The third quarter of this year has proven lucrative for Veeco Instruments Inc., which has received $5.6 million in orders for its Vx series atomic force profilers from semiconductor customers in Asia and Japan.

The metrology tools, used for in-line process control in 200 mm and 300 mm fabs, include one order for Veeco’s newest, high-throughput Dimension Vx 340 AFP. The Vx340 enables depth measurements for shallow trench isolation, dual damascene etch and planarity for copper, low-k and STI CMP on devices with with features as small as 65 nm. In addition, the Vx340 provides productivity enhancements in throughput with the resolution of an atomic force microscope and the long-scan capability of a profiler.

The orders for the Dimension Vx series AFPs in Asia and Japan reflect the semiconductor industry’s growing need for 90 nm nondestructive in-line metrology," says Lloyd LaComb, senior vice president and general manager of Veeco’s semiconductor metrology group. "Given this challenge, Veeco developed new versions of our Vx products with improved resolution and capability to enable users to accurately characterize and control etch and CMP processes and improve overall yields."

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