PVA Metrology & Plasma Solutions GmbH

The gas inlet is situated on one side of the chamber and the vacuum suction on the opposite side. This chamber geometry achieves a particularly consistent process outcome.

The modular control system uses a latest-generation processor, a Linux-based platform as the operating system, and a graphical user interface (GUI). Consequently, the processes can be controlled both manually and fully automatically, and the process gases are controlled via MFC. During the process, all parameters are written into a recipe and stored in the database. In parallel with this, the current values for pressure, gas flow, output, etc. are shown on a display that triggers a corresponding alarm in the event of deviations from the target value.

All details here...

Residual stress states are “fingerprints” that give an insight into the formation or use of a material or component. Their analysis is essential, for example in order to identify local stress states and defects on semiconductor substrates and component structures or to optimize production processes on the basis of information on stress states and defect distributions. This is made possible by the SIRD (Scanning InfraRed Depolarization) system from Metrology & Plasma Solutions that operate entirely without contact or destruction.

SIRD is a polariscope that can make visible stresses in materials that are transparent for the examination wavelength (e.g. silicon). The effect of stress-induced birefringence is used here: Defects and material inhomogeneities are often accompanied by stress fields whose spatial expansion is several times greater than that of the cause itself. <br/> If a material is exposed to shear stresses, its refractive index becomes anisotropic and the material becomes birefringent. Incident linear polarized light (laser) is therefore depolarized by the sample in transmission or reflection. Consequently, the obtained depolarization maps of SIRD can be interpreted as shear stress distributions.

Intelligent software solutions help the SIRD system to convert the obtained maps into interpretable results efficiently.

All details here...

Usually, the contamination previously present in the removed material is not transferred to the gaseous phase and remains on the surface. In the subsequent step, a fluid is dripped over the surface, where it gathers up the remaining impurities. The content of the drops can be analyzed by an ICP-MS or a TXRF, for example.

The growing miniaturization and output density of semiconductor components is resulting in increasingly high requirements for the cleanliness of starting materials. As well as reducing the efficiency of the components, the tiniest traces of foreign elements can significantly shorten their service life. The VPD systems from PVA Metrology & Plasma Solutions allow our customers to detect these trace elements before and during the process chain on the wafer with detection limits of up to 1E7 at/cm². As a result, disruptions to production can be identified at an early stage and unnecessary additional costs can be avoided. This means that MPS systems pay for themselves quickly.

All details here...