Partner story | Nearfield Instruments at Semicon04
Nearfield Instruments transforming scanning
probe microscopy into advanced automated
metrology in the Semicon04 Project
Nearfield Instruments is a semiconductor metrology equipment company developing and delivering ground-breaking process control metrology solutions for the worldwide advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry. The core technology of Nearfield Instruments’ products is scanning probe microscopy (SPM). To achieve higher and efficient computational and memory performance and to make optimum use of the available wafer space, interconnected devices will shrink to atomic scale dimensions aided by using novel materials while at the same time being designed in full threedimensional configurations.
Since Hamed Sadeghian and Roland van Vliet founded Nearfield Instruments, the company strives to accommodate these trends in a technologically and economically viable way by developing and offering daringly innovative solutions to process control challenges in the premium nano-electronics industry.
As a partner in NXTGEN Hightech, Nearfield Instruments is committed to increase throughput of metrology systems. Within NXTGEN Hightech NFI will develop the next generation SPM tool with bigger % of wafer coverage at higher throughput, which will strengthen the position of NFI as a leader in SPM metrology for the most impactful use cases.
Project background:
(nano) Metrology systems
This project is dedicated to developing advanced metrology systems to accelerate and enhance high-tech processes such as the fabrication of integrated circuits and precision diagnostics of biological tissues. It focuses on integrating systems for parallel data acquisition, which necessitates the processing and storage of large data streams. The project aims to automate and optimize workflows in laboratories and production environments to increase effi ciency. Key areas include the development of faster and more accurate metrology systems, creating optimized workflows, and improving data analysis techniques to derive actionable insights from complex datasets. In doing so, NXTGEN Hightech brings together 5 expert partners over the next seven years.
Role in Semicon04
The company contributes to the Semicon 04 project with unique expertise in metrology architecture from system engineering solutions to data management and processing, supporting the shift from microscopy to metrology for the consortium partners. Nearfield Instruments follows two tracks of deliverables within NXTGEN Hightech. As a leader of System Engineering work package together with partners, NFI analyses the whole metrology chain to optimize architecture for complete data exploitation; develops technical strategies and algorithms for data-intensive metrology applications, and extraction of useful information from large-scale generated data. In parallel, using these learnings, NFI is developing the next generation SPM tool with bigger % of wafer coverage at high throughput, starting from trade-off analysis and feasibility studies to design specifi cations and a prototype implementation.
Nearfield Instruments foresees growing cooperation between the NXTGEN Hightech partners beyond the funded period, and collaborative innovation that benefits the Dutch semiconductor industry. The company vision is to become the market leader in Metrology and Inspection for advanced applications by 2030. Participation in NXTGEN Hightech helps Nearfield Instruments to develop new solutions for the massive metrology applications. The growth of NFI because of these innovations, will directly impact EU companies which are amongst the value chain/partners of NFI, as the demand for NFI products will increase and support a strong European semiconductor ecosystem, industrial growth, and boost employment.
Increasing yield of advanced chips production is the added value of massive metrology solution.
Completed activities
Analysis of the current state of the art metrology systems in collaboration with Delmic and Technolution.
Definition of bottlenecks, technical strategies and technologies for data management in metrology applications
Development of Machine Learning methods for SPM image enhancement, and quality control of fully automated probe exchange
Planned activities:
Brainstorming and trade-off of different system architectures to realize beyond state-of-the-art very high throughput SPM solution (VHT-SPM)
Development and validation of VHT-SPM prototype
New and improved solutions and algorithms for full exploitation of large-scale generated data: automated extraction of useful information; determination of measurement reliability
Nearfield Instruments unique expertise
The unique expertise of Nearfield Instruments encompasses implementation of ground-breaking metrology solutions by intensive R&D activities on its core technologies, where agile product development is done in close collaboration with its customers. As the supplier of metrology systems to the chip manufacturers, Nearfield Instruments is uniquely positioned to drive the standards for the Dutch and European suppliers and infl uence Dutch semiconductor ecosystem that matches expectations of customers.