Park NX-Wafer
Industry’s leading automated AFM for in-line metrology solutions
Park NX-Wafer is the leading-edge atomic force microscope (AFM) developed for seamless integration into semiconductor fabrication environments. Leveraging Park Systems’ proven AFM technology, it delivers advanced measurement capabilities to semiconductor manufacturing, with full compliance with SEMI standards and complete automation features. NX-Wafer has been widely adopted by major semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Its proven legacy demonstrates the system’s reliability and effectiveness in semiconductor metrology.
Key Features
Fully Automated Operation
NX-Wafer enables fully automated operation from wafer handling to measurement and analysis. It automatically receives a recipe from the host, performs end-to-end automation by selecting the appropriate tip, scanning multiple target areas, analyzing the data, and generating reports.
Automated Wafer Handling Capability
Wafer transfer is performed automatically by an equipment front end module (EFEM). It uses robotic mechanisms, sensors, and algorithms to ensure precise alignment and reliable handling of various materials, including warped wafers. The N₂ purge load port is available as an option.
Automatic Probe Exchange
The automatic tip exchanger seamlessly replaces the probe when the threshold is exceeded. It can store up to 24 pre-mounted probes (12 probes per cassette).
Easy-to-Use Operation Software XEA
XEA offers practical features such as easy copy/paste of recipes, specialized editing modes, and real-time recipe updates. With built-in functions providing comprehensive system operation—including parameter adjustment, database management, and maintenance—the interface remains straightforward and user-friendly. The navigator provides an intuitive user interface that integrates system adjustment and operation.
Fab Host Communication via SECS/GEM Protocol
The system enables Fab host communication via the SECS/GEM protocol, ensuring full compliance with SEMI standards including E30, E40, E87, E90, E94, and E84 PI/O for AMHS integration.
Fab Compatibility According to SEMI Standards
NX-Wafer ensures optimal compatibility with cleanroom environments in semiconductor fabs. The system achieves ISO Cleanliness Class 1 (≤10 particles/m³ at 0.1 μm and ≤2 particles/m³ at 0.2 μm) and minimizes particle contamination along the wafer movement path through its engineered fan filter unit and ventilation system, while maintaining efficient noise shielding. Additional chemical filters are available as options to effectively block airborne molecular contamination (AMC), which can adversely affect sensitive samples. Furthermore, the system is equipped with advanced monitoring capabilities that can detect and alert users to potential fire hazards or voltage sags.
Park AFM Technology
Orthogonal Scan System
The separated flexure-guided 2D XY scanner and 1D Z scanner system minimizes out-of-plane motion by eliminating crosstalk between horizontal and vertical motion. The independent Z scanner enables precise, linear, and fast dynamic performance.
The XY scanner features a dual-servo architecture with two pairs of actuators and position sensors mounted on opposite sides of each axis, providing
precise orthogonality and accurate positioning across the entire scan area.
Park AFM Technology
True Non-Contact™ Mode
True Non-contact™ mode, a proprietary technology offered by Park Systems, obtains topography by detecting the attractive van der Waals force between the tip and sample surface. The key advantage of True Non-contact mode is the prevention of tip wear and sample damage, ensuring consistent results with superior data reliability. This also reduces the total cost of ownership by extending tip life. The system also supports contact mode and tapping mode when required.
Versatile Applications
Comprehensive 3D Nano-Metrology
Park AFM accurately measures challenging patterns such as micro-lenses that are difficult to characterize with optical metrology tools, while providing comprehensive analytical capabilities including measurements of width, interval, pitch, height, and radius of curvature.
CMP Metrology with Long Range Profiling
Combining NX-Wafer with a sliding stage provides a long range profiling capability for CMP metrology. Due to the unique sliding stage design of Park’s automated AFM, the combined system provides very flat profiling and enables unprecedented CMP metrology of both local and global planarity measurements including dishing, erosion, and edge-over-erosion (EOE).
High Aspect Ratio Structure Metrology
Park AFM technology can measure high aspect ratio and nanometer-scale trenches in advanced semiconductor processes. Narrow trench mode (NTM) is optimized for nanometer-scale trench measurements. The data below show excellent NTM measurement results for nanometer-scale trenches with various aspect ratios. Specialized tips are available for specific requirements.
High-Throughput Measurement for Cu Pad
Park’s fast imaging contact mode (FiCM) provides reliable data for Cu pad measurements with high throughput. The Cu pad data from the fast imaging mode deliver line profiles and height values equivalent to those obtained in True Non-contact™ mode. The proprietary analysis algorithm can analyze each Cu pads regardless of pad shape or array arrangement.
Automatic Defect Review (ADR)
The ADR function provides further analysis of defects detected by conventional defect inspection tools. The defects are automatically scanned by AFM once the inspection tool data with defect coordinates is uploaded. Defect types and profiles are automatically analyzed in detail using zoom-in scan data.
