Tamar Technology Awarded National Science Foundation Grant

Newbury Park, CA - Tamar Technology was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to research new ways of measuring the thickness of semi-conductor silicon wafers and the depth of deep, narrow, etched trenches.

"Technology is enabling silicon wafers to become thinner and thinner to improve heat dissipation," says David Grant, president of Tamar Technology. "Our research will seek to create a simple and commercially viable system that will measure the thickness of silicon wafers for process and production quality control purposes. With the use of a sensor, we want to be able to take direct thickness measurements from one point, instead of measuring a reference surface. The result should be a more effective measuring system. By using more accurate and efficient measuring techniques, companies will be able to significantly improve yields and improve process control. The economic benefits can be significant."

The same technology will enable the measurement of deep and narrow etched trenches. Currently, the only existing methods for directly measuring these trenches involve destructive testing or the use of expensive equipment such as transmission electron microscopes. Destructive testing involves cutting the sample across the trench so that the trench profile can be viewed from the side through a microscope.

"Destructive testing is not only wasteful and expensive, but it is time consuming because of the required sample preparation," says Grant. "It is clearly not ideal for process or production quality control. This research will provide the first nondestructive testing method for measuring trenches."

SOURCE: Tamar Technology