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TSMC prepares for
tomorrow's quality and reliability needs today to ensure the highest quality
standards for the company's most advanced process technolgoies. The company's
little known, but highly critical chemical laboratory is leading that charge.
TSMC's chemical lab includes a critical metrology center that measures minute
trace levels of contaminants, such as metal impurities, down to one part-per-trillion
(ppt) in 65-nanometer technology. This capability provides insight into
the need for tighter specifications in advanced process control, rapid failure
analysis, and the necessary corrective actions to ensure success at the
65-nanometer node and beyond.
Detecting ever-shrinking critical defects is one of the most difficult challenges
for 65-nanometer technology yield enhancement. The ITRS 2003 update highlighted
wafer environment contamination control (WECC) by requiring that ultra-pure
water (UPW) be below one ppt in critical metals. This standard, which will
become effective in 2007, represents the most aggressive 65-nanometer requirement
for near-term impurity levels.
The one ppt level in water and chemical purification systems is not only
difficult to achieve, but also to analyze. There are only a few advanced
laboratories (TSMC being one of them) that can meet these challenges. As
a result, the characterization of detrimental process defects may be very
difficult at 65-nanometer technology and below.
Although the challenge is great, TSMC has been long preparing for these
requirements.
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