MILPITAS, Calif., Dec. 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanometrics Incorporated (Nasdaq:NANO), a leading provider of advanced process control metrology and inspection systems, today announced the launch of its latest photoluminescence (PL) system, Imperia™, for advanced compound semiconductor manufacturing.
The Imperia is a fully automated non-contact optical system offering comprehensive metrology and inspection for high brightness light emitting diode (HB-LED) manufacturing applications. The system enables rapid simultaneous PL measurement and defect inspection. With its advanced software capabilities, the Imperia provides critical defect analysis, classification and yield prediction for critical steps in substrate, epitaxial junction formation, and interconnect processes.
"As HB-LED technology continues to evolve with higher brightness, improved power efficiency and adoption into more demanding end market requirements, manufacturers are increasingly requiring faster information turnaround to ensure optimal throughput and yield," commented David Doyle, vice president of the Materials Characterization Group at Nanometrics. "The Imperia system can quickly determine LED performance long before wafers reach the expensive back end of line processes, enabling HB-LED manufacturers to easily take corrective action for process tuning and contain process excursions early, resulting in lower production costs and shorter cycle times."
Imperia systems were delivered to leading manufacturers in the third and fourth quarter of 2014 and have quickly proven valuable for process control metrology and inspection in advanced devices.
The Imperia system will be introduced at the upcoming SEMICON Japan 2014 event being held December 3-5, 2014 at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan. Nanometrics will be at booth 4168 in Hall 4.
About Nanometrics
Nanometrics is a leading provider of advanced, high-performance process control metrology and inspection systems used primarily in the fabrication of semiconductors and other solid-state devices, such as data storage components and discretes including high-brightness LEDs and power management components. Nanometrics' automated and integrated metrology systems measure critical dimensions, device structures, overlay registration, topography and various thin film properties, including film thickness as well as optical, electrical and material properties. The company's process control solutions are deployed throughout the fabrication process, from front-end-of-line substrate manufacturing, to high-volume production of semiconductors and other devices, to advanced wafer-scale packaging applications. Nanometrics' systems enable advanced process control for device manufacturers, providing improved device yield at reduced manufacturing cycle time, supporting the accelerated product life cycles in the semiconductor market. The company maintains its headquarters in Milpitas, California, with sales and service offices worldwide. Nanometrics is traded on NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol NANO. Nanometrics' website is http://www.nanometrics.com.