KLA-Tencor Launches 2830 and Puma 9500 Series, eDR-5210

Wafer Defect Inspection and Review Portfolio for the 3Xnm and 2Xnm Nodes

* New 2830 Series broadband brightfield wafer defect inspection systems
introduce PowerBroadbandTM technology to enable more repeatable capture of the
most challenging defects affecting devices at the 3Xnm design rule and beyond
* New Puma 9500 Series darkfield wafer defect inspection systems feature twice
the resolution and twice the speed of their predecessors, allowing fabs to
support a critical-dimension shrink without a loss of productivity
* New eDR-5210 e-beam defect review and classification system offers exceptional
image quality and connectivity to KLA-Tencor inspection systems to accelerate
identification of defect sources

MILPITAS, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Today KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC), the world`s leading supplier of
process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related
industries, announced two new wafer inspection systems and a new electron-beam
review system to address defect issues at the 3Xnm / 2Xnm nodes. The 2830 Series
brightfield wafer inspection platform uses a revolutionary high-power plasma
light source to illuminate defect types whose size or location made them
impossible to detect repeatably before now. The Puma 9500 Series darkfield wafer
inspection platform introduces breakthrough optics and image acquisition
technology that give it twice the resolution at twice the speed of its
predecessor-allowing the new Puma tools to monitor more layers and more defect
types at darkfield speeds. The eDR-5210 e-beam review and classification system
features second-generation electromagnetic-field immersion technology,
engineered to deliver extraordinary image quality and actionable defect
classification results in a high productivity package. Each new tool offers
substantial benefits over existing technology on its own. In addition, when the
new inspection and review systems work interdependently, they can preferentially
detect and report yield-relevant defects, enabling fabs to more rapidly identify
and remedy complex defect issues at the 3Xnm and 2Xnm nodes.

"While many other equipment companies have been focused on scaling back programs
and delaying new platforms during the downturn, KLA-Tencor has continued to
invest heavily in developing next-generation products, including two innovative
wafer defect inspection systems and an exceptional review tool for the 3Xnm and
2Xnm nodes," remarked Mike Kirk, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of
the Wafer Inspection Group at KLA-Tencor. "Our customers are introducing complex
lithography techniques, new materials and exotic structures. They are coping
with additional layers and smaller process windows, and are keenly focused on
value. To address these issues, our engineering teams collaborated with
suppliers and customers to develop truly innovative technology for the 2830,
Puma 9500 and eDR-5210 systems, giving them unprecedented capability. Each of
the tools combines substantial advances in performance and throughput. Each has
the flexibility for use in multiple applications-which adds considerable value
in today`s economic environment. Each is designed for extendibility to or from
the next device generation, so that fabs can maximize re-use of their investment
in capital equipment. We`re confident that together the new inspection and
review portfolio represents a big step forward for the industry in overall
defect-management ROI: faster detection of excursions, faster resolution of
difficult defect issues, and faster time to market for our customers`
next-generation chips."

The 2830 Series and Puma 9550 Series wafer defect inspection systems and the
eDR-5210 e-beam defect review and classification system are backed by
KLA-Tencor`s comprehensive service network to maintain their high performance
and productivity. For more details on the individual products, please refer to
the attached Technology Summaries.

Technology Summary: 2830 Series broadband brightfield defect inspection systems

At the 3Xnm/2Xnm design rule, technical issues in the defectivity realm are many
and varied, beginning with the fact that yield-critical defects are generally
smaller and more difficult to capture than at larger dimensions. These defects
are also harder to distinguish from natural variations such as line-edge
roughness or color variation-part of the sea of `nuisance` defects that impede
root-cause analysis. Systematic defects on the wafer-those that print repeatedly
in the same location or within the same pattern type on the wafer-are growing in
prevalence as design rules shrink, with severe impact on yield. New patterning
techniques and structures at the 3Xnm/2Xnm nodes require fabs to inspect new
materials and additional layers.

The new 2830 Series brightfield inspection platform introduces PowerBroadbandTM,
a unique high-brightness light source designed to enable more repeatable capture
of difficult defects, faster operation, and better discrimination between
defects of interest and nuisance defects. Also equipped with a new image
acquisition system featuring twice the data rate of its 2810 Series predecessor,
the 2830 Series offers its markedly increased capability at production speeds.

* The laser-amplified plasma light source delivers more light at every
wavelength, from deep ultra-violet (DUV) through visible, enabling new optical
modes that can provide significant increases in resolution, contrast and layer
penetration control.
* New combinations of wavelengths and optical modes are designed to enable
capture of the broadest range of defect types to date, including the most
challenging defects at the 3Xnm/2Xnm nodes: micro- and nano-bridges, bottom
bridges, protrusions and tiny voids.
* New optical modes, including the unique Broadband Directional E-FieldTM
technology, provide top-layer discrimination capability especially valuable for
capturing defects on device layers such as STI*, gate etch, epi*, contact/via,
copper CMP* and ADI*.
* PowerBroadband and the new, high-speed image acquisition system produce the
fastest brightfield micro-defect inspection system on the market today.
Engineers can apply the extra speed to operate at higher sensitivity in
production, sample the wafers more densely for tighter process control, or
support a capacity expansion.
* The new XP option package that we recently introduced for our 28XX Series
systems uses standard IC design layout files to facilitate improved capture of
yield-relevant defects and identify systematic defects that may indicate
marginal features in the mask design. The XP option also can accelerate recipe
creation and optimization, raising inspector productivity.
* The 2830 Series is available as a complete system, and will be available as an
upgrade to any of our widely installed 281X or 282X inspection systems, an
option designed to allow fabs to extend their capital investment to the 3Xnm and
2Xnm nodes cost-effectively.
* For more details on the 2830 Series inspection systems, please visit the
product webpage: http://www.kla-tencor.com/patterned-wafer/283x-series.html.

Technology Summary: Puma 9500 Series darkfield defect inspection systems

Even at the leading edge, not every device layer is best served by brightfield
defect inspection. Laser-imaging darkfield inspection can operate at markedly
higher throughput, with sufficient defect capture rate for many
applications-typically films, etch and CMP. Operation at higher throughput
allows more frequent sampling of the process, so that defect excursions can be
identified and remedied before additional wafers are lost. Because time to
market and yield are critical to our customers` profitability, strategic use of
a mix of brightfield and darkfield inspection systems throughout the fab is
necessary to achieve the best return on the fab`s investment in inspection
equipment.

The Puma 9500 Series darkfield inspection platform introduces breakthrough
enabling technology: exclusive high-NA* collection optics combined with a
higher-power laser, enabling apertures, a new image acquisition system and
innovative algorithms that together allow darkfield inspection to provide an
increase in sensitivity-at-throughput of greater than 30%, compared to our
previous-generation tool. This major advancement is designed to enable our
customers to move to higher-sensitivity operation to support a
critical-dimension shrink without a loss of productivity. Alternatively Puma
9500 can apply its added sensitivity-at-throughput to inspect new layers and
capture smaller defects, with a speed advantage that helps fabs bring their
leading-edge devices to yield more rapidly.

* Combining the new optical and image-acquisition technology with a change in
signal-processing architecture produces twice the resolution of the
previous-generation Puma; enables the tool to better filter nuisance defects
from the overall defect population during inspection; and can significantly
enhance image contrast.
* The advances in resolution, nuisance suppression and image contrast work
together to deliver improved capture of very small particles and pattern defects
such as line opens and line thinning, micro-bridges and nano-bridges, and new
defects of interest for ≤3Xnm design node devices, such as protrusions and
leaning poly.
* With double the inspection speed of the previous-generation Puma, the Puma
9500 Series platform enables higher sampling for tighter process control or
higher sensitivity operation in production.
* For more details on the Puma 9500 Series inspection systems, please visit the
product webpage: http://www.kla-tencor.com/patterned-wafer/puma95xxseries.html.

Technology Summary: eDR-5210 e-beam defect review and classification system

With some of today`s smallest defects represented by only a single pixel in the
optical image, electron-beam review is essential to defect classification-which
in turn is essential to determining the source of the defect and fixing the
issue. Effective defect classification on the e-beam review tool requires
reliable and efficient re-detection1 of the defect followed by capture of a
high-quality image. Classification algorithms based on the e-beam image benefit
from supplemental information about the defect such as elemental analysis, the
corresponding optical image from the inspection tool, and the pattern
environment in which the defect is located. Automation of the process can
enhance reliability and accelerate time-to-results.

The eDR-5210 e-beam defect review and classification system features several
technology and architecture improvements that are designed to benefit the tool`s
resolution, re-detection rate, classification accuracy and productivity.
Additional advances in the connectivity of the review tool to KLA-Tencor
inspection systems boost the yield-relevance of the defect data results and
increase the overall productivity of the inspection-review solution.

* Second-generation electromagnetic-field immersion technology with simultaneous
high-resolution top-down imaging and high-resolution topographic imaging enables
exceptional image quality.
* Design-aware capability2 supplements defect data with information from
standard IC design layout files-the instructions that define the pattern on the
chip-to allow faster identification of systematic defect issues, which can have
a devastating impact on yield.
* Design-aware capability, proprietary access to optical images from KLA-Tencor
inspection systems and live SEM* images together lead to faster root-cause
understanding of critical patterning problems at the 3Xnm and 2Xnm nodes.
* Automated review solution for bare and blanket-film wafers can provide
significantly enhanced re-detection and classification of the smallest defects,
by leveraging a reliable multi-point wafer alignment technique, spiral search
algorithm and automated elemental analysis.
* For more details on the eDR-5210 e-beam defect review and classification
system, please visit the product webpage:
http://www.kla-tencor.com/patterned-wafer/eDR-5210.html.

*Acronyms and abbreviations:
STI = shallow trench isolation
Epi = epitaxial silicon
CMP = chemical-mechanical polish
ADI = after-develop inspection
NA = numerical aperture
SEM = scanning electron microscope

Footnotes:
1. Use of the word "re-detection" refers to the fact that the defect must be
located again once the wafer has been transferred from the inspection system to
the review system.
2. Available when the eDR-5210 is paired with a KLA-Tencor inspection system
featuring the XP option [link to:
http://www.kla-tencor.com/patterned-wafer/xp.html]

About KLA-Tencor:

KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC), a leading provider of process control and
yield management solutions, partners with customers around the world to develop
state-of-the-art inspection and metrology technologies. These technologies serve
the semiconductor, data storage, compound semiconductor, photovoltaic, and other
related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of industry-standard
products and a team of world-class engineers and scientists, the company has
created superior solutions for its customers for over 30 years. Headquartered in
Milpitas, California, KLA-Tencor has dedicated customer operations and service
centers around the world. Additional information may be found at
www.kla-tencor.com. (KLAC-P)

Forward Looking Statements:

Statements in this press release other than historical facts, such as statements
regarding the anticipated technology shift to 3Xnm and 2Xnm critical dimensions;
the ability of the 2830 Series, Puma 9500 Series or eDR-5210 systems to handle
challenges related to this anticipated shift; the performance standards of the
tools; the extendibility of the new tools to or from other products or
upgradability of our tools; and anticipated improvements in our customers`
return on investment or their ability to accelerate time to market are
forward-looking statements, and are subject to the Safe Harbor provisions
created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations,
and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ
materially from those projected in such statements due to various factors,
including delays in the adoption of new technologies due to unanticipated cost
or performance issues, the success of our continuing internal development
efforts, and business and operational actions taken by our customers that could
affect their returns or time to market.

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KLA-Tencor Corporation
Investors:
Ed Lockwood, 408-875-9529
Sr. Director, Investor Relations
ed.lockwood@kla-tencor.com
Media:
Meggan Powers, 408-875-8733
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
meggan.powers@kla-tencor.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009