Magma Design Automation Inc. has introduced Excalibur-Litho, a complete fab analysis framework that supports the development and monitoring of advanced lithography solutions. Excalibur-Litho integrates design and real-time data from the semiconductor manufacturing floor, including defectivity, metrology and tool history, enabling a new level of data analysis, monitoring and process control. Excalibur-Litho optimizes yield ramps with built-in solutions for litho qualification through the proprietary coupling of design-based binning, electrical cross mapping, and fab-wide data correlation. This enables unprecedented defect isolation and root cause analysis.

“Excalibur-Litho is based on a proven fab analysis framework that provides comprehensive examination of inline lithography-based defects,” said Ankush Oberai, general manager and vice president of Magma’s Fab Analysis Business Unit. “By leveraging a proven infrastructure that has access to both design and fab data, Excalibur-Litho turns data into knowledge, accelerating lithography-based process improvement.”

Magma and Applied Materials, Inc. announced on Feb. 28 a collaborative effort to integrate Magma’s CAD-based navigation and yield analysis software, which includes Excalibur-Litho, with Applied Materials’ advanced inspection tools, such as the Applied UVision™ 4 system. “This unique combination of design and manufacturing tools has accelerated lithography qualification and enabled quicker yield ramp at multiple customers for the development and production of advanced technology nodes,” said Erez Paran, manager, Integrated Solutions for Applied Materials’ Process Diagnostics and Control business unit.

Excalibur-Litho: From Data to Knowledge

Excalibur-Litho collects and organizes data from the manufacturing process, including defectivity, metrology, electrical tools and manufacturing execution system (MES) data. Wafer information is stacked and cross-mapped to any one of the layout, schematic or netlist design representations for analysis.

Excalibur-Litho is built on an open-architecture database developed by Magma that enables safe and secured CAD access and easy fab integration. This open architecture also ensures interoperability with most inspection tools and yield analysis databases.