Case Study: PDF Solutions builds a next-generation SEM and speeds wafer metrology with National Instruments LabVIEW and FlexRIO

Building A Next-Generation Scanning Electron Microscope to Streamline Semiconductor Manufacturing

PDF Solutions, a leading provider of yield improvement technologies for semiconductor manufacturing, faced the challenge of building a control system for a next-generation scanning electron microscope (SEM). They needed to acquire high-resolution images with nanometer alignment and autofocus, all while integrating the system with an external .NET application.

Using National Instruments' FlexRIO hardware and LabVIEW FPGA Module, the vendor JKI developed the solution. They achieved an extremely fast acquisition rate of 250 MHz per pixel and built a .NET interoperability assembly to communicate with the external application. This allowed PDF Solutions to accelerate their R&D and successfully develop a robust SEM tool for inline electrical characterization.

PDF Solutions

Yoram Schwarz

PDF Solutions